USJ Christmas 2026: Dates, Night Shows, Hours & Countdown

Universal Studios Japan’s winter event, Universal Holiday Wonders ～Discover U!!!～, runs from November 13, 2026 to January 17, 2027. The headline acts are two evening shows at Gramercy Park: the new “Light Up the Night: Christmas Celebration” and “Joy of Lights”, a message show making its return. Add a winter projection show on Hogwarts Castle, a park-wide food festival and seasonal character greetings, and all of it is included with a normal dated Studio Pass.

New Year’s Eve works differently. The park holds an overnight countdown, NO LIMIT! COUNTDOWN 2027 ～Discover U!!!～, which needs its own ticket. Regular tickets for that day are only valid until 17:00, so if you want to see the new year in at USJ, it pays to plan ahead.

Dates and opening hours

Within the event period, the main parts keep their own dates:

• Night shows (Light Up the Night and Joy of Lights): November 25, 2026 to January 11, 2027. There are no night shows on December 31, 2026.
• Hogwarts Magical Nights - Winter Magic: November 13, 2026 to January 17, 2027.
• Universal Food Festival: November 9, 2026 to January 17, 2027.

Opening hours on the big days:

• Christmas Eve: 08:00–21:30
• Christmas Day: 09:00–21:00
• New Year’s Eve: 09:00–17:00 on a regular ticket; the countdown starts at 19:00 for Party Pass holders only
• New Year’s Day: 02:00–21:00

The New Year’s Day hours come from the countdown ticket page, because the official park calendar hadn’t published January when this guide was written. Treat them as provisional. USJ also says hours can change without notice and that admission sometimes starts before the scheduled opening time.

Not published yet: exact show times. The event page lists sample times for the night shows but says they differ from day to day, and each day’s show schedule appears about a week in advance.

What’s on

Universal Holiday Wonders brings two evening shows at Gramercy Park: “Light Up the Night: Christmas Celebration”, a new snow-filled winter night show with Elmo, Snoopy, Hello Kitty and live holiday songs, and “Joy of Lights”, a message show that returns after nine years and projects guests’ messages to their loved ones onto a big screen. In The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Hogsmeade gets traditional winter decorations and Hogwarts Castle hosts the projection show “Hogwarts Magical Nights - Winter Magic”, alongside the “Holiday Frog Choir” and the walk-through “Hogwarts Castle Walk”. The Universal Food Festival spreads holiday dishes, character foods and an on-the-go food market across the park. Seasonal greetings and shows include “Universal Wonderland: Let's Smile Together!” in winter costumes, “Minions Cool Winter Greeting” at the entrance, “Minions Jingle Bello Meet & Greet” in Minion Park and the rock singing show “Power of Rock: Holidays are Rockin'”.

“Light Up the Night: Christmas Celebration” lasts about 30 minutes, and “Joy of Lights” about 10 minutes. The number of performances changes from day to day. The messages shown in Joy of Lights are picked by lottery from entries sent in advance through a Japanese-only form, and you still need a park ticket to watch.

The Hogwarts castle show has no times on the event page, so check on the day. For Hogwarts Castle Walk, the official page names no extra ticket but asks guests to check with a crew member on how to enter the area.

Festival food is sold while supplies last, and some dishes start later than others. One thing no official page mentions this year is a Christmas tree, so don’t build your photo plans around one.

New Year’s Eve: the countdown

NO LIMIT! COUNTDOWN 2027 ～Discover U!!!～ runs from 19:00 on December 31, 2026 until 21:00 on January 1, 2027, which USJ bills as up to 26 hours of play. At the turn of the year, the Countdown Moment over the Lagoon is scheduled for 23:50–00:05, with about 5,000 fireworks.

The countdown night centres on the Countdown Moment, a fireworks, lights and music show over the Lagoon and across the park as the year turns, and the Countdown Special Stage at Gramercy Park, which runs all evening with a DJ show of Zedd's music and acts from the park's anniversary year, including Halloween. After midnight the park characters greet guests in traditional Japanese clothing (New Year's Greeting). Rides, shows, restaurants and shops stay open through the night until the event ends the next evening. The new show “USJ Grand Music Revival”, held at the Universal Monster Live Rock and Roll Show theatre, needs its own add-on ticket. Super Nintendo World closes for maintenance for part of the event, and each guest can get only one Area Timed Entry or Standby Entry Ticket for it in the app during the whole event.

The ticket rules are the part to get right:

The countdown is a separately ticketed event: everyone needs a PARTY PASS (one per person; children aged three and under enter free), which also covers rides except a few paid ones and lets you leave and re-enter as often as you like during the event. Regular New Year's Eve tickets are only valid until the park's early closing that afternoon; the park then closes for two hours and reopens for Party Pass holders only. Regular New Year's Day tickets work from the small hours of 1 January. Party Passes are sold in limited numbers and can sell out, cannot be cancelled or changed, and are not sold at the gate; the official ticket page for them is in Japanese only.

So with a normal New Year’s Eve ticket, your day runs 09:00–17:00. The park then closes and reopens at 19:00 for Party Pass holders only. Express Passes for the countdown are sold as add-ons and also require a Party Pass.

Party Passes go on general sale on November 4, 2026 (in the evening, Japan time) through the official web store, Lawson Ticket and some partner hotels for their guests, but only if passes are left after the pre-sales. No tickets for New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day are sold at the entrance, and USJ may restrict entry if the park gets too full.

If the countdown is the reason for your trip, decide early and be ready on the first day of general sale. If not, a regular New Year’s Eve ticket still gives you most of the day, and a New Year’s Day ticket lets you in from the small hours.

Tickets and Express Pass

The Christmas shows, decorations, greetings and the food festival are part of a normal park day: a dated Studio Pass is all you need, and food is paid for separately. Two things are optional extras. A paid Special Viewing Area ticket gives a spot right in front of the stage for Light Up the Night and Joy of Lights, with no queue. A winter version of the guided Universal VIP Experience group tour includes that viewing area. Entry to Super Nintendo World can still need an Area Timed Entry Ticket from the official app, as on any busy day. The Holiday Kids Free Pass (one child free with each adult) is only for residents of Japan who upload an official ID when buying.

The Holiday Kids Free Pass covers visits from November 13, 2026 to December 30, 2026, but because it is for Japan residents only, most overseas visitors can’t use it.

A Studio Pass is bought for a specific visit date; the date can be changed afterwards through the official ticket guide. Resold tickets are refused at the gate. The holiday weeks are a popular time to visit, so buy your dated ticket as soon as your travel dates are fixed.

Weekends and the days around Christmas tend to bring longer queues. That’s where an Express Pass helps. Express Pass only shortens queues for the attractions listed on it and never includes park entry, so you still need a Studio Pass. Some Express Passes include guaranteed entry to Super Nintendo World; some rides on the pass have a fixed time.

Also on during the season

• Anniversary year: USJ’s silver anniversary celebration, “Discover U!!!”, continues until March 30, 2027, so the “NO LIMIT! Parade: Discover U!!! Version” and other anniversary shows run right through the holidays.
• Super Nintendo World: the area’s anniversary celebration ends on January 11, 2027. Its finale is a sticker hunt: collect stars around the area to earn a special sticker.
• Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: a new “Moon Palace Edition Deluxe” theatre attraction, part of Universal Cool Japan, opens on December 2, 2026.

Tips

• Expect crowds. Christmas week, weekends and the New Year are busy at any big theme park. If your dates are flexible, a weekday earlier in the season is a calmer choice.
• Set up the app before you go. The Universal Studios Japan official app (free, iOS and Android) — shows wait times and issues Timed Entry eTickets. Register your Studio Pass in it, because Super Nintendo World timed-entry tickets are only issued in the app once you’re inside the park.
• Arrive before opening. Admission sometimes starts early, and the earlier you’re in, the better your chance of a timed-entry slot for Super Nintendo World.
• Dress for the cold. The night shows are outdoors, and you’ll be standing and waiting on a winter evening.
• Check again close to your date. Every official page says details can change, and show schedules appear only about a week ahead.

FAQ

When does Christmas start at USJ this year?

The event starts on November 13, 2026 and ends on January 17, 2027. Festival food goes on sale a little earlier, on November 9, 2026.

Do I need a special ticket for Christmas at USJ?

No. The Christmas shows, decorations, greetings and food festival are included with a normal dated Studio Pass. A Special Viewing Area ticket for the night shows is an optional paid extra. The only event that needs its own ticket is the New Year’s Eve countdown.

Can I stay in the park on New Year’s Eve with a normal ticket?

Only until 17:00. After that the park closes, and it reopens at 19:00 for the countdown, which needs a Party Pass. Party Passes are limited, can sell out and aren’t sold at the gate.

When are the Christmas night shows?

Light Up the Night and Joy of Lights run from November 25, 2026 to January 11, 2027, except on December 31, 2026. Exact times vary by day and are posted about a week in advance.

Is USJ open on New Year’s Day?

Yes. Regular New Year’s Day tickets let you in from the small hours, and the park is listed as open 02:00–21:00. These hours come from the countdown ticket page, so check the official calendar once January is published.