2026 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Dates & Details
Walt Disney World announced details & dates for the 2026 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, which is the park’s flagship fall foodie event. Here’s everything we know so far, plus our commentary about changes & expectations for this year’s celebration of the culinary arts.
Thirty years ago, the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival began as a 30-day global celebration of flavors and culture around World Showcase. Since its inception, this festival has evolved into one of the most highly anticipated events each year at Walt Disney World, spilling into the former Future World and drawing guests throughout the summer and fall months.
And it’s once again returning for 2026! Get ready to sip and stroll through the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, where mouthwatering global marketplaces meet live performances, activities, and more. The fun and flavor-filled celebration of worldly cuisines has been a fan-favorite festival since 1996, with every year bringing surprises and returning classics.
It’s time to mark your calendar with this year’s festival dates, learn about returning festival activities, and get a sneak peek at a few menu items to whet your appetite. The 2026 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival will begin on August 27, 2026 and run through November 21, 2026. That’s very similar to last year, shifting forward both the start and end dates by one (1) day.
According to Walt Disney World, there will be dozens of Global Marketplaces throughout EPCOT, including returning favorites such as Gyozas of the Galaxy, Australia, and the Alps. A full list has yet to be announced, but Disney teased a few fan-favorite dishes that’ll be back for 2026.
While the WDW chefs are still cooking up the final menus and list of marketplaces for the 2026 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, here’s a scrumptious sneak peek for you today–three items that will be returning this year:
- Street Corn-style Dumplings: Chicken Dumplings with Tomatillo Salsa Verde, Street Corn Salad, Cotija, Lime Crema, and Cilantro (Gyozas of the Galaxy)
- Grilled Bushberry-spiced Shrimp Skewer with Sweet-and-Sour Vegetables and Coconut-Chilie Sauce (Australia)
- Kirschwasser Torte with Cherry-Brandy Buttercream, Fondant, Sugared Almonds, and Cherry Compote (The Alps)
Walt Disney World has also confirmed that some Global Marketplaces will have a phased opening during the 2026 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival. Keep your eyes peeled for the full menus and opening dates for each marketplace.
In total, we’re expecting 32-36 Global Marketplaces during the 2026 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival. If past precedent is any indication, it’s likely that only a small handful of booths (3-6) will open in the second wave in late September or early October 2026.
At the 2026 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, the fun doesn’t stop with the food. It extends to exciting activities for the whole family to enjoy! Walt Disney World has also announced some of the entertainment and other offerings that’ll return for this year’s event.
Emile’s Fromage Montage also returns to the 2026 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. This fun food stroll encourages guests to sample a variety of delicious cheeses served in inventive ways.
Purchase any five cheese dishes from the official Global Marketplaces list in your Festival Passport and make sure to collect a stamp for each dish purchased. Once you’ve collected all five stamps, bring the passport to the specified location for a specialty unique item to enjoy!
Families can embark on Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak – a “Ratatouille”-inspired adventure that’s très magnifique! Guests of all ages can search for Remy throughout World Showcase and the Global Marketplaces.
This scavenger hunt is perfect for littles who are learning about different foods, and the challenge of finding Remy and scoring the hunt prize remains a festival must-do for adults.
A map and stickers will be available for purchase at the park to keep track of your discoveries. As you explore the park, you’ll search for Remy in different World Showcase pavilions, where he has collected specific ingredients. Once you’ve found all of Remy’s hiding spots and completed the scavenger hunt, a special prize awaits.
The Eat to the Beat Concert Series will also be back for the 2026 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival.
At the America Gardens Theatre, live music and delectable cuisine come together to create an unforgettable experience. Stay tuned for the full Eat to the Beat schedule, which will include returning fan favorites as well as new local sounds.
This series showcases a lineup of artists spanning various genres and eras, with something for everyone to enjoy. The concerts typically take place a few times daily, providing ample opportunities for guests to catch their favorite acts.
Admission to see your favorite act is included with EPCOT park entry, and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For those seeking guaranteed seating, dining packages are offered, allowing guests to enjoy a meal at select EPCOT restaurants before the show.
The Eat to the Beat Concert Series Dining Package combines a meal at one of EPCOT’s participating table-service restaurants with guaranteed seating at a concert in the America Gardens Theatre later that evening.
When you purchase the Eat to the Beat Dining Package, you can enjoy the following:
- Choose from breakfast, lunch, or dinner
- Appetizer, Entrée, and Dessert or a buffet
- Non-Alcoholic Beverage or an Alcoholic Beverage (for guests aged 21 and older)
Note: The specific offerings may vary by restaurant. For example, at Spice Road Table, the meal includes two small plates, a shared tagine, a shared dessert platter, and a beverage. Prices for the dining package vary by restaurant and mealtime.
After your meal, you’ll receive a reserved seating badge for one of the Festival Concert Series performances that same day. The reserved seating is in the second section in the middle of the America Gardens Theatre. While seating is guaranteed, it’s on a first-come, first-served basis within that section, so arriving early is recommended for the best view.
In the last couple of years, there’s been a notable shift from acts aimed at baby boomers to ‘new classic rock’ from the 90s and early aughts that appeals to elder millennials. This is an interesting reflection of guest demographic trends as a whole, and it definitely ‘speaks to me’ as a child of the 1990s. At the same time, I shudder that the music I consider contemporary is now classic rock.
In any case, the various EPCOT concerts have become more popular as a result of this shift. Point being, it may be worthwhile to book an Eat to the Beat Dining Package for the 2026 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival–especially if you’re visiting when popular acts are performing or you want a prime seat.
Last year’s EPCOT Food & Wine Festival was incredibly underwhelming. (See EPCOT’s Flagship Foodie Festival is Disney World’s Weakest Annual Event for a full review.)
Even though the park was wall-free, the event still was not back to “2019 normal.” The slate of seminars, culinary demonstrations, special dinners, celebrity chef panels, and various enhancements did not return. Not only that, but the park didn’t even utilize its space for a fresh decor package–it was actually scaled back as contrasted with prior years.
Worse still, the new CommuniCore Hall was not even used during the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival. At the beginning of the event, the flex space was still being used as GoofyCore Hall as part of “Cool Kid Summer.” After that event wrapped up, CommuniCore Hall was just used as overflow seating during Food & Wine. It never housed a Global Marketplace, as was previously the case.
We had been hopeful that CommuniCore Hall would be used for its promised purpose of other offerings like culinary seminars, demonstrations, meals with celebrity chefs, and other special events. Unfortunately, it was not. As explained in EPCOT’s Food & Wine Festival Is Stale. Here’s What We Want Disney to Change, the event really needs a shot in the arm.
With Cool Kids’ Summer once again returning and running until September 8, 2026, we’re concerned that the GoofyCore Hall takeover will once again interfere with Food & Wine. That’s not to knock GoofyCore–it’s actually the best-ever utilization of the space–but the likelihood that there’s once again no true festival center for what used to be the biggest festival of the year is disappointing.
We really hope to be wrong about this. The Wonders of Life and World ShowPlace buildings are massive flex spaces that are largely unused or underutilized. Both previously served as festival centers during Food & Wine and could fill the role once again. Here’s hoping Walt Disney World restores the 2026 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival to its former glory.
For a while, we had hoped that Walt Disney World would fill the multi-month void between Flower & Garden and Food & Wine with a proper summer festival at EPCOT. That hasn’t happened in the last few years since events were shortened to 2019 normal, and it almost certainly won’t in 2026.
Based on that, one potential explanation for both the shorter festivals and the lack of a summer festival is high heat. That high numbers of guests and Cast Members pass out each summer, which is attributable to the festivals.
In the case of the Cast Members, it’s because of the conditions inside the kiosks. Years ago, this is the explanation we heard for the lack of a summer event–but we assumed it was wrong when Walt Disney World started extending Food & Wine into summer.
Beyond that, we’re not sure of the reason for the about-face from Walt Disney World on extending festivals into mid-June and July. It’s possible management received a ‘warning’ from the local health department; maybe city, county, or state leaders admonished Walt Disney World over holding a largely outdoor event during summer.
Maybe it’s a combination of that plus diminishing returns. The thought process might be that EPCOT now has a strong enough ride roster to draw tourists during the summer, so it’s better to delay demand from locals and regulars until the peak tourist season subsides. It wouldn’t be unprecedented to bifurcate demand by targeting different demographics.
But if this was the goal, last year would’ve disabused them of that notion. The park was dead during Diet EPCOT last summer. Honestly, I kind of liked it–it was a pleasant time to visit the park (well, minus the oppressive heat and humidity), enjoying low crowds and no construction walls for the first time in a while. It’d be nice if they found a way to offer more in the way of indoor cooldown options, though.
It’s also surprising that there aren’t at least a few indoor food booths during the summer months. The Global Marketplaces are incredibly lucrative. The average guest is spending more grazing from these than they are doing a counter service or sit-down meal in World Showcase. More importantly, the margins on alcohol are incredibly high. (During its low points, we heard rumors that festivals and drinkers were EPCOT’s biggest saving grace.)
It’s just difficult to imagine Disney shortening two festivals without a gap-filler for no real reason. But perhaps there’s more there than meets the eye. It’s possible the longer festival spreads out almost the same demand (again, disproportionately among locals and regulars who love these events) leading to lower per day revenue and higher per day operating costs.
Obviously, it’s impossible to crunch the numbers from the outside looking in, but it’s very safe to assume Walt Disney World has done exactly that. Another possibility is that there’s something I’m overlooking entirely. The bottom line is that Disney would not voluntarily leave money on the table. That’s not what they do.
Ultimately, we’re looking forward to the start of the 2026 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival. I just hope that it’s better than last year, which is a pretty low bar to clear since that iteration of the event was the weakest in a long time. At least, as far as the festival goes. The menus at the food booths were actually quite good.
My personal ‘wish list’ for the 2026 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival would include a completely new graphics package, with fresh signage and in-park displays, along with more free offerings, upcharges, and other things to do. Basically, the event needs more figurative meat to compete with other EPCOT festivals, beyond just the literal meat that’s served at the booths.
I’d also like to see new Global Marketplaces from actual countries or regions and a return of the studio concept booths in the culinary corridor, plus past favorites making a comeback. In any case, here’s hoping this will be the year the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival turns things around. Maybe a shorter and more focused festival is precisely what’s needed!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Looking forward to the 2026 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival? Have you attended the event in any of the last few years? Any hopes for Global Marketplace booths or menu items? Think any of the other demonstrations or seminars will return? Concerned that CommuniCore Hall once again won’t be used in 2026? Hoping that the Wonders or World ShowPlace venues make a return? Any tips you want to share to make the most of the experience? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
