Launch into the Holidays at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex with new ‘Kennedy Under the Stars: Holiday Edition’

On select nights in December, enjoy after-hours merriment and be one of the first to see our new drone show for the holidays!

Sleigh the way into a holiday adventure that’s out of this world! Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, recently ranked the number one attraction in the United States in Tripadvisor’s 2025 Traveler’s Choice Awards, is where festive fun meets real space exploration. Get up close to authentic flight-flown artifacts, meet a veteran NASA astronaut, and feel the rumble of a rocket launch.

This December, the holidays take off at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex with the annual Holidays in Space, a spectacular celebration that combines festive cheer with the wonder of space exploration. Kicking off the seasonal festivities is the debut of Kennedy Under the Stars: Holiday Edition, a dazzling after-hours event inviting guests to experience the visitor complex in a whole new light…after dark!

Kennedy Under the Stars: Holiday Edition will take place Friday and Saturday, December 19 and 20, 2025, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. This special, separately ticketed event ($65 per person) will transform the visitor complex into a holiday outpost filled with music, lights, and space-themed merriment.

Guests can explore some of the most popular attractions at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, including Heroes & Legends, Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex^®, Journey To Mars, Space Shuttle Atlantis, Planet Play, and more, all after hours and aglow in festive décor. The iconic Rocket Garden will come alive with twinkling lights and a Holiday Grooves Dance Party, while a spectacular custom drone show will light up the night sky in a display unlike any other.

The event’s live entertainment will feature The Vocalitas performing holiday classics, whimsical characters on stilts, and a roving Penny Farthing-riding elf adding a touch of vintage charm. Guests can also enjoy the brilliant and beautiful Rocket Tree Trail, take part in a scavenger hunt, and snap a photo with the Mars Rover dressed as Rudolph.

Attendees are encouraged to wear their most creative space-themed holiday attire (no masks or face coverings permitted). Complimentary parking is included with admission. Holiday edition retail items will be available for purchase throughout the evening. (Annual Passholder discounts on food, beverage, and retail purchases will apply.)

Check out the latest Christmas and Holiday News from throughout Central Florida. From the theme parks, to the attractions, shopping malls and resort hotels, you will be dazzled with holiday cheer, including the most spectacular events at the theme parks and attractions, glittering community events and parades, plus, magical parties, eats and treats, and so much more!

Holidays in Space continues December 21–30, 2025 (closed December 25), with holiday decorations and an all-new Holidays in Space Drone Show Spectacular! The breathtaking 600-drone performance will tell the story of Starflake, a celestial character formed from a meteor shower who journeys through NASA’s greatest programs, from Apollo and Shuttle to Artemis, culminating in the creation of a glowing cosmic tree. Premium viewing for this show will be available on select nights throughout the holiday season and can be purchased soon at KennedySpaceCenter.com.

Each performance will feature brilliant visuals of the International Space Station, NASA’s spacecraft, and even an astronaut in a Santa hat, making it a truly interstellar celebration of the season. In addition, guests can look forward to a new, soon-to-be-announced live character show that will take place in the Universe Theater, as well as an interactive, family breakfast experience available during the holiday period.

To make the most of the holiday season, guests can also purchase the Holiday Dining Package.  Designed to make mealtime at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex more convenient and enjoyable during the busy holiday season, the package is available for presale only and will be offered December 15–19, 2025, and December 22, 2025–January 2, 2026, for $39.99 per person

in addition to admission. The Holiday Dining Package includes one meal from either the Orbit Cafe, Moonrock Cafe, or Barbecue (located in Chat With An Astronaut), offering selections such as chicken tenders and fries, pizza, cheeseburgers, hamburgers, or veggie burgers. Guests will also receive a refillable souvenir cup and a choice of one snack and two of either a snack or Space Dots, or the option to redeem for two snacks or two Space Dots.

Tickets for Kennedy Under the Stars: Holiday Edition go on sale November 4 at www.KennedySpaceCenter.com. 

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