Only months after its concert series in September 2019, the Christian music outreach “Rock the Universe” returned in February to Universal Studios in Orlando for its new season.
“’Rock the Universe’ offers Christian families a weekend filled with faith and worship at Universal Studios Florida, making it the only yearly amusement park Christian music outreach,” wrote Christian Post on the return of the concert series to the amusement park.
Universal Orlando Resort made the decision to move event to winter dates of Feb. 1-2 to offer a “more favorable time for guests,” allowing guests and families to work around school schedules and weather.
Despite being held only five months before, the February event was “bigger than ever.” The acts featured live performances from Grammy award-winning artist, Lecrae, Grammy-nominated Christian rock band, Skillet, and the top-chart artists of Bethel Music, Matt Maher, Crowder, Matthew West, Big Daddy Weave, Francesca Battistelli, and more.
The Fan-Zone, hosted by Coca-Cola, allowed fans the chance to meet-and-greet some of their favorite bands and artists. Guests of the “Rock the Universe” concert also enjoyed access to the Studio’s rides and other attractions in between music.
“Rock the Universe” has been hosted by Universal Studios since 1998, competing with Walt Disney World Resort’s own Christian rock concert series, “Night of Joy.” However, Walt Disney World canceled “Night of Joy” in May of 2018 after 34 years. A Disney World spokeswoman told the Orlando Sentinel that the decision to cancel the longstanding event was part of the resort’s philosophy of “continually changing our offerings.”
The two-day event ended with a candle lighting ceremony at the Music Plaza Stage, where some of the performers shared special messages. At the previous “Rock the Universe” event, this time of vigil was used to share a message of unity by the lead vocalist for Casting Crowns, Mark Hall.
“When we worship, God doesn’t need to be reminded about how good He is; we do. Don’t ever miss a chance to love Him with a song,” the singer said to the crowd, encouraging them to foster unity and hope in a time of divisiveness.
The next “Rock the Universe” will be held Jan. 24-25, 2020, with Universal Orlando now offering special rates for youth groups.
Photo courtesy: Asso Myron/Unsplash
