A major change is hitting EPCOT in less than two weeks! The 2026 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts will return on January 16th and run through February 23rd, 2026. This EPCOT Festival made its debut in 2017, and celebrates three artistic disciplines: the Culinary, Visual, and Performing Arts! 

We’ve been keeping an eye out for every update we can get about this year’s festival, and while we’re still waiting for the menus to drop, we did notice a change that could impact the number of Food Studios (or booths) that will be available this year. It looks like Refreshment Port, which typically has a couple of festival items, will be closed for refurbishment during the Festival of the Arts. 

Refreshment Port, located near the Canada Pavilion at EPCOT, is a quick-service spot that is open throughout the year. However, during festivals, you can typically expect to see some additional eats and drinks available — but it looks like that won’t be the case this year, at least not during the EPCOT Festival of the Arts. 

According to the Disney World website, Refreshment Port will be closed for refurbishment beginning on January 12th, just a few days before the Festival of the Arts kicks off on the 16th. This means that we can expect one fewer food location to be an option during this year’s festival.

Not only that, but based on the Disney World calendar, Refreshment Port will still be closed when the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival begins on March 4th as well. As of now, Disney hasn’t officially announced the closure other than updating its website, so we’re unsure what sort of refurbishment this will be or how long it will actually last. This is definitely something we’ll be keeping an eye on!

In 2026,  over 20 Food Studios and additional locations will serve enhanced food offerings to Festival of the Arts guests (much like the Marketplace Booths for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival). The Festival features art-inspired dishes and drinks. Unique to the Festival of the Arts is a focus on the presentation of the dishes.

There is also a focus on the performing arts, which is where the Disney on Broadway Concert Series comes into play. The Disney on Broadway Concert Series features performances by some of Broadway’s most accomplished actors and actresses singing some of Disney’s most beloved songs at the America Gardens Theatre in The American Adventure pavilion. There is so much to explore at this festival, and we can’t wait until it kicks off!

We’re EPCOT festival experts here at DFB, so we’ll be on the lookout for even more updates you need to know about ahead of this year’s Festival of the Arts and more. In the meantime, make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest Disney news and beyond!

Are you planning a trip to the EPCOT Festival of the Arts this year? Let us know in the comments.