EPCOT hosts four major festivals throughout the year: Festival of the Arts, Flower & Garden, Food & Wine, and Festival of the Holidays. The 2026 Food & Wine Festival runs from August 27 through November 21, followed by Festival of the Holidays from November 27 through December 30. Disney has also confirmed the first two festival dates for 2027.
The EPCOT festival calendar is useful when planning a Walt Disney World vacation because each festival offers a different experience. Food & Wine focuses on international cuisine, Flower & Garden brings elaborate topiaries and gardens, Festival of the Arts celebrates creativity, and Festival of the Holidays highlights seasonal traditions from around the world.
All four festivals are included with valid EPCOT admission, although food, beverages, merchandise, dining packages, and certain activities cost extra.
EPCOT Festival Calendar for 2026 and 2027
Here are the official EPCOT festival dates for 2026 and the dates Disney has announced for 2027.
| EPCOT festival | 2026 dates | 2027 dates |
|---|---|---|
| Festival of the Arts | January 16 to February 23 | January 15 to March 1 |
| Flower & Garden Festival | March 4 to June 1 | March 10 to May 31 |
| Food & Wine Festival | August 27 to November 21 | Not announced |
| Festival of the Holidays | November 27 to December 30 | Not announced |
The next scheduled festival after Food & Wine is Festival of the Holidays, which begins November 27, 2026. The following Festival of the Arts opens January 15, 2027.
Disney generally follows a consistent seasonal festival schedule, but exact opening and closing dates can change from year to year. Always use the confirmed dates rather than assuming a festival will start on the same weekend as it did previously.
When Are There No Festivals at EPCOT?
EPCOT does not have a festival running every day of the year. There are breaks between its major seasonal events, with the longest gap typically occurring during summer.
Based on Disney’s confirmed 2026 festival dates, there are no major EPCOT festivals scheduled during these periods:
- January 1 to 15: Before Festival of the Arts begins.
- February 24 to March 3: Between Festival of the Arts and Flower & Garden.
- June 2 to August 26: The long summer gap before Food & Wine.
- November 22 to 26: Between Food & Wine and Festival of the Holidays.
- December 31: After Festival of the Holidays ends.
For 2027, the confirmed calendar also leaves January 1 through 14 and March 2 through 9 between festivals. Later gaps cannot be determined until Disney announces the remaining dates.
Visiting between festivals isn’t necessarily a disadvantage. You can still enjoy EPCOT’s regular attractions, restaurants, World Showcase pavilions, and nighttime entertainment. You simply won’t have the additional festival booths, exhibits, or scheduled festival performances.
If your goal is experiencing EPCOT without making the entire visit about seasonal food booths, a non-festival date may actually be a good fit.
EPCOT International Festival of the Arts
2027 dates: January 15 to March 1
Festival of the Arts is EPCOT’s winter celebration of visual art, performing arts, and creative cuisine.
Throughout the park, visitors can explore Disney-inspired artwork, meet participating artists, enjoy interactive exhibits, and sample dishes created with artistic presentation in mind.
The festival also features the DISNEY ON BROADWAY Concert Series, with musical performances inspired by Disney’s stage productions. Concert schedules, performers, and dining packages are announced separately and can vary each year.
Festival of the Arts is particularly appealing if you want an EPCOT visit that isn’t centered entirely on eating and drinking. Artwork, demonstrations, creative exhibits, and performances provide plenty to enjoy between attractions.
January and February also tend to offer more comfortable walking temperatures than summer, although Florida cold fronts can bring chilly evenings.
Best for: Disney art enthusiasts, live performances, creative food, and winter visits.
Planning tip: Choose a few artists or performances you want to experience, then leave time to explore the artwork throughout the park. If you’re interested in purchasing art, compare pieces before committing early in the day.
See my EPCOT Festival of the Arts guide for additional information, or visit Disney’s official Festival of the Arts page for the latest event details.
EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival
2027 dates: March 10 to May 31
Flower & Garden transforms EPCOT with elaborate Disney character topiaries, landscaped gardens, botanical displays, seasonal food, and outdoor entertainment.
It’s one of the most visually impressive times to visit EPCOT. The festival decorations extend throughout the park, so you can enjoy many of the displays while walking between rides, restaurants, and World Showcase pavilions.
The Outdoor Kitchens offer dishes and beverages inspired by seasonal ingredients. The festival also traditionally features the Garden Rocks Concert Series at America Gardens Theatre.
Disney has confirmed the 2027 dates, although individual menus, performers, displays, and activities remain subject to change.
I would choose March or April over late May if weather comfort were my main concern. Orlando becomes progressively hotter as spring approaches summer, which can make walking through World Showcase more demanding.
Best for: First-time festival visitors, garden enthusiasts, families, photography, and spring vacations.
Planning tip: Take time to explore the topiaries and gardens instead of concentrating exclusively on the food booths. They’re the main feature that makes Flower & Garden different from EPCOT’s other festivals.
The displays also pair naturally with a walk through the countries at EPCOT. Check Disney’s official Flower & Garden Festival page for the latest announcements.
EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival
2026 dates: August 27 to November 21
Food & Wine is EPCOT’s signature culinary festival, with Global Marketplaces serving dishes and beverages inspired by different countries and regions.
The 2026 festival includes the Eat to the Beat Concert Series, returning food experiences, and seasonal activities such as Emile’s Fromage Montage and Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak scavenger hunt.
It’s an especially good choice for visitors who want food to be the main attraction. Rather than planning a conventional restaurant meal, you can sample smaller dishes while exploring World Showcase.
However, the price of those smaller portions adds up. Festival food and beverages are individually priced, so a full afternoon of sampling can become more expensive than a regular restaurant meal.
Food & Wine also runs through very different weather conditions. Late August and September are hot and humid, while October and November generally offer more comfortable temperatures.
Best for: Food enthusiasts, adult trips, international cuisine, live music, and fall visits.
Planning tip: If you want a more relaxed visit, choose a weekday rather than a Saturday afternoon or evening. Pick several priority food booths before arriving, then leave room for spontaneous discoveries.
For additional event information, see my EPCOT Food & Wine Festival guide. Disney also publishes official festival information, including participating marketplaces and entertainment.
EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays
2026 dates: November 27 to December 30
Festival of the Holidays celebrates seasonal traditions from cultures around the world, with special entertainment, Holiday Kitchens, decorations, and storytellers throughout World Showcase.
Disney confirmed that the 2026 festival begins the day after Thanksgiving and runs through December 30.
The Candlelight Processional is one of the festival’s signature experiences. It presents the Christmas story with a celebrity narrator, orchestra, choir, and traditional holiday music at America Gardens Theatre.
Additional entertainment includes international holiday storytellers and seasonal musical performances. The Holiday Kitchens serve festive dishes inspired by traditions from different countries.
Although the festival period is relatively short, it provides a very different atmosphere from Food & Wine. The focus is more on seasonal music, cultural traditions, and holiday celebration.
Best for: Christmas vacations, holiday entertainment, cultural traditions, and the Candlelight Processional.
Planning tip: If Candlelight Processional is a major priority, check the narrator and performance schedule before choosing a date. Dining packages may be available for guests who want guaranteed seating for a specific performance.
Christmas week can be especially busy at Walt Disney World. If your dates are flexible, consider an earlier festival visit rather than waiting until the final week of December.
See my EPCOT Festival of the Holidays guide for more information and Disney’s official holiday festival page for current details.
Which EPCOT Festival Should You Visit?
Each festival offers a different reason to visit EPCOT. If you can choose your travel dates, I’d start with what you actually want to do rather than assuming the longest or most popular festival is automatically the best.
| Your main interest | Festival I’d choose |
|---|---|
| Disney artwork and creative performances | Festival of the Arts |
| Gardens, flowers, and photography | Flower & Garden |
| International food and drinks | Food & Wine |
| Christmas music and traditions | Festival of the Holidays |
| First EPCOT festival experience | Flower & Garden |
| Winter weather and cultural entertainment | Festival of the Arts |
| Concerts with food booths | Food & Wine or Flower & Garden |
For an all-around first festival, I would lean toward Flower & Garden. The decorations make the entire park more interesting, even if you don’t purchase anything from the Outdoor Kitchens.
For adults primarily interested in dining, Food & Wine would be my choice, especially on a weekday in October or early November when the weather is usually more comfortable than late summer.
Do EPCOT Festivals Require Separate Tickets?
No separate festival admission ticket is required for EPCOT’s four major seasonal festivals. Festival entry is included with valid EPCOT theme park admission. A park reservation may also be required depending on your admission type.
However, many festival activities and purchases are not complimentary.
- Included with park admission: General festival access, viewing decorations and exhibits, and many scheduled performances.
- Extra cost: Festival food and drinks, merchandise, paid scavenger hunt maps, and certain specialty experiences.
- Optional additional purchases: Concert dining packages and Candlelight Processional dining packages when available.
You can enjoy the atmosphere of Flower & Garden or Festival of the Arts without buying a large amount of food or merchandise. Food & Wine is more dependent on additional spending if sampling the marketplaces is the main reason you’re visiting.
Are EPCOT Festivals More Crowded on Weekends?
Weekend afternoons and evenings can be busier during EPCOT festivals, particularly when local visitors join vacationers for food booths, concerts, and seasonal entertainment.
Food & Wine is the festival where I would pay the most attention to this. Saturday afternoons can draw long lines at popular marketplaces and a busier atmosphere around World Showcase.
If you’re visiting primarily for food, entertainment, or a relaxed walk around the park, I would generally choose a weekday when possible.
That isn’t a guarantee of low crowds. Holidays, school breaks, special events, and specific concert performers can still attract substantial attendance.
For a more detailed comparison of weekdays and weekends, see my best day to visit EPCOT guide.
How to Plan an EPCOT Festival Day
The most enjoyable festival days leave enough time for both regular EPCOT attractions and seasonal experiences. Unless the festival itself is your only priority, I wouldn’t spend the entire day standing in food booth lines.
My approach would be to prioritize major attractions earlier in the day, then spend the afternoon and evening exploring the festival.
- Check the festival schedule. Confirm that your visit falls within the announced dates and identify any specific concerts or performances.
- Choose your must-do rides. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Test Track, Frozen Ever After, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure may require more planning than festival exhibits.
- Review the festival food menus. Choose a manageable number of dishes rather than trying to sample every booth.
- Set a spending limit. Food, beverages, and merchandise are individually priced, and smaller purchases can add up quickly.
- Leave time for World Showcase. EPCOT’s countries, restaurants, and attractions are worth experiencing even during a festival.
- Check concert times. If a particular performance is important, plan your food stops and rides around its schedule.
If you want to combine festival sampling with a full meal, compare the best EPCOT restaurants before making dining reservations.
I’d also check EPCOT operating hours and the My Disney Experience app shortly before the visit. Festival marketplace hours, entertainment schedules, and attraction availability can differ from the park’s general operating hours.
Where to Check for New EPCOT Festival Dates
Disney normally announces festival dates before releasing every menu, concert lineup, performer, or special activity.
For 2027, Disney has confirmed Festival of the Arts from January 15 through March 1 and Flower & Garden from March 10 through May 31. The remaining 2027 festival dates have not yet been announced.
You can check Disney’s official seasonal event calendar for newly announced dates and the Disney Parks Blog for festival menus, entertainment announcements, and other details.
If you’re planning your visit around one festival, confirm its dates before booking nonrefundable travel. If you’re simply hoping to experience any EPCOT festival, the calendar above provides a starting point for choosing a season.
