EPCOT Festivals (A Complete Guide of What To Expect Throughout the Year)
Epcot hosts four festivals throughout the year. No matter when you visit, your trip dates will likely fall during one of them. That is unless you were to hit on one of the brief periods where the park is festival-less. Those times are few and far between.
If you’re visiting during a festival, you can do one of a couple of things. First, you can embrace the festival and try to take advantage of it as much as possible. Another option is to ignore the festival entirely and continue with a regular touring plan. Lastly, you might review what’s available and incorporate a few festival favorites with other things you want to do during your visit. It’s really up to you.
When my son was younger, we rarely did anything festival-related. Our trips were purely ride-centric, and our primary goal was to ride as much as possible. It wasn’t until he was older that I began to enjoy more of the unique offerings of each festival. So my take on the festivals is that they add nice extras for seasoned visitors and locals. But if this is a rare visit, a first visit, or possibly a once-in-a-lifetime trip, we wouldn’t recommend putting too much emphasis on any of the festivals unless they are of great interest to you and your group.
That said, we’ll preview each festival below and what to expect.
An Overview of Each EPCOT Festival
Below is a brief overview of what to expect at each festival. (These are only highlights. See our festival guides further down for a comprehensive review of each one.)
- Epcot’s International Festival of the Arts takes place in the winter and celebrates a variety of art mediums. Activities range from musical performances to artists displaying elaborate chalk drawings on sidewalks in the park. Additionally, culinary food booths called studios offer various cuisines.
- Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival is held in the Spring and celebrates all things gardening and flowers. The festival’s primary offerings include food booths (kitchens), garden displays (topiaries), and a concert series.
- Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival takes place in the Fall and celebrates international cuisine. This festival offers food booths (marketplaces), wine tastings, and more.
- Epcot’s International Festival of the Holidays takes place in the winter and celebrates worldwide holiday traditions. The festival features food booths (holiday kitchens) and holiday storytellers from around the world, among other things.
Festival Guides
Our individual guides are the best place to start for a complete overview of each Epcot Festival.
- EPCOT International Festival of the Arts
- EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival
- EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival
- EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays
Festival Dates
Disney announces each year’s festival dates a couple of months in advance. We keep a running tally of when the dates are announced, along with the previous year’s festival dates. You can preview those dates in the article below.
EPCOT Festival Dates for 2025-2026
Things You Can Expect at Every Festival
While each festival is unique, they also have similarities. Below, we’ve listed the consistent things you can expect at every festival. Of course, anything is subject to change. But these items are all considered festival staples.
Food Booths
It’s no secret that all of Epcot’s Festivals have significant food offerings. However, the Food and Wine Festival is the only one centered around food and beverages. The booths at the Food and Wine Festival are called global marketplaces. At the Flower and Garden Festival, they’re called outdoor kitchens, emphasizing “fresh” food. During the Festival of the Holidays, the booths are called holiday kitchens. As you can probably guess, many booths offer food reminiscent of the holiday season. Lastly, the Festival of the Arts brings an artistic flair to food’s presentation. The booths are called food studios during the festival.
Concert Series
Each Festival offers a concert series of sorts throughout the year. These unique entertainment offerings are held in the America Gardens Theatre at the American Adventure Pavilion.
Disney on Broadway Concert Series: This series is part of the Epcot Festival of the Arts and features Disney on Broadway stars who perform famous Broadway tunes.
Garden Rocks Concert Series: This series is part of the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival. Expect to see various musical artists perform, ranging from globally-known to local talent.
Eat to the Beat Concert Series: This series is part of the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. It’s similar to the Garden Rocks, where popular musical artists perform. We’ve seen a number of incredible performances at this (and the other) festivals.
Epcot Candlelight Processional: Each evening, guests can hear the stirring story of Christmas retold. The performance includes a celebrity narrator, a massed choir, a 50-piece orchestra, herald trumpets, and the Voices of Liberty.
Seating for all the above entertainment offerings is first-come, first-served. Dining packages go on sale about a month before each festival. If you purchase a dining package, you’ll receive a ticket for guaranteed seating at the performance you select when booking.
Special Entertainment Offerings
In addition to the concert series above, each festival will have other unique entertainment offerings.
Scavenger Hunts
Each festival offers some form of scavenger hunt. Here’s a list of what to expect:
- Figment’s Brush with the Masters (Festival of the Arts)
- Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration (Flower and Garden Festival)
- Egg-Stravaganza Hunt (Flower and Garden Festival, Limited-Time)
- Remy’s Ratatouille Hide-and-Squeak (Food and Wine Festival)
- Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit (Food and Wine Festival, Limited-Time)
- Olaf’s Tradition Expedition (Festival of the Holidays)
Merchandise
Each festival offers unique merchandise. Items can be found at select locations throughout the park.
Festival Passports
Each festival will have a passport. They are typically available at the park’s entrance and around the various food booths. The guides are an excellent way to see everything available at the festival. They will also contain an interactive activity where you can purchase special menu items at select booths. Make sure to get your passport stamped. You’ll receive a complimentary dessert once you collect a certain number of stamps. (Items will vary per festival.)
Plan Your EPCOT Festival Visit
Start with our festival guides for a complete overview of what to expect.
EPCOT International Festival of the Arts
EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival
EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival
