When is the EPCOT Festival of the Arts?

Festival of the Arts is EPCOT’s winter festival, and it fills the gap between the holidays and spring break. It blends art, food and live music across the park, and almost everything except the food comes with your ticket.

When is the EPCOT Festival of the Arts in 2027?

The festival runs January 15 through March 1, 2027. Those dates appear on the official Walt Disney World site and were confirmed by the Disney Parks Blog on September 10, 2026. That is six and a half weeks, with all of February inside.

It is one of EPCOT’s newer festivals. Disney says it debuted in 2017. The 2027 edition is presented by Disney Lorcana, Disney’s trading card game, which brings a scavenger hunt and festival-only promo items.

Once it ends, EPCOT goes a few days without a festival. The next one, Flower and Garden, runs March 10 to May 31, 2027.

2027 date	What happens
Friday, January 15	Festival of the Arts opens
January 16 to 18	Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend (federal holiday Monday the 18th)
February 13 to 15	Presidents’ Day weekend (federal holiday Monday the 15th)
Monday, March 1	Last day of Festival of the Arts
March 10	Flower and Garden Festival begins

Sources: Walt Disney World, Disney Parks Blog and U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Is Festival of the Arts included with EPCOT admission?

Yes. Disney states the festival is included with valid EPCOT admission. There is no separate ticket to see the art, the concerts or the hands-on activities. The official page adds that a park reservation may be required, depending on your ticket type.

What costs extra:

• Food and drinks at the Food Studios, priced per item. Disney notes that menus, prices and hours can change without notice.
• Disney on Broadway dining packages, which guarantee a concert seat.
• Exclusive festival merchandise.

Alcohol is served only to guests 21 and older with valid ID, with a limit of two drinks per ID.

What is there to do at Festival of the Arts?

The festival covers three kinds of art: visual, performing and culinary. Disney says 2027 offerings may still change, and for now it lists 2026 highlights as a guide.

Food Studios

Food Studios are festival kiosks spread around EPCOT, serving small plates and drinks plated to look like art. There will be 19 of them in 2027, per the Disney Parks Blog.

In 2026, examples included a chocolate Enchanted Rose at Opening Bites in CommuniCore Plaza, an art deco inspired dessert at Deco Delights near the park entrance and Black Forest cake at the Germany pavilion.

If you like collecting, follow the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine. It is a trail of special menu items you track in the Festival Passport, the festival’s guide.

Hands-on art for kids and adults

This is the part kids remember:

• Expression Section: A Paint by Number Mural. A giant mural where each guest paints a small section.
• Kids’ Chalk Art. A space for children to draw with sidewalk chalk.
• Figment’s Brush with the Masters. A scavenger hunt around World Showcase with Figment, EPCOT’s little purple dragon.
• Animation Academy. A Disney animator teaches you to draw a character.
• Artful Photo Ops. Art-themed backdrops built for photos.

Artists at work

At the Chalk Art Galleries, chalk artists create large pieces while you watch. There are also performances where an artist paints a Disney character in minutes, plus live music daily at CommuniCore Plaza. Disney artists and fine art galleries set up around World Showcase.

In 2026, CommuniCore Hall hosted Once Upon A Stage, an exhibit of costumes, props and set models from Disney’s Broadway shows, including The Lion King, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast.

How does the Disney on Broadway Concert Series work?

It is a nightly concert series with singers who starred in Disney musicals on Broadway, held at the America Gardens Theatre in the American Adventure pavilion. It is included with EPCOT admission.

How it works, per the Disney Parks Blog:

• Concerts run several times each evening.
• A new pair of performers takes over every two weeks.
• Seating is first come, first served.
• The 2027 lineup has not been announced yet.

In 2026 the set lists drew from Aladdin, Frozen, The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Tarzan and Newsies. If you would rather not wait in line, Disney sells dining packages at EPCOT restaurants that include a guaranteed seat at a same-day concert. In 2026 there were 14 table-service options. Sales for 2027 have not opened yet.

What is the weather like during Festival of the Arts?

Expect the tail end of Orlando’s mild winter: pleasant afternoons, cool nights and little rain. Based on NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals for Orlando International Airport, January averages a high of 72 °F (22 °C) and a low of 50 °F (10 °C). In February the high rises to 75 °F (24 °C) and the low to 52 °F (11 °C).

Month	Average high	Average low	Monthly rain	Orlando sunset
January	72 °F (22 °C)	50 °F (10 °C)	2.48 in	5:51 p.m. on Jan 15
February	75 °F (24 °C)	52 °F (11 °C)	2.04 in	6:16 p.m. on Feb 15
March	79 °F (26 °C)	56 °F (13 °C)	3.03 in	6:25 p.m. on Mar 1

Sources: NOAA NCEI (1991 to 2020 normals) and U.S. Naval Observatory (2027 sunset times).

The evenings are what matter here. The Broadway concerts run in the evening, when the temperature is already dropping. Bring a jacket. If you are driving down from New England or the Midwest, 50 °F will feel easy. If you live in South Florida or Texas, pack an extra layer. Month by month details are in Orlando in January and Orlando in February.

Is EPCOT crowded during the festival?

It depends on the week. Two long weekends fall inside the festival: Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, January 16 to 18, and Presidents’ Day weekend, February 13 to 15, 2027. Many families have those days off.

If you can choose, keep your EPCOT day off those weekends and pick a weekday instead. The calmest weeks of the year are covered in least crowded times at Orlando parks.

How do you get to EPCOT from a vacation home?

Driving is the simplest option. Standard parking at Disney’s theme parks costs $35 per day for a car, tax included, according to Disney. One payment covers the whole day at all four parks. Preferred parking, closer to the entrance, costs $50, $55 or $60 depending on the date. Free trams run from the lot to EPCOT’s main entrance.

One catch if you plan to head home midday and come back for the evening concert. Disney says paying for parking does not guarantee a space if you leave and return to the same park later in the day. Plan for that if you split your day.

If you drive an electric vehicle, EPCOT has four charging spaces at the front of the HeiHei lot.

Still deciding how to get around? Read do you need a car in Orlando. To keep the drive short, browse vacation homes near Disney in resorts in Kissimmee and Davenport.

In practice: split the festival into two parts. Use the morning for rides and the paint by number mural while the kids are fresh. Graze the Food Studios through the afternoon instead of sitting down for lunch. Save the evening for Disney on Broadway, get to the America Gardens Theatre well before showtime and keep a jacket in the bag.

After a full park day and a cool evening, a heated pool back at the house is worth having. What it costs and what to ask before booking is in Orlando pool heat cost.