Guide to the 2026 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts

The 2026 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts launches the new year with a park-wide tribute to art and creativity. This year’s event runs from January 16 to February 23, 2026, and most activities are included with your park ticket at no extra cost. There’s art to watch, art to eat, and activities to bring out the artist in you! Tap any line in the list below to jump ahead, or read through to see everything you’ll find at this first EPCOT Festival of the year.

• EPCOT Festival of the Arts Entertainment
• EPCOT Festival of the Arts Activities & Family Fun
• EPCOT Festival of the Arts Food Studios
• EPCOT Festival of the Arts Merchandise
• Festival of the Arts Tips and FAQ

Entertainment

Much of the Festival’s entertainment focuses on artists at work, with artists “performing” as they bring their art and characters to life. It’s quite amazing (especially if you have no talent for drawing, like me). You might also find demonstrations of cultural art forms as you go around the World Showcase; think origami in Japan, and you’ll be on the right track. And you’ll find a few static displays like the one below that highlight the art or architecture of a particular region.

Many of these offerings will have times in the My Disney Experience app. But in most cases, they’re not something you’re going to put on your schedule. They’re best enjoyed in “stumble upon” fashion as you make your way around the park. The big exception is the Disney on Broadway Concerts that take place in the evening.

Disney on Broadway Concert Series

The Disney on Broadway Concert Series features artists from the Broadway adaptations of Disney movies. They sing … wait for it … Disney music, often from the Broadway adaptations of Disney movies. What’s nice is that sometimes you’ll hear songs that are only in the Broadway shows and aren’t in the movies at all. Plus, the performers are stellar. The 2026 artists haven’t been announced yet, but new performers last year were Jelani Remy from “The Lion King”; Rodney Ingram from “Aladdin”; and John Riddle from “Frozen.”

Disney on Broadway concerts are held nightly in the America Gardens Theater, with three shows daily at 5:30 pm, 6:45 pm, and 8:00 pm. The shows are free and there is standby seating for every performance. There’s no cost for the Disney on Broadway concerts themselves. Booking a Dining Package to guarantee a seat does cost a little extra compared to the meal on its own.

This year’s performance lineup isn’t out yet, but you can see last year’s to get an idea, along with Dining Package restaurants and prices. 2025 Festival of the Arts Disney on Broadway Concerts and Dining Packages. The good news is that a Dining Package is rarely necessary for Disney on Broadway concerts. Arriving half an hour in advance should get you a reasonable seat without one.

Visual Art in Performance

At the World Showcase Plaza, you can watch artists paint Disney characters in real time. Real fast. Disney touts that drawings are completed “within minutes”. Showtimes are available in the My Disney Experience app.

Chalk Art Galleries

At a slower pace, you can watch artists create galleries of sidewalk art. You’ll find these along the main walkway between World Celebration and World Showcase. Artists will be working here at various times throughout the day, and the drawings may take some time to complete. If you only care about the completed artwork, the best strolling is in the early evening.

Spaceship Earth Light Shows

Spaceship Earth’s Beacon of Magic light shows are fun to watch at any time. During Festival of the Arts, there are two special shows. The first celebrates Figment – the Festival’s mascot – with lights set to the “One Little Spark” song from Journey into Imagination. The second show uses the Muppets’ Rainbow Connection as the backing music. Each show only lasts a few minutes, but they play a few times each hour.

Activities & Family Fun

It might be that Festival of the Arts has the most hands-on fun out of all the EPCOT Festivals. Most of these activities are great for solo visitors or families.

Animation Academy

At night, Disney on Broadway takes over the America Gardens Theater. But during the day, the theater is the setting for free animation classes. You can follow along with an animator as they show you how to draw a Disney character. The experience is similar to the Animation Experience offered at Animal Kingdom, and to the character drawing activities offered on Disney Cruise Line. In 2025, Animation Academy will be held at 12:30 and 1:30 pm every day.

Expression Section Paint By Numbers Mural

Head over to the walkway between the World Showcase and the Imagination Pavilion to take part in a larger-than-life art project. It’s a massive paint-by-numbers mural that Festival visitors complete together. It’s free to participate; simply collect a few cups of paint and a brush. Artists also get a postcard showing what the completed mural will look like.

Figment’s Brush With the Masters Scavenger Hunt

Play “I Spy” throughout the park, looking for Figment in classic works of art. Buy a Figment’s Brush With the Masters map for $11.99. Then keep your eyes peeled throughout the World Showcase to find where Figment is hiding. Your map will show a picture of the artwork that you’re looking for, but you need to find each piece within its Pavilion.

Sticker the map as you find Figment’s pictures, and turn in your completed map for a prize before the end of the Festival. There’s no need to complete the activity in one day. In fact, there’s no need to complete it at all! The fee for the map covers the prize, so you can collect it even if your group doesn’t have time to finish the hunt. Last year’s prizes were Disney-themed stencils; expect something similar this year once the Festival gets going.

Chalk Full of Character

Chalk Full of Character is a less formal scavenger hunt. The park is decorated for the Festival, with chalk drawings of characters and more all over. There’s no map, and no prize. But it’s a lot of fun to be on the alert for drawings and art that aren’t part of the year-round decor.

Once Upon A Stage: The Magic of Disney on Broadway

Once Upon a Stage was a new exhibit in 2025, and it will be returning this year! Housed in CommuniCore Hall, this museum-style exhibit celebrates 30 years of Disney on Broadway. Look for costumes and props from the stage musicals, and behind-the-scenes looks at how the movies were transformed for live performances.

Artful Photo Ops

Throughout the park, you can pose “inside” classic artworks. You’ve likely seen these kinds of “picture yourself here” setups before, but the Artful Photo Ops are exceptionally clever and well done. PhotoPass photographers are on hand, or you can use your own camera.

Kids Chalk Art

The Chalk Art Galleries feature professional artists who arrange spots in advance. But at Kids Chalk Art, kids can try their hand at a masterpiece and families can draw together. Grab a bucket of chalk and hit the pavement!

Disney Lorcana Trading Cards

This year’s dates were announced alongside a teaser that “the magic of collecting the Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game will be coming to the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts with exciting activities designed for the whole family showcasing the beautiful artwork on each card”. We’re sure to know more before the Festival kicks off!

Food Studios

Throughout the World Showcase and the middle of the park, “Food Studios” sell snack-sized portions of sweet and savory dishes. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but plating and presentation are king at Festival of the Arts. Some of the dishes are – literally – works of art. Disney has announced that there will be over 20 Food Studios at the Festival in 2026. Some of our favorites from last year are highlighted in the gallery below, and you can tap the link to see the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Arts Menus and get an idea of what might be on offer.

Once the Festival gets going, we’ll have articles to guide you through a budget sampler, the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine (see below), the best drinks, and more.  Tap here to see all of our Food Studio articles as they come out, or if you prefer you can follow along on our Instagram feed.

What you should know about Festival snacking: there’s no one right way. You can plan to visit a booth or two for lunch or dinner. Two or three savory dishes and a dessert are about the same amount of food as a Quick Service meal. Or, you can stop here and there for a bite or a beverage as you make your way around the World Showcase.

• For Festival budgeting, calculate about $6-7 per dish.
• If you like to try all the food from a booth, estimate about $20 per Studio.
• For drinks, beer runs about $6 and spirited cocktails between $12-15.

If you’re on the Disney Dining Plan, most Festival dishes qualify as a Snack Credit. And they’re often a great way to use these credits, if they are on the expensive side.

Food Studio Tips

➡ Lines tend to move fast, even if they appear long, and are usually shorter at lunch than dinner.  If you do find lines are very long, pick a few booths where you want to try everything to minimize your wait.

➡ If you’ve got a crew, there are a few great spots to sit for a bit. Stake out a table and send hunting parties to several nearby booths at the same time. Look for seating between the Imagination Pavilion and World Showcase, at Tangierine Cafe, and the Odyssey.

➡ Food Studio dishes come on small plates and in cardboard boats. It is not the coolest-looking park accessory, but a cafeteria tray is a game-changer for carrying more than one or two plates. It takes up almost no space in a suitcase and will fit in most backpacks.

➡ Plant-based and allergy-friendly options are available, and you’ll find allergen menus for the booths in the My Disney Experience app. But these are “field kitchens” and can’t manage the level of cross-contact mitigation available in a restaurant kitchen. If you have allergies, especially ones that are severe or life-threatening, ask to speak with a Special Diets Trained Cast Member about your options at Festival of the Arts,

➡ Want an app to help make your way around the Food Studios? Here’s a review of my favorite: Track Your Eats! An EPCOT Festival App for Your Phone. Make wishlists, plan your budget, and rate what you ate.

Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine

Every Festival has a themed food stroll. At Festival of the Arts, it’s the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine. Purchase any five of the stroll dishes and get a stamp in your Festival Passport. When you have 5 stamps, bring your passport to the Deco Delights Food Studio to claim your prize. We’re still waiting on this year’s menu, but you can see what we thought of the dishes on last year’s stroll: Review: 2025 Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine at EPCOT Festival of the Arts

Merch!

The merchandise scene at Festival of the Arts is unique. You’ll find the regular Disney-branded, mass-produced Festival merchandise with Festival logos. But you’ll also find unique, original artwork for sale, from artists who have worked with Disney and from independent artists. And the art itself may be Disney-related, or not. If you love to have a souvenir from your trip but not one that screams Disney, you’ll find some nice options here.

In some locations, you may also find opportunities to make your own art as a souvenir. For example, the opportunity to create Spin Art on a bicycle, or to design your own jewelry.

EPCOT Festival of the Arts Tips

⭐ Most Festival of the Arts activities and entertainment are included with your EPCOT ticket. You’ll need valid park admission and a reservation for EPCOT if your ticket requires one. Extra cost items include food from the Food Studios, Figment’s Brush With the Masters Scavenger Hunt, and Disney on Broadway Dining Packages if you choose to book them. The rest is free!

⭐ Pick up a Festival Passport as you enter the park. Times are available in the My Disney Experience app. But the booklet is a great way to remind yourself what you’d like to do.

⭐ Stickering the pages of a Festival Passport is a fun way to keep track of what you’ve eaten at the Festival. If you prefer a mobile app for the Food Studios, the Food & Wine app works for all the EPCOT Festivals.

⭐ Disney sells wristlet mini gift cards during the Festivals. These make it easy to pay at the Food Studios without hauling out your wallet. And they are a great way to keep your budget in check, although they’re reloadable if you choose.

⭐ Festival of the Arts is one of the most beloved EPCOT Festivals for locals, and crowds tend to be heavier on weekends. This is especially true if the weather is lovely; if Saturday is sunny and 70s, then expect heavy traffic around the World Showcase. The levels on the TouringPlans Crowd Calendar are based on the wait time for rides, so Festival crowds will “feel” higher than those numbers.

Have you been to EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts? What are your favorite things to do? Let us know in the comments!