Josh Groban’s October has been one of those months that sums up a career: a record-breaking charity night in New York, a new role in one of Disney’s best-loved holiday traditions, and a return to the German television stage. The Grammy-nominated singer, now more than two decades into a career built on soaring ballads and theatrical flair, is ending 2026 as busy as ever.
A Record Night for Arts Education
On 19 October, Groban hosted his annual Find Your Light Benefit Concert for Arts Education at the Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York. The evening raised a benefit record of $1.6 million to provide arts education to students across the United States, through the grantmaking and advocacy work of Groban’s Find Your Light Foundation.
Groban opened the night with “Stand By Me” alongside the Harlem School of the Arts Choir, MOVE NYC dancers, Boston Music Project, and Upbeat NYC strings — all programmes the foundation supports. The evening featured speeches from Wynton Marsalis, Louis Cato, Stephen Colbert, and Dr Connie Tomaino of the Oliver Sacks Foundation, all speaking about the importance of arts education, and performances from Broadway stars Betsy Wolfe and Lorna Courtney, who sang “That’s The Way It Is” from & Juliet.
Groban and Oni Marsalis performed a version of “Moon River” dedicated to both of their fathers, Jack Groban and Wynton Marsalis. Marsalis, presented with the Find Your Light Award during the evening, also gave a special performance, and Groban later joined Colombian musician Simon CiFuentes for “Remember Me” from Disney Pixar’s Coco, before Louis Cato and Stephen Colbert joined him for “Bring It On Home” and “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me”.
Groban Joins EPCOT’s Candlelight Processional
Earlier in the month, Disney announced that Groban will make his debut as a narrator for the Candlelight Processional at EPCOT, the long-running holiday tradition in which a celebrity narrator retells the Christmas story alongside a live orchestra, massed choir, herald trumpets, and the Voices of Liberty. Disney updated its 2026 narrator line-up on 6 October, adding Groban for 13 and 14 December, alongside Benjamin Bratt, who takes 2 and 3 December.
Groban will perform at the America Gardens Theatre, with three shows each evening at 4:45 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. His dates fall between Neil Patrick Harris (10–12 December) and Lauren Daigle (15–16 December). The 2026 event marks the 55th year of the Candlelight Processional at Walt Disney World and its 32nd year at EPCOT, running nightly from 27 November to 30 December as part of the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays. For Groban, it will be his first time in the narrator’s role.
The update also removed Auli’i Cravalho, the voice of Moana, from the opening-weekend dates of 27 and 28 November, which were left listed as “To Be Announced”. Disney has not said why Cravalho is no longer on the schedule. Groban is one of five first-time narrators this season, alongside Bratt, Robin Roberts, Jason Kelce, and Lacey Chabert.
Las Vegas Residency and a German TV Return
Groban’s autumn also included a return to Las Vegas, where he brought his “GEMS” show back to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace for a run on 2, 3, 7, 9, and 10 October. Announcing the residency on Instagram, he wrote that the previous year’s run had been so special he wanted to bring the show back. The tour supports GEMS, his 18-track career-spanning collection released in May 2025, featuring vocalist Jennifer Hudson on select dates.
Meanwhile, Groban has been announced as an international guest on the returning Helene Fischer Show in Germany, alongside Ronan Keating and pianist Lang Lang. The show will be recorded at Messe Düsseldorf on 30 and 31 October and broadcast on ZDF on 25 December, as a co-production with ORF and SRF, with large-scale staging including Cirque du Soleil’s ALIZÉ, excerpts from MJ – The Michael Jackson Musical, and illusionist Hans Klok.
From a record charity night to a Disney holiday debut, October has shown Groban doing what he has done throughout his career: moving easily between the concert stage, television, and philanthropy, and bringing a familiar voice to new audiences. For more celebrity news, visit the Celebrity Hub homepage.