Get your paintbrushes ready for the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts! This festival highlights creativity in all forms — the visual, performing and culinary arts. The festival runs daily from Jan. 16 to Feb. 23, 2026, and the best thing is that the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is included with regular park admission. Read on as we paint the full picture of the best eats and acts to enjoy during the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, plus our top tips to make your visit a masterpiece!
FAQs
- What is EPCOT Festival of the Arts? EPCOT International Festival of the Arts celebrates the visual, performing and culinary arts, and many different artists showcase their work.
- When is EPCOT Festival of the Arts 2026? The event is currently taking place from Jan. 16 to Feb. 23, 2026, running daily for 39 days.
- Can I purchase artwork and get it signed? If you see a piece of art that you like, grab it! Many artists also attend and can sign their art in person. (Find the artist schedule here for dates and locations — subject to change.)
- Do I need a separate ticket? No! Access to the festival is included with general admission, which you can save on through Undercover Tourist! Purchasing festival food, drink or artwork is an additional cost.
Besides the almost-too-pretty-to-eat food (I said almost ... ), our favorite aspect of the festival is taking in all of the amazingly talented artists. There are so many booths full of beautiful paintings for sale (Leap has to remind me that we really don't have the wall space for all of them) and lots of live performances to check out. Plus, the Disney on Broadway Concert Series returns — we love seeing our favorite Disney classics sung by Broadway stars!
Overall, in my not-so-humble opinion, this festival is EPCOT's best. Entertainment abounds with live performances, art being created on-site and so much more. It's not just the Disney artists showcasing their art ... you can exercise the right side of your brain too!
For 2026, you'll find the return of the Disney on Broadway Concert Series, Food Studios, Figment's Brush with the Masters Scavenger Hunt, Animation Academy and the paint-by-number mural.
EPCOT International Festival of the Arts Variety Acts
Art in Action
Everywhere you turn at the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, you’ll find inspiration. Not being personally graced with artistic talent myself, watching art come alive is fascinating for me. Tons of artists can be found around the park, whether creating something new on the spot, talking with guests or signing their work. We highly suggest taking the time to chat with the awesome artists. The creativity is truly astounding! What’s even cooler is that you can purchase art pieces to take home with you.
What's wonderful about the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is that the art spans beyond Disney. You can watch artists create both 2D and 3D chalk art inspired by famous paintings, in addition to beloved Disney characters. (You can find the Chalk Art Galleries on the bridge to Showcase Plaza.)
There are more than 100 Disney and visiting artists displaying their work, so it's easy to find something for every frog family! And keep an eye out for drawings of Disney characters hidden throughout World Showcase (our favorite one is inspired by "Luca" near the fountain in Italy)!
Interactive Events
The whole family can get in on the action during the EPCOT Festival of the Arts' interactive activities. Everyone can grab a paintbrush and help create a larger-than-life mural with Expression Section: A Paint by Number Mural, typically open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the walkway between Journey Into Imagination and World Showcase.
With Figment's Brush with the Masters Scavenger Hunt, tadpoles can search for Figment hiding inside famous works of art at each World Showcase pavilion. Maps are available for purchase at select locations such as Port of Entry, Creations Shop and World Traveler. Once completed, return to Disney Traders or World Traveler for a surprise!
Disney Lorcana fans can check out two new interactive activities around the park. The Lorcana Collection Quest invites guests to stop by the Illumineer’s Lounge in the Morocco Pavilion to open booster packs, trade cards and earn a special promo card. The Ink & Find Scavenger Hunt is where you can search throughout EPCOT for oversized Lorcana cards, with another exclusive promo card as the reward for completing the hunt. You can pick up the complimentary Festival Questbook on the bridge to World Showcase.
Free Animation Academy classes are back! During these classes, you can learn to draw some of your favorite Disney characters. Taking place daily at 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the America Gardens Theatre, guests simply pick up a clipboard with paper and a small pencil and find an available seat. A Disney animator walks guests through how to draw a Disney character, with instructions filmed on the big screens so they can easily follow along.
Kid’s Chalk Art returns near the Imagination Pavilion as you make your way toward CommuniCore Hall. This interactive area is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The whole family can get in on the art action with these creative and interactive experiences. Take a look at our favorite activities for kids during the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts!
Once Upon A Stage: The Magic of Disney on Broadway
This walkthrough exhibit in CommuniCore Hall returns in 2026, with costumes and props from Disney stage musicals, as well as behind-the-scenes exhibits that showcase how the classic animated films "The Lion King" and "Aladdin" were reimagined for the Broadway stage. Be sure to catch Genie's giant magic lamp just outside! This lamp formerly sat atop the New Amsterdam Theatre on 42nd Street in New York City.
Live Performances
Throughout the day, various performances occur at the CommuniCore Plaza Stage. A favorite of ours is the "Visual Art in Performance" show, which features Trevor Carlton, a visiting visual artist, painting Disney characters within minutes on stage. He always hypes up the audience as he paints along to high-energy music. Last year, we watched him create a Donald portrait right before our eyes! Showtimes are typically at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., but the performances do not hoppen every day of the festival.
Alternating on the same stage are various musicians who showcase art with their musical talents. Showtimes are typically at 11:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 12:45 p.m., 1:10 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., but check the My Disney Experience app, as the show may not be available at the same times each day.
Disney on Broadway Concert Series at EPCOT International Festival of the Arts
Our Frog Family has fallen in love with the Disney on Broadway Concert Series! Getting to see a variety of Broadway stars perform at no additional cost really adds value to the festival for us. If you have theater-loving tadpoles in your family, you won’t want to miss the show. All of these performers will blow you away with their talent and have you singing all night long! These performers dig deep into Disney classics and offer a unique style. Our favorite part is hearing songs exclusive to the Broadway shows ... not included in the original films!
Performances typically take place nightly at the America Gardens Theatre in World Showcase at 5:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. That means you can sing and dance every day of the week! We'd suggest arriving about 30 minutes early to get good seats, but most nights you can grab a seat in the back just before showtime. If you'd like to guarantee a prime seat in front, dining packages are now available for booking. Reservations can be made by calling (407) WDW-Fest or visiting ArtfulEpcot.com. Participating restaurants include Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Biergarten Restaurant, Coral Reef Restaurant, Garden Grill Restaurant, Rose & Crown Dining Room, Le Cellier, Spice Road Table and Regal Eagle Smokehouse.
For more details and a video of last year's performance, check out our Disney on Broadway concert guide!
EPCOT International Festival of the Arts Eats and Treats
If you know us at all by now, you know that we toadally live for the food at EPCOT’s annual festivals. In 2026, there are over 20 festival-exclusive Food Studios offering tons of almost-too-pretty-to-eat food and drink. This year's foodie guide has released, and you can check out our Festival of the Arts menus post for the full list of food and drink, plus our downloadable menus in walking order!
The Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine returns for 2026. Similar to the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays' Cookie Stroll, you receive a colorful culinary surprise if you get five menu items from the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine locations and get a stamp in the Festival Passport for each of them. You can redeem your prize item from Deco Delights.
Not only is the food absolutely delicious, but the platters are oh-so-Instagram-worthy. Each snack and meal is a work of art, both in taste and sight. Not-to-miss booths include Pop Eats!, Deco Delights, France and The Deconstructed Dish. The Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup from Pop Eats is always a hit with the tadpoles and Leap.
EPCOT International Festival of the Arts Tips and Tricks
Here are our favorite tips for EPCOT International Festival of the Arts:
- Pick up a free festival passport at the park entrance before you head in. It was perfect for planning our day! Everything you need to know is packed inside, including all of the Food Studios' menus and the locations for shows and activities (some showtimes can be found in the My Disney Experience app).
- Try scheduling your visit for Tuesday through Thursday mornings for lighter crowds. Locals tend to stop by on the weekends!
- The popular Figment Popcorn Bucket has a new look this year! The design features Figment with a purple beret and a blue bow around his neck. He's even holding a removable paintbrush that glows. Press the button on the paint brush, and it changes color! One little popcorn bucket lights up for you! The Figment Popcorn Bucket is available via mobile order only. There's a limit of two per person, while supplies last.
- Find interactive photo-ops throughout World Showcase. You and your tadpoles can become part of classic masterpieces for fun family photos! Hop into famous artworks, including "Luncheon of the Boating Party" by Pierre-August Renoir, "The Scream" by Edvard Munch and more.
- Share your snacks! Many of the festival flavors are quite unique and rich. Some flavors may be too intense to indulge in a full serving for yourself. Sample around the world and split, sip and savor flavors among your frog squad. This is the perfect way to introduce your little ones to exciting new ingredients and teach them about different cultures.
- In general, all of the artist tents and Food Studios are located by the main path near the lagoon (rather than inside the pavilions).
- Don’t froget about the other half of the Food Studios menus — the drinks! Parents can enjoy specialty adult beverages (Leap had a tough time picking among the many beer and wine options), while the tadpoles can sip on something too!
- We highly recommend watching the Broadway Concert Series. Sit back and relax as you listen to awesome Disney classics and original musical tunes by some of Disney Broadway's best!
- Find unique festival merchandise, special pins and more in the Festival Showplace and around the park. This year's brand-new, art-themed, Figment-inspired collection is full of vibrant colors featuring our favorite purple dragon. As always, we recommend creating a "wishlist" throughout the day and picking up all of your sought-after items at the Festival Markets on your way out.
- Be sure to catch the frog-favorite "Rainbow Connection" sequence on Spaceship Earth! They are available most nights once dark.
What excites you the most about this year's festival? Have a question about the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts? Ask away in the comments, and then hop over to purchase discount Disney World tickets.
Related: Guide to Walt Disney World Events
Hoppy planning!
