The most creative time of year is back at EPCOT with the return of the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts!

We’ve got everything you need to know to make your experience at the festival this year a great one! Check out our vlog looking at all the festival prep above, stay tuned for a future video from the festival, and keep reading for even more tips and tricks.

What is the Festival of the Arts?

The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is an annual event that blends visual, performing, and culinary arts into one big celebration of creativity. It includes Food Studios with unique menus, fun photo ops, paint-by-numbers murals that change throughout the event, artwork by Disney artists on display, and performances for the Disney On Broadway Concert Series.

When is the Festival of the Arts?

This festival runs from January 16 through February 23, 2026. Access to the festival is included with your park ticket to EPCOT or Walt Disney World Annual Pass, though some offerings (like Food Studios) are an extra cost.

What kind of entertainment is offered during the festival?

The highlight of the festival is, of course, the Disney On Broadway Concert Series. Performances are held in the America Gardens Theatre in the American Adventure pavilion, with stars of the stage appearing at EPCOT to perform the songs they brought to life on Broadway.

The concerts take place several times daily. Check out the schedule below:

• Isabelle McCalla (Aladdin) – NEW! and Adam Jacobs (Aladdin)
  • January 16, 18, 19, 22, 24, 26, and 27
• Sierra Boggess (The Little Mermaid) – NEW! and Jelani Remy (The Lion King)
  • January 17, 20, 21, 23, 25, 28, and 29
• Anastacia McCleskey (Tarzan) – NEW! and Josh Strickland (Tarzan)
  • January 30
  • February 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, and 10
• Mandy Gonzalez (Aida) and Kissy Simmons (The Lion King)
  • January 31
  • February 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12
• Ainsley Melham (Aladdin) – NEW! and Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins)
  • February 13, 15, 16, and 19
• Susan Egan (Beauty and the Beast) – NEW! and James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin) – NEW!
  • February 14, 17, 28, 20, and 21
• Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), Ainsley Melham (Aladdin), Susan Egan (Beauty and the Beast), and James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin)
  • February 22 and 23

Admission to these concerts is included with your park entry to EPCOT, though seating is available only on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tracker Tip: If you want a guaranteed seat, consider making a Disney On Broadway dining package reservation! That way, you get a nice dinner followed by a show, and you don’t have to worry about getting in line in time to snag a seat.

What about the food?

The food booths at the Festival of the Arts are dubbed the “Food Studios,” with each one offering creative takes on culinary masterpieces. There are 24 locations offering food specifically for the festival in total, though some of those are year-round locations at EPCOT and not just Food Studios.

The Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine is also back this year. This activity has you collecting stamps by buying five dishes from this year’s list to redeem a prize from Deco Delights. 

Here are a few new dishes we’re most excited to try:

• BBQ Chicken Pizza (Connections Eatery): BBQ Chicken Pizza: Two slices of freshly baked pizza topped with smoked chicken, sweet barbecue sauce, cheese blend, peppers, and red onions
• Deconstructed Key Lime Pie (The Deconstructed Dish): Key lime curd, key lime gelée, toasted meringue, and graham cracker crumbs with waffle cone triangles
• Popcorn, Popcorn Chicken and Waffles (Figment’s Inspiration Station at The Odyssey): Popcorn, popcorn chicken, and waffles, topped with rainbow popcorn, popcorn chicken, mini mozzarella, and maple syrup
• Figment Fantasy Cake (Figment’s Inspiration Station at The Odyssey): Sponge cake filled with strawberry whipped cream topped with a white chocolate ganache, orange icing, and white chocolate Figment wings
• Chapter 2: Plate of Impossible Bites (Fictional Victuals): Roasted turkey breast, onion and bacon custard tart, cherry gel, brown butter toast milk foam, and pineapple-toffee butter
• Tostada de Cangrejo (El Artista Hambriento): Crispy corn tortilla topped with guacamole, lump crab, mango, crispy onions, and hot sauce

Any scavenger hunts or other activities?

Figment’s Brush with the Masters Scavenger Hunt is back this year, which is a fun activity for the whole family to enjoy as you make your way around the park. Just purchase your map and stickers at Creations Shop, Disney Traders, or World Traveler, find each of the Figment-themed artworks hidden in the World Showcase pavilions, and then add the matching sticker to its spot! After you’ve found them all, return to any of the three stores we mentioned to pick up your prize.

A brand-new exhibit is also on display at CommuniCore Hall for the festival — “Once Upon A Stage: The Magic of Disney on Broadway.” This exhibit features the artistry of bringing stage productions like Beauty and the Beast and more to life. We can’t wait to see the authentic props and costumes and behind-the-scenes details!

Other activities we enjoy are Animation Academy at the America Gardens Theatre, the Expression Section paint-by-number murals, Chalk Art Galleries, and the Artful Photo Ops (the photo ops where you step into the art frame!) throughout the park.

New for this year are activities related to Disney Lorcana, the trading card game. There are two activities in total: Collection Quest and Ink & Find.

Collection Quest includes opening Disney Lorcana booster packs with other guests in the Illumineer’s Lounge in the Morocco Pavilion. Once you complete the quest, you can redeem a limited edition Magical Places promo card!

Ink & Find sends guests on an adventure to find huge trading cards around EPCOT. Once you find a card, you can match it to your ink stickers on the complimentary Festival Questbook to get another limited edition Magical Place promo card.

To take part in both activities, you’ll have to pick up a Festival Questbook on the bridge from World Celebration to World Showcase. After you finish both, you can pick up your promo cards from Illumineer’s Lounge in the Morocco Pavilion or Figment’s Inspiration Station at The Odyssey.

Who are the visiting artists this year?

Several artists are attending this year’s festival to showcase and sell their Disney artworks. Many will also be signing their pieces and will be available to meet throughout the event. Over 200 new pieces of artwork are being created for the festival, including the return of Visual Art in Performance, the live painting offering at CommuniCore Plaza.

Tracker Tip: Check the My Disney Experience app for showtimes for Visual Art in Performance, it’s a cool entertainment experience!

Is there festival-exclusive merch?

As is the case with every EPCOT festival, there’s plenty of new merch to get your hands on!

Several of the items feature everyone’s favorite purple dragon, Figment, alongside EPCOT and art-related iconography. These items include:

• Spirit Jersey
• Ear Headband
• Baseball Hat
• Ornament
• Figment Plush
• Loungefly Novelty Bag
• Water Bottle
• Mug

What are you most excited to experience when the Festival of the Arts kicks off at EPCOT? Let us know on social media and stay tuned for our upcoming vlogs from the event!