I’m just going to say it: Festival of the Arts is the best EPCOT festival.
I know that’s a bold claim when Food & Wine gets all the attention and Flower & Garden has the topiaries. But after spending opening day immersed in everything this festival has to offer, I’m more convinced than ever. Festival of the Arts is a celebration of creativity in every form, and you leave feeling genuinely inspired (and very well fed).
This year’s festival runs 39 days, from January 16 through February 23, 2026. Whether you’re a first-timer or a returning fan, this guide covers everything you need to know to make the most of your visit and get in touch with your inner-artist.
Last Updated: January 22, 2026
What’s New for 2026
Before we dive into the full guide, here’s what’s different this year:
Disney Lorcana Activities: The biggest addition to the 2026 festival. Disney’s popular trading card game now has a major presence at EPCOT, with two free activities that reward you with exclusive promo cards. If you’ve been curious about Lorcana, this is the perfect low-stakes introduction. Check out my complete guides to the Lorcana Collection Quest and the Ink & Find Scavenger Hunt.
Expanded Disney on Broadway Exhibit: The “Once Upon a Stage” exhibit at CommuniCore Hall is back and better than last year. New additions include a giant Genie lamp outside that billows smoke, and a floor-to-ceiling screen that puts you in the POV of an actor waiting in the wings during Beauty and the Beast. I could have watched it all day.
Six New Broadway Performers: This year’s Disney on Broadway Concert Series welcomes Isabelle McCalla (Aladdin), Sierra Boggess (The Little Mermaid), Susan Egan (Beauty and the Beast), James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin), Ainsley Melham (Aladdin), and Kyra Belle Johnson (Beauty and the Beast). The grand finale on February 22-23 will feature five performers for the first time.
New Food Studio Items: The Food Studios have some standout new dishes, including the Figment Fantasy Cake at Figment’s Inspiration Station, the Popcorn, Popcorn Chicken and Waffles, and a new Croque Monsieur grilled cheese at Pop Eats.
When Is the 2026 EPCOT Festival of the Arts?
January 16 – February 23, 2026 (39 days)
The festival is included with regular EPCOT admission. Most activities are free, though some experiences like Figment’s Brush with the Masters scavenger hunt and the Figment Artist Popcorn Bucket cost extra.
What Is the EPCOT Festival of the Arts?
The Festival of the Arts is a celebration of visual, culinary, and performing arts. It’s EPCOT’s newest festival, having debuted in 2017, and it’s grown into something special.
What makes it different from Food & Wine or Flower & Garden? The variety. In a single day, you can:
- Watch Broadway stars perform Disney classics
- Learn to draw Mickey Mouse from a Disney animator
- Contribute to a massive collaborative paint-by-numbers mural
- Trade Lorcana cards with other guests
- Meet the artists behind your favorite Disney merchandise
- Eat food that’s almost too beautiful to eat (almost)
Figment is the festival mascot, which feels appropriate. Journey Into Imagination is all about sparking creativity, and that’s exactly what this festival does. Every corner of the park has something to inspire you.
What to Do at the Festival of the Arts
Free Activities
Once Upon a Stage: The Magic of Disney on Broadway (CommuniCore Hall)
This exhibit gives you a backstage pass to Disney on Broadway. Located inside CommuniCore Hall, it showcases props, costumes, and set models from Disney’s Broadway productions including The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Frozen, Mary Poppins, Newsies, and Hercules.
The standout this year is a floor-to-ceiling immersive display that puts you in the point of view of an actor waiting in the wings during Beauty and the Beast. You’re watching the show unfold from backstage, surrounded by props and set pieces. It’s a unique perspective that genuinely transports you into the world of theater.
Outside CommuniCore Hall (toward Journey of Water), look for the giant Genie lamp from Aladdin that billows theatrical smoke. Great photo op.
The exhibit is open daily from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM during the festival.
Disney on Broadway Concert Series (America Gardens Theatre)
This is a must-do. Some of the world’s most talented Broadway performers sing songs from Disney musicals at the America Gardens Theatre in the American Adventure pavilion. The talent level is extraordinary, and hearing these songs performed live hits different than any recording.
On opening day, Isabelle McCalla’s rendition of “Out There” from Hunchback of Notre Dame brought the house down. I’m not ashamed to admit it I got emotional.
Performances happen three times nightly at 5:30 PM, 6:45 PM, and 8:00 PM. Seating is first-come, first-served, and popular performers draw long lines. If you can’t get a seat, you can still watch from the walkway behind the theater.
2026 Disney on Broadway Concert Schedule:
| Dates | Performers |
|---|---|
| January 16, 18, 19, 22, 24, 26, 27 | Isabelle McCalla (Aladdin) – NEW! and Adam Jacobs (Aladdin) |
| January 17, 20, 21, 23, 25, 28, 29 | Sierra Boggess (The Little Mermaid) – NEW! and Michael James Scott (Aladdin) |
| January 30, February 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10 | Jelani Remy (The Lion King) and Anastacia McCleskey (Tarzan) |
| January 31, February 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12 | Kara Lindsay (Newsies) and Josh Strickland (Tarzan) |
| February 13, 15, 16, 19, 21 | Susan Egan (Beauty and the Beast) – NEW! and James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin) – NEW! |
| February 14, 17, 18, 20 | Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins) and Ainsley Melham (Aladdin) – NEW! |
| February 22-23 (Grand Finale) | Ashley Brown, Ainsley Melham, Susan Egan, James Monroe Iglehart, and Kyra Belle Johnson (Beauty and the Beast) – NEW! |
Schedule subject to change. Check the My Disney Experience app for the most current information.
The grand finale on February 22-23 looks like it could be an all-timer. It’s the first time the concert series will feature five performers, including Susan Egan (the original Broadway Belle and Disney Destiny Godparent) alongside Kyra Belle Johnson from the current Beauty and the Beast national tour.
Disney Lorcana Activities
New for 2026, Disney’s trading card game has two free activities at the festival:
Collection Quest: Pick up a free Festival Questbook (with a complimentary booster pack worth about $6) and trade cards with other guests to complete your set of four required cards. Turn in your completed set for an exclusive Donald Duck promo card. The Lorcana community is incredibly welcoming, even if you’ve never played before. Full EPCOT Lorcana Collection Quest Guide
Ink & Find Scavenger Hunt: Search for oversized Lorcana cards hidden throughout EPCOT, match stickers to your map, and earn a Rapunzel promo card when you turn in your completed hunt. Full Ink & Find Scavenger Hunt Guide
Pick up your Festival Questbook at the Quest Distribution station on the bridge between World Celebration and World Showcase. Distribution starts at 9:00 AM daily, and there’s a daily allotment that has been running out, so arrive early if these activities are on your list.
Artist Galleries
Throughout EPCOT, you can browse galleries featuring Disney-inspired artwork from talented artists. I love how much of the art focuses on attractions and park details rather than just characters. It’s a wonderful way to see the parks through different creative lenses.
Many artists are present at their galleries throughout the festival, so you can meet them, learn about their process, and get artwork signed. Artwork is available for purchase if something speaks to you.
For the full artist lineup and appearance schedule, check Disney’s official Festival Artist Appearance schedule.
Expression Section: A Paint by Number Mural
Located in World Nature, this massive collaborative mural lets anyone contribute. Grab a brush, find an unpainted number, and add your mark to a piece of art that thousands of guests will help create over the festival. Watching these murals come together throughout the day is genuinely cool.
Open daily from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Animation Academy
Learn to draw a Disney character from an actual Disney animator. Classes take place at America Gardens Theatre at 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM daily. This is the same experience offered at Rafiki’s Planet Watch in Animal Kingdom, and it’s one of the best free activities at Disney World.
Character Chalk Art
Skilled artists create stunning chalk drawings of Disney characters throughout World Showcase. These are temporary masterpieces that might be different each time you visit. Take 10 minutes to watch an artist at work. It’s meditative and inspiring.
Kids’ Chalk Art
Let the little ones create their own chalk masterpieces. Located in World Celebration near the Imagination! Pavilion, open from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily.
Artful Photo Ops
Put yourself inside famous works of art throughout the park. Locations include:
- Mona Lisa and The Scream (between Italy and Germany)
- Washington Crossing the Delaware (American Adventure)
- Luncheon of the Boating Party (International Gateway)
- Birth of Venus (Italy courtyard)
- Frida Kahlo homage (Mexico)
- Van Gogh’s Café Terrace at Night and Sunflowers (Bridge to World Showcase)
- Disney Lorcana carousel with Mickey and Minnie (Bridge to World Showcase)
Visual Art in Performance (CommuniCore Plaza)
Watch as an artist creates a Disney character painting in real-time, completing the work in just minutes. The performance I saw was an energetic, lively Figment painting set to loud music. Check the My Disney Experience app for performance times.
Live Music (CommuniCore Plaza)
Throughout the day, CommuniCore Plaza hosts live musical performances. It’s a great spot to grab some festival food and enjoy the atmosphere.
Spaceship Earth Light Show
Paid Activities
Figment’s Brush with the Masters ($11.99)
The festival’s signature scavenger hunt. Purchase your map and stickers at Port of Entry, Creations Shop, or World Traveler, then search World Showcase for Figment-themed picture frames where our favorite purple dragon has inserted himself into famous works of art.
Match stickers to locations on your map, and once complete, turn it in at Disney Traders, Creations Shop, or World Traveler by February 23 to claim your prize.
Pro tip: You can do a version of this hunt for free by simply looking for the Figment frames as you walk World Showcase. You won’t get the map, stickers, or prize, but you can still enjoy finding Figment in the masterpieces.
Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine
This food crawl challenges you to purchase five of eight specified colorful dishes from different Food Studios. After each purchase, get your Festival Passport stamped. Once you have five stamps, head to Deco Delights to claim your reward: a colorful Figment rice krispy treat (which is surprisingly good… very fruity, like it has fruity pebbles baked in).
TIP: You can buy the same qualifying item multiple times for multiple stamps, and you can spread this across multiple visits as long as you keep your Festival Passport.
2026 Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine Items:
- Enchanted Rose: Dark chocolate mousse rose with raspberry and rose center – Opening Bites
- Sparkling Spectacle Gâteau (NEW): Vanilla bean mousse with golden caramel center and apricot jam on a hazelnut cookie – Deco Delights
- Liquid Nitrogen Minnie Cake Pop (NEW): Cotton candy sponge cake, white chocolate ganache, and colorful chocolate splats – Swirled Showcase
- Citrus-Braised Beet Tartare: Golden beet “egg yolk,” mustard vinaigrette, pickled mustard seeds, pickled mushrooms, spiced pistachios and “feta” snow – Gourmet Landscapes
- Chorizo and Potato Empanada: Turmeric aïoli and annatto aïoli – Vibrante & Vívido
- Popcorn, Popcorn Chicken and Waffles (NEW): Rainbow popcorn, popcorn chicken, mini mozzarella, and maple syrup – Figment’s Inspiration Station
- Color Scheme Cake (NEW): Fruity-flavored rainbow-hued cake topped with Skittles POP’d and sour freeze dried candy – Figment’s Inspiration Station
- Deconstructed Key Lime Pie (NEW): Key lime curd, key lime gelée, toasted meringue, and graham cracker crumbs with waffle cone chips – The Deconstructed Dish
Figment Artist Popcorn Bucket
The viral sensation returns with a new 2026 design featuring Figment in an artist’s beret with a light-up paintbrush. Available exclusively through mobile order at Figment’s Inspiration Station in The Odyssey. Complete Figment Popcorn Bucket Guide
Disney on Broadway Dining Packages
Want guaranteed seating at the Disney on Broadway concerts? Book a dining package at one of 15 participating EPCOT restaurants. The package includes a prix-fixe meal and priority seating for a same-day concert performance. Reservations available at DisneyWorld.com or through the My Disney Experience app.
What to Eat: Food Studios
The culinary arts are a huge part of this festival, and the Food Studios deliver some of the most creative, photogenic food at any EPCOT event. There are 16 Food Studios this year, plus festival-specific items at several year-round locations.
I tried seven items on opening day and would happily reorder five of them. The food quality genuinely impressed me.
My Favorites from Opening Day:
Opening Bites – Softshell Crab Sandwich: My favorite bite of the festival and an immediate entry into my personal EPCOT Festival Hall of Fame. This returning favorite (it debuted in 2025) features green papaya slaw and mango ketchup on toasted brioche. Don’t skip this one.
Pop Eats – Croque Monsieur Grilled Cheese (NEW): The new grilled cheese is fantastic, especially on a cool evening. Black Forest ham, gruyère, and béchamel sauce served with tomato soup – warm, creamy, and a perfect wintery dish. A worthy addition to the Pop Eats lineup.
Figment’s Inspiration Station – Figment Fantasy Cake (NEW): Whimsical, sweet, with notes of white chocolate. Sponge cake filled with strawberry whipped cream, topped with white chocolate ganache, orange icing, and white chocolate Figment wings. It’s as fun to look at as it is to eat.
Opening Bites – Enchanted Rose: Striking presentation with dark chocolate mousse and a raspberry rose center inside. Decadent and delicious. This is what Festival of the Arts food should be.
Figment’s Inspiration Station – Popcorn, Popcorn Chicken and Waffles (NEW): Really flavorful and fun. Rainbow popcorn, popcorn chicken, mini mozzarella, and maple syrup. It leans sweet, but if you want a playful snack that captures the festival spirit, this is it.
Ones I’d Skip:
Goshiki (Japan) – Shrimp Tempura Roll: Three pieces for almost $10, and the flavor didn’t justify the price. My biggest skip of the festival.
Swirled Showcase – Minnie Cake Pop: The cotton candy flavor is overly sweet. Fine, but I wouldn’t get it again.
2026 Food Studios:
- Opening Bites (Near park entrance) – Savory snacks and chocolate treats
- The Craftsman’s Courtyard (Near Disney Traders) – Carefully crafted classics
- Pop Eats (Near Port of Entry) – Pop art-inspired comfort food
- Figment’s Inspiration Station (The Odyssey) – Colorful Figment-themed treats
- Deco Delights (Near Port of Entry) – Art Deco-inspired desserts
- Gourmet Landscapes (Canada) – Farm-to-table inspired dishes
- L’Art de la Cuisine Française (France) – French baked goods and wine
- Vibrante & Vívido: Encanto Cocina (Between Morocco & France) – Colombian cuisine
- Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina (Morocco) – Moroccan flavors
- L’Arte di Mangiare (Italy) – Italian classics
- Pastoral Palate (Germany) – Bavarian folk art-inspired dishes
- The Painted Panda (China) – Chinese cuisine and bubble tea
- Goshiki (Japan) – Japanese culinary arts featuring “the 5 colors”
- The Deconstructed Dish (Near Port of Entry) – Playfully fragmented favorites
- Moderne (Near Test Track) – Avant-garde presentations
- The Artist’s Table (American Adventure) – Elevated comfort food
Additional Locations with Festival Items:
- Refreshment Port (poutine, Artist Palette Cookie)
- Refreshment Outpost (plant-based options)
- Funnel Cake (specialty funnel cake)
- Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company (art-inspired beverages)
- Connections Eatery
- Swirled Showcase
- Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe
Food Studios open at 11:00 AM daily.
Festival of the Arts Tips
Get your Festival Passport immediately. Pick one up near the park entrance when you arrive. It has all the Food Studio locations, activity schedules, and serves as your stamp card for the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine. It’s also a great souvenir.
Slow down. This isn’t a park to rush through during the festival. Take 10 minutes to watch a chalk artist at work. Spend time in the artist galleries. Sit and enjoy the live music at CommuniCore Plaza. The whole point is to appreciate creativity, and that requires a different pace than typical park touring.
Do the interactive activities. Paint a section of the paint-by-numbers mural. Take the Animation Academy drawing class. Try the Lorcana activities even if you’ve never played. These hands-on experiences are what make Festival of the Arts special.
Eat after 7:30 PM. Opening day had long lines at the Food Studios all day, with some booths hitting 30+ minutes. By evening, those same booths were under 10 minutes. If a booth looks too crowded, come back later.
Visit on weekdays. Locals flock to EPCOT festivals on weekends. Monday through Thursday is noticeably calmer, especially at the Food Studios.
Plan around the Broadway concerts. If seeing a specific performer matters to you, check the schedule and plan your visit accordingly. The grand finale weekend (February 22-23) will likely be the busiest.
Fans of Figment should head to The Odyssey. Figment’s Inspiration Station isn’t just a Food Studio. It also features elements from the original Journey Into Imagination attraction. Plus, it’s where you pick up the Figment Popcorn Bucket and redeem your Lorcana prizes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Festival of the Arts included with EPCOT admission?
Yes. The festival itself is included with regular EPCOT admission and a valid park reservation. Food, merchandise, and some activities (like Figment’s Brush with the Masters) cost extra.
What are the Festival of the Arts dates for 2026?
January 16 through February 23, 2026.
When do the Food Studios open?
Food Studios open at 11:00 AM daily. The festival activities and exhibits are available during regular EPCOT hours (typically 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM).
How do I get guaranteed seating for Disney on Broadway?
Book a Disney on Broadway Dining Package at one of 15 participating EPCOT restaurants. The package includes a meal and guaranteed priority seating for a same-day concert. Regular concert seating is first-come, first-served.
Can I do the Lorcana activities if I’ve never played before?
Absolutely. The activities are designed to be accessible to complete beginners. The Questbook includes a guide to card rarities, and the Lorcana community at the festival is welcoming and happy to help newcomers.
Quick Reference:
- Festival Dates: January 16 – February 23, 2026
- Park Hours: Typically 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Food Studios Open: 11:00 AM daily
- Broadway Concerts: 5:30 PM, 6:45 PM, and 8:00 PM at America Gardens Theatre
- Disney on Broadway Exhibit: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM at CommuniCore Hall
- Number of Food Studios: 16 (plus additional year-round locations)
- Admission: Included with EPCOT park ticket
Planning your Festival of the Arts visit? A Disney-expert travel agent from Vacationeer can help you navigate the parks, dining packages, and hotel options.
Looking for more EPCOT festival coverage? Check out our guides to EPCOT Flower & Garden, EPCOT Food & Wine, and EPCOT Festival of the Holidays.
More from Guide2WDW
