'Festival of the Lion King' Returns to Disney’s Animal Kingdom July 16

The tumble monkeys are about to be back to their acrobatic hijinks and the birds are stretching their wings to take flight as “Festival of the Lion King” returns to Disney’s Animal Kingdom beginning July 16, 2022.

As such, “A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King,” which is a pandemic-abbreviated version of the show will close on July 4.

In preparation for the return of “Festival of the Lion King,” the park’s Harambe Theater will be closed July 5-15. There will be no performances of either show during that time.

“Festival of the Lion King” is a Broadway-style show performed in the round that features music and characters inspired by the Disney animated film, “The Lion King.” The show also features large puppets, dancers and acrobatic acts.

The show opened with the park in 1998, but was originally located in the Camp Minnie-Mickey section. It moved to the Harambe Theater in 2014, where it was performed until March 2020, when Walt Disney World closed for the pandemic.

“A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King,” opened in May 2021, with updates to choreography and temporarily pausing some show elements to allow for appropriate physical distancing.