---
title: "Disney's D23 Fan Event Returns to Anaheim in August With Concerts and Panels"
description: "Disney's biggest fan gathering returns to Anaheim from August 14 to 16, with two live concerts, more than 50 panels and a show floor the company bills as its largest ever — an effectively hometown celebration for Southern California's Disney faithful."
category: "Los Angeles"
category_url: https://herald.la/category/los-angeles
author: "Gabriela Soto"
published: 2026-06-29T21:48:00.000Z
updated: 2026-06-29T21:48:00.000Z
canonical: https://herald.la/article/disney-s-d23-fan-event-returns-to-anaheim-in-august-with-concerts-and-panels
tags: ["Disney", "D23", "Anaheim", "entertainment", "fan events", "Southern California"]
---
# Disney's D23 Fan Event Returns to Anaheim in August With Concerts and Panels

Disney's biggest fan gathering returns to Anaheim from August 14 to 16, with two live concerts, more than 50 panels and a show floor the company bills as its largest ever — an effectively hometown celebration for Southern California's Disney faithful.

For tens of thousands of Disney devotees across Southern California, mid-August just got a lot more crowded.

## The biggest Disney fan gathering is back

[D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event](https://d23.com/ultimatefanevent2026/), the official fan club's flagship gathering, returns to Anaheim from August 14 through 16. The three-day event is split between two landmarks: the Anaheim Convention Center, open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and the Honda Center, which hosts the marquee evening showcases. For anyone within driving distance of the Disneyland Resort, it amounts to a hometown celebration of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic.

## Concerts take center stage

A pair of live concerts headlines this year's additions. The [Disney Rewind Concert](https://d23.com/incredible-afternoon-programming-for-d23-the-ultimate-disney-fan-event/), running Friday and Saturday nights, is staged as a nostalgic live mixtape drawing on music from Powerline, the Disney Afternoon lineup and the Muses of *Hercules*, with a cast of Broadway performers and Disney Legends. Sunday belongs to composer Alan Menken — the eight-time Oscar winner behind *The Little Mermaid*, *Beauty and the Beast*, *Aladdin* and *Tangled* — in a one-man show titled *A Whole New World of Alan Menken*.

## Panels, previews and a big show floor

With more than 50 panels, the programming spans Disney's full universe, from an *Enchanted* 20th-anniversary celebration to a Marvel storytelling panel to a *101 Dalmatians* 65th-anniversary retrospective. The two evening showcases — Disney Entertainment and Disney Experiences — are where the company traditionally makes its biggest announcements about upcoming films, streaming and theme-park expansions, though those reveals are typically held until the event itself. A Disney Legends ceremony hosted by Ryan Seacrest will induct a new class of honorees. On what D23 calls its largest show floor yet, confirmed activations include a Disney+ and Hulu experience, a Marvel Studios walkthrough, a Lucasfilm pavilion and a combined Pixar and Walt Disney Animation space, plus a Disney *Lorcana* card-game tournament.

## Getting in

A D23 Gold Membership is required to buy tickets, which range from a single-day pass to multi-day passes topping $2,000 for premium floor seating at the evening showcases; an afternoon-only option is also offered. Disney has scheduled a week of related Anaheim-area events in the days beforehand. Tickets and the full schedule are at [d23.com](https://d23.com/ultimatefanevent2026/).

## Sources

- [D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event — official event page](https://d23.com/ultimatefanevent2026/)
- [Incredible afternoon programming for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event](https://d23.com/incredible-afternoon-programming-for-d23-the-ultimate-disney-fan-event/)
- [Concerts, panels and new activations coming to Disney's D23 fan event this summer](https://ktla.com/news/concerts-panels-and-new-activations-coming-to-disneys-d23-fan-event-this-summer/)