2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts Guide
EPCOT’s International Festival of the Arts runs from mid-January through late February 2024 at Walt Disney World. This guide offers info, tips, food recommendations, and our must-see highlights of this annual winter special event, which is one of the best of the year at WDW! (Updated October 26, 2023.)
Walt Disney World has now released official dates for the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts, and it’ll continue its run starting the Friday of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend and ending on Presidents’ Day. Stated more directly, the EPCOT Festival of the Arts runs from January 12 through February 19, 2024!
Those were the previously predicted dates for the 2024 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, but we’re honestly a little disappointed that the event won’t be longer. For the reasons discussed below, this is far and away the best fest of the year at EPCOT…and also the shortest! Even as Flower & Garden and Food & Wine have received massive month-plus extensions in the last few years, Festival of the Arts has remained roughly the same duration. The silver lining of that, we suppose, is that at least this event hasn’t been diluted as a result…
For those unfamiliar with it, the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is the “newest” special event of the year, which is in its eighth year come 2024. (Time flies when you’re having fun–I still remember when the inaugural event was announced!) Festival of the Arts is also the least-popular of Epcot’s events, and doesn’t draw nearly as many tourists as the long-running Food & Wine Festival. This is partly because it occurs in winter, but it also doesn’t seem to draw quite as many locals, either.
Walt Disney World has dubbed this event the “ultimate celebration of world-class food, amazing visual art, and live entertainment.” We agree. EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts is our favorite event of the year, and we love chatting with artists, watching the performers, and eating our way around the 13 booths, and enjoying some of the art on display. Trying the new food, seeing artists exhibit their work, and participating in the interactive offerings at the event is always a good time.
After being blown away by the inaugural event, and while some of the specifics have changed in the last few years, our impression remains the same: EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts is our #1 seasonal event of the year at Epcot.
In this post, we’ll cover some of the reasons why we love it, and why we recommend experiencing it for yourself from January 12 through February 19, 2024!
Let’s start with what was new for last year’s EPCOT International Festival of the Arts–the big news is that Figment is playing an even bigger in the EPCOT Festival of the Arts…
EPCOT Festival of the Arts is getting more imaginative, with Figment’s Inspiration Station: Art, Food, and Little Sparks of Magic. With this, Figment essentially takes over the Odyssey events center, which was previously the EPCOT Experience preview center (and has also functioned as a festival center for past events.
Figment’s Inspiration Station at the Odyssey includes nods and restored pieces from the original Journey Into Imagination at EPCOT Center, circa 1982. Figment’s Inspiration Station features an original Figment Audio Animatronics figure, mural inspired by the ride’s load area, the original background music, and projections from the attraction. There’s also inspiration drawn from the original upstairs ImageWorks, with original pin tables and a rainbow corridor-esque aesthetic in Figment’s Inspiration Station.
Additionally, the Figment Premium Popcorn Bucket makes its return, but this year with a new EPCOT 40th Anniversary strap. Last year, Festival of the Arts was dominated by headlines that EPCOT’s Longest Line Is For Figment Popcorn Buckets. It took a while, but Walt Disney World eventually solved that problem by streamlining the process with Mobile Order.
Thankfully, Mobile Order is once again the solution to that particular problem. Simply look for EPCOT Souvenir Release and select a return timeslot, starting at 11 am. Limit 2 per person.
Figment’s Inspiration Station doubles as a food and merchandise booth, serving the Pop’t Art, Rainbow Cake, and a variety of other snacks and drinks, including a number of different beers. (Strikes me as sorta odd for Figment’s booth to serve alcohol, but whatever.)
In addition to the popcorn bucket at Figment’s Inspiration Station, you can also bring home the brand-new Fruity Fig Bar Figment Disney Munchling. This limited-edition Disney Munchling features the sweet smell of berries and can be found both at the merchandise locations at the festival and on shopDisney.
The Figment fun continues when the sun goes down at the EPCOT Festival of the Arts.
Over at Spaceship Earth, a new Beacons of Magic light show features Figment. This technicolor tribute features music that’ll bring one little spark your imagination, along with a spectacle of dazzling light. This combines Journey into Imagination and Muppets by also utilizing “Rainbow Connection” in what might be the most inspired and imaginative version of the excellent EPCOT Beacons of Magic yet.
With what’s new out of the way, let’s offer a bit of background on the basics of the event that are consistent from year-to-year. The Epcot International Festival of the Arts is a special event celebrating the visual, culinary, and performing arts from around the world. The event includes Food Studios (naturally!) and an array of entertainment options.
The first thing you need to know is that there’s a lot to see and do at the Epcot International Festival of the Arts, but the vast majority of the entertainment is not continuously running. Quite the converse, in fact.
While there is virtually always something occurring throughout the park between park opening and 5 p.m., many of the live performers are only out a few times per day, and some of their sets are fairly short.
Because of this, it’s absolutely essential that you consult a times guide or entertainment schedule for the day your visiting, and plan around the entertainment that is the most “rare.” Alternatively, if you have a surplus of time, you might want to take a slow approach, just meandering around World Showcase and stumbling upon art as you stroll. We really enjoy that sense of “discovery.”
The Food Studios, exhibits, and interactive art opportunities can be slotted in whenever, so fit those into your schedule when you have down time, but plan around the live entertainment.
You won’t be able experience all of Epcot and Festival of the Arts in a single day. Accordingly, we advise spending two days at Epcot during Festival of the Arts: both weekdays.
Weekends at Epcot are busy during Festival of the Arts, primarily due to strong word of mouth about the event among locals, who work during the week. As with every other Epcot festival, weekdays are far less busy.
The last two winters have been a veritable crowd roller coaster at Walt Disney World. Two years ago, attendance was down considerably, making Walt Disney World’s visitor numbers disproportionately locals who visit Friday through Sunday. This year was a totally different story, with pent-up demand playing out in full force and pretty much every day being jam-packed.
As discussed in our Crowd Predictions for EPCOT Festival of the Arts, we are forecasting something in-between last year. Fortunately, the dates encompassed by the EPCOT Festival of the Arts should be among the best of the year. For more info, refer to that–or consult our January 2024 Crowd Calendar and February 2024 Crowd Calendar for Walt Disney World for specific best and worst dates to visit.
Let’s turn to the Food Studios. For many guests, these will be the highlight of the event, offering marketplace snack options in venues similar to those found during the Epcot Food & Wine Festival. We thought the food was generally really presented exceptionally well, and tasted very good at last year’s event.
We sampled most of the menus at the Epcot International Festival of the Arts, and were surprised that most portions were relatively hearty and value for money was fairly solid. In both cases, better than the Food & Wine Festival, but not as good of value as a regular counter service meal.
As we note in our Food Studio Guide to the Epcot International Festival of the Arts, the “culinary arts” are the least important component of the event. We have several specific snack recommendations there, but none are essential to enjoying the event.
While the food is very good and some portions are generous, it’s also on the expensive side–even more than Food & Wine Festival. This makes it a tough sell if you’re paying out of pocket–especially since this event does not revolve around food.
If you do opt for the foodie elements of the festival, the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine is a fun way to do it. Set out on a tasty trek around the EPCOT Festival of the Arts and purchase 7 vibrant dishes—and be rewarded with one technicolor treat to enjoy at the end of your journey.
Use your Festival Passport as your guide to look for specially notated menu items, then track your progress by collecting a stamp after each purchase. Once you’ve enjoyed at least 5 of the 7 dishes—and collected the corresponding stamps—bring your stamped Festival Passport to the Deco Delights food studio to receive a complimentary Artist Palette Cookie.
With that said, you could skip the food entirely and still have an awesome time at the event. This is sentiment you might not read elsewhere, but keep in mind that a lot of the interest around Epcot’s festivals revolves around food; this is also how Disney monetizes the events.
So of course it makes sense for Walt Disney World and other blogs to hype up the food…even if it’s far from the highlight of Epcot’s Festival of the Arts. Aside from the snacking, Epcot’s International Festival of the Arts offers Walt Disney World guests the ability to peruse artwork by Disney artists in galleries.
Additionally, there are live artists creating artwork in Epcot. It’s really interesting to watch them; we were so captivated by one of the artists that we watched him complete an entire Mickey Mouse painting, which he did in ‘unison’ with music.
Other artists will be painting landscape scenes throughout World Showcase. Additionally, chalk artists will reproduce classic works on park sidewalks, Epcot Living Statues will do roaming art, and guest performance artists will create live art with the wave of a paintbrush.
Interactive guest art is another one of our favorite aspects of Festival of the Arts. We have had a chance to help complete several different murals, including the one pictured below.
It’s also a really fun experience in the moment, and satisfying once you see the finished product a few days later, knowing I helped make that!
For kids of all ages, one of the highlights is Figment’s Brush with the Masters Scavenger Hunt. Mischievous Figment has re-imagined what famous paintings might look like if he were part of the artwork, and hidden one in each country around World Showcase–see if you can find them all. The paintings are cleverly done, and a good way to introduce kids to art history.
It’s also just a lot of fun to search for the Figment-infused art. If you want, you can purchase maps for ~$10 each at the main gift shops (Port of Entry, Creations Shop, World Traveler Shop, etc.) and play the game–being rewarded with a Figment keepsake once you find them all. However, you can also just look for them for a sense of fun and satisfaction–that’s usually what we do!
There’s also more structured entertainment for the Epcot International Festival of the Arts. The Disney on Broadway concert series will once again return. This features three shows each evening headlined by Broadway stars performing beloved songs from more than 25 years of award-winning stage productions.
Here’s the Disney on Broadway concert lineup for last year’s EPCOT Festival of the Arts (we’ll update as soon as the schedule is released for 2024):
Kara Lindsay (Newsies) and Kevin Massey (Tarzan)
- January 13
- January 15-16
- January 19-20
Arielle Jacobs (Aladdin) and Adam Jacobs (Aladdin)
- January 14
- January 17-18
- January 21-22
Patti Murin (Frozen) and Robert Creighton (The Little Mermaid)
- January 23
- January 25-26
- January 29-30
- February 2-3
Mandy Gonzalez (Aida) and L. Steven Taylor (The Lion King)
- January 24
- January 27-28
- January 31 through February 1
- February 4-5
Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins) and Michael James Scott (Aladdin)
- February 6
- February 8-9
- February 12-13
- February 16-17
Kissy Simmons (The Lion King) and Josh Strickland (Tarzan)
- February 7
- February 10-11
- February 14-15
- February 18-19
On February 20, the Disney on Broadway Concert Series features an extended finale featuring Ashley Brown, Josh Strickland, Kissy Simmons, and Michael James Scott. In past years, this extended finale has been the highlight–do not miss it if you’re in EPCOT that evening!
Disney on Broadway Dining Packages are also available, but we typically do NOT recommend these (except for maybe the extended finale). We’ve seen Disney on Broadway concerts countless times and never once had an issue getting seats. I guess if you absolutely need a prime view, it’s not a bad option–but it strikes us as a waste of money. To each their own, though.
Ultimately, Epcot International Festival of the Arts has proven itself to be something different. Food and drinks are the lowest priority here, and there is so much “other stuff” that it’s hard to view this as a thinly-veiled way to sell high margin stuff. When you consider how much all of the artists and entertainers likely cost, the cynicism melts away.
To the contrary, the Epcot Festival of the Arts is a true enhancement to Epcot. It cherrypicks the elements of Flower & Garden and Food & Wine that we like best, and enhances the park in an organic way that feels like it recaptures a bit of the original spirit of EPCOT Center. The event’s ambiance makes it even more enjoyable to just wander around Epcot, and there are strong educational and entertainment components.
With several years under the event’s belt, we’re confident that Epcot’s International Festival of the Arts has found its footing. We hope that it continues to evolve and expand, and 2024 could finally be the year for that, as EPCOT will no longer be in the midst of a massive construction project–which means no maze of construction walls for the first time since 2019! Here’s hoping that Figment’s Inspiration Station returns bigger and better, and perhaps in a larger new venue inside CommuniCore Hall.
Disney continues to deliver on the Epcot International Festival of the Arts, which is why it has been our favorite festival since it started several years ago. That might be hard to believe given the barrage of coverage that Food & Wine receives, and given that this is the shortest and newest event, but if we could only choose one to attend, this would be it. Despite the surprise spike in crowds last year, we would highly recommend this event–and this time of year–to anyone considering when to visit Walt Disney World in 2024.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Have you attended EPCOT’s International Festival of the Arts in any of its past years? Are you excited to experience the 2024 Festival of the Arts from January 12 through February 19, 2024? 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!
We have to choose between a 2nd day at Epcot or at Disney Hollywood Studios. We have 6 and 10 year old children that are interested in the world and STEM. Would you say it is worth it to do a second day at Epcot during the Festival of the Arts?
My kids (3 and 6) at the time LOVED Hollywood studios but it was so packed (Presidents Day) that we early entry through around 3pm. We hopped to Epcot after.
This is such an informative blog, especially for the artists looking for festivals to portray their art.
Went to check out the Festival yesterday and was so disappointed. Loved the art but the food? Not so much. As someone with a food allergy it was absolutely horrible. They don’t even have them listed on the signs outside of the booths any longer. You have to pick up a guide. And now they recommend that they call for each item because as I was told “ingredients can change even daily and we can’t guarantee anything any longer on a day to day basis”. On a day like yesterday when it was busy this pretty much means I won’t even try. It just holds up all the lines and makes lots of people mad at you. I had a bunch of people actually be very rude and vocal at Food and Wine when I asked about one of the ciders and they had to call for me. It took a really long time and people were not at all understanding in the line behind me. Disney may handle food issues well in other areas, but not at all well at the Festivals. It was very disheartening how this just gets handled worse and worse with every festival.
I am going Thursday (1-23) and as a person with a food allergy, I noticed the same exact thing and have been researching trying to find an ingredient list or something to help with my festival food decisions. I was very sad to see that they had very little to choose from for allergy with all these lovely foods! If only I could see what the foods are made from, then I could decide which ones I could eat or simply remove a few items to make it ok for me (I have a gluten intolerance, but not too severe). I have pretty much given up for this festival and will not purchase the special items, but will have to eat at the regular restaurants at Epcot with a special allergy list. I hope this is not the way Disney will continue with food allergies at the festivals, because I have always admired how well they had been handling it. Please Disney, give us an easy list or something that we can choose fun treats quickly too.
I have a gluten allergy, but not celiacs. There were only three items listed in the guide as “gluten friendly” and no desserts at all! This was the first festival that I have seen that Disney did not list the items on the menus at each booth. I was a little surprised by this new development. I have always wished they would give a booklet you could pick up at guest services with all the ingredients listed. I have often commented that many items could be made to work for certain allergies if you left off something like a drizzle or garnish. But they seem to be making it harder instead of easier. So sad.
Tom, totally unrelated question. I do read a TON of your blogs, so I lean heavily on your knowledge. Based on your previous experiences, any thoughts as to when Space 220 will start allowing reservations? I’m following all sorts of Twitter feeds, and am curious because I’m taking a trip with my family this summer…even using your recommendation and we are staying at the Poly Lite!!! Any suggestions or info could be helpful! Thank you my friend!
We are headed to the festival of the arts in February but our quick service dining plan is hardly accepted anywhere in the world showcase. We were hoping to try some of the food. Am I missing something? Thanks!
Oh really? I will need to be aware of this. That’s a bummer!
There aren’t many quick service locations in the world showcase, to be honest. You have the Cantina de San Angel in Mexico, Yorkshire Fish Shop in UK, and Les Halles Boulangerie in France, which is mostly a pastry counter anyways but serves some crepes and sandwiches. Better off to stockpile snack credits for your Epcot day and eat little snacks around the world.
Or swap a QS for three snack credits. Easy enough. You just have to use three up at one place in one order.
At least when I was there a few years ago a quick serve credit could be used to buy 3 snacks as long as it was 1 transaction. We were there for food and wine festival and wer e able to try several of the booth snacks that way.
Hey Tom and Sarah – I am also a huge fan of the Arts Festival and had a wonderful time there during my visit last year! I was so excited that Animation Academy returned!!!! One quick question though – did the peanut butter and chocolate flavored cupcake return for the festival at Sunshine Seasons (the one with the multi-colored inside and white icing, despite the flavors)? It was soooo delicious and I am hoping it also returned! Enjoy the festival!
Hi Ellen, can you share more details about Animation Academy returning? ….it’s one of our favorites. Where is it located during the Epcot Festival? Headed there next week and would love to make it a priority to find…thanks so much for the heads up!
The artist whose name eludes you is Stephen Fishwick. I recognize the painting because we saw him 2-3 years ago and it was awesome! Definitely one of the live art performances to see if you can.
Dumb question – but is there art available for purchase at the event?
Absolutely.
So much great art! Disney inspired and otherwise.
Greetings,
How does an artist apply to be a part of the Epcot Festival of the Arts?
Thanks
I’m so excited to be able to take my 16 year old aspiring artist to the 2020 festival. Is there a way to find out in advance what workshops will be offered so we can be sure to attend as many as possible?
Disney does not make it easy, you have to click through several pages to get to it:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/epcot/epcot-international-festival-of-the-arts-workshops/
General info:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/epcot/epcot-international-festival-of-the-arts/
Have fun! It’s our favorite Epcot festival, for sure!
Hey Tom,
Is there any reason to think the festival of the arts will not be a permanent festival at Epcot?
Trevor Carlton is a blast to watch. About 18 yrs ago he did a 5×5 live painting of Tinker Bell which we have hanging in our foyer. Hope to go in 2020
Just saw James Coleman at the Wyland gallery at the Boardwalk in early Oct.
Tom, Thanks for a great update. Last year (2019) was the first year I took a few days to enjoy the festival and I’m planning to be back in 2020. The food was wonderful but the artwork was amazing. In 2020 I’d like to get to know more about the artists working live and also the artwork displayed in the tents. Does Disney typically provide a list of the artists in they identified online as “Must See Galleries” and the “Shop of Art and Festival Keepsakes”? I couldn’t find a list last year, but I was fine going tent to tent and discussing what each individual display had the offer. I especially enjoyed the Michelle St. Laurent, Noah Fine Art, and the James Coleman Studios artwork. Looking forward to more updates.
My 15 year old daughter and I attended this last year and were blown away! She is interested in art as a career and this provided advice and inspiration. We attended free and paid workshops–both great. Each artist would meet people after to discuss really anything or even look at their art! The Broadway shows were great (3 times a day) and we loved the food. Snacked around the world, for sure. Tom is right; this a unique and fun experience.
We plan to go back this year!
Hi! In this article, you mentioned being captivated by an artist as he created a Mickey Mouse painting to the music but not knowing the artist’s name. Based on the painting style shown in the photo, it appears to be Joe Kaminski. He’s one of my favorites!
You can see some of his other works here: https://www.joekaminskiart.com/
The artist is Stephen Fishwick with Disney Fine Art – Collectors Editions.
I stand corrected. Thanks!
I love Stephen Fishwick! I met him at the festival a few years ago. Very nice guy! And a seriously talented artist!
This year Disney Fine Art sent Trevor Carlton, he was so much fun to watch on stage! Does anyone know the dates for next year? I think Januray to March 2020?
I would love to know the date for 2020 as well!
When is the official opening date? Thanks
Are there any online maps of the layout of the Festival?
Tom, we’re on the plane returning from Festival of the Arts. Booked this weekend largely due to your write-ups on prior years. And it did not disappoint! Agree that the crowds were higher than a typical January visit, but worth it. We had a “Tom and Sarah” sighting on Saturday morning. We had just entered the World Showcase and the two of you were walking purposefully in the opposite direction – you looked like you were on a mission; otherwise, I would have flagged you down to tell you in person how much we enjoy the blog and how helpful it’s been. Hope the rest of your trip was terrific!
We’ll be in EPCOT IN February 1,2019. Do you have any updated info?
Can’t wait for this! We’ve been wanting to go since we first heard about it on this blog. Finally going this time in February!
That’s our feeling, too! Really looking forward to this.