The holiday season at Universal Orlando is about to get a little more elegant. Holiday Harbor Nights returns to Loews Portofino Bay Hotel on Friday, November 27, filling the hotel’s Italian inspired Harbor Piazza with unlimited food, wine, live music, opera, and the grand lighting of Portofino’s Christmas tree.
Held every year on the Friday after Thanksgiving, Holiday Harbor Nights is the festive edition of the hotel’s popular Harbor Nights series and officially kicks off the holiday season at Portofino Bay.
What’s Included at Holiday Harbor Nights
Every ticket includes:
- Unlimited tastings from the hotel’s award winning restaurants
- Unlimited wine from a curated selection of Italian wines
- Peroni Nastro Azzurro beer, soft drinks, and bottled water
- Live band performances with room to dance
- A balcony opera performance by Portofino’s own opera singers
- The grand illumination of Portofino Bay’s Christmas tree
Cocktails aren’t included, but they can be purchased separately inside Trattoria del Porto.
Holiday Harbor Nights Food Menu
Here’s what will be served at the food stations throughout the night:
- Antipasto Station: Parma ham, Genoa salami, Sicilian pepperoni, pistachio mortadella, nduja, aged Parmesan, fontina, grilled ricotta salata, fresh mozzarella, olive oil, 15 year balsamic, tomato tapenade, marinated artichoke hearts, Marcona almonds, and champagne grapes
- Traditional Caesar Salad: Romaine hearts, roasted tomato and garlic oil, Caesar dressing, and shaved Parmesan
- Fall Squash Bisque: Acorn and butternut squash with feta crema, chives, and cinnamon roasted pumpkin seeds
- Pasta Ala Mama: Ricotta and spinach cheese tortellini with salt roasted beet in a pink vodka sauce
- Chicken Marsala: Seared chicken thigh with smoked forest mushroom marsala over creamy yellow corn polenta
- Cast Iron Skillet Baked Shrimp and Gulf Coast Clams: Jumbo shrimp and clams in Italian purgatory sauce with smoked paprika rouille and candied citrus gremolata
- Roasted Prime Rib: Carved to order, peppercorn crusted, with herb roasted baby potatoes, caramelized cipollini onions, creamed horseradish, salsa verde, and au jus
Desserts:
- Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Hazelnut Cannoli
- Caramel Triple Chocolate Mousse Verrine
- Espresso Gelato, Stracciatella Gelato, and Raspberry Sorbet
Holiday Harbor Nights Wine List
- Vietti Moscato d’Asti
- Argiolas Vermentino di Sardegna Costamolino
- Fattoria La Valentina Pecorino Terre d’Abruzzo
- Flora Lisa Terre di Chieti Pinot Grigio
- Garofoli Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Serra del Conte
- Marco Felluga Friuli Bianco
- Tenuta Sallier de La Tour Sicilia Inzolia
- Zardetto Prosecco DOC Brut
The VIP Experience: A Wine Dinner With Six Courses
For a more upscale night, VIP guests get everything included with general admission, plus a welcome reception, a reserved table, and table service featuring six plated courses paired with wines from Foley Family Wines and Spirits that aren’t poured at the regular wine stations.
Butler Passed Reception:
- Bresaola and Cantaloupe Skewer
- Lamb Lollipop with Balsamic Drizzle
Dinner:
- Spiced Tuna Carpaccio: Ahi tuna with preserved lemon vinaigrette in a cucumber cup and micro green salad, paired with Pinot Grigio
- Tuscan Kale and Grilled Ricotta Salata: Candied pecans, dried heirloom tomatoes, radish, and Florida citrus emulsion, paired with Chianti Classico
- Fall Squash Bisque: Paired with Barbera
- Spinach Ravioli: Hand dipped ricotta, salt roasted beet, baby arugula, and pink sauce, paired with Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
- Bronzed Halibut: Heirloom tomatoes, shallot, caperberry marmalade, and white wine butter sauce, paired with Gavi di Gavi
- Slow Braised Beef: Herb roasted fingerling potatoes and cipollini onions, paired with Montepulciano
Desserts: Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake, Hazelnut Cannoli, and Caramel Triple Chocolate Mousse Verrine
Holiday Harbor Nights Ticket Prices
General Admission (check in at 6:30pm, event runs 7pm to 10pm)
- Individual Ticket: $99. Includes unlimited food and wine, live music, the opera performance, the tree lighting, open communal seating, and complimentary self parking or discounted valet (parking perk not valid for overnight hotel guests).
- Reserved Table for 10: $999. Includes everything above, plus a private table for your group closest to the band.
VIP (check in at 6pm, welcome reception at 6:30pm, event runs until 10pm)
- Reserved Table for 2: $298
- Reserved Table for 4: $596
- Reserved Table for 6: $894
- Reserved Table for 10: $1,490
That works out to $149 per person for VIP. Tax and ticketing fees apply to all ticket types.
Good to Know Before You Go
- Date: Friday, November 27, 2026
- Location: Harbor Piazza at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando, 5601 Universal Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32819
- Ages: Adults 21 and older only
- Tickets: Available through Eventbrite. All tickets are nonrefundable.
- Weather: The event happens rain or shine and moves indoors if the weather turns bad.
- Questions: Call 407‑503‑1200
Whether you’re planning a date night, a holiday outing with friends, or a way to unwind after Thanksgiving, Holiday Harbor Nights is one of the most festive ways to welcome the season at Universal Orlando. Purchase tickets now HERE.
Will you be heading to Portofino Bay for the tree lighting? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to The Main Street Mouse for more holiday events around Orlando!
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