The Epcot Festival of the Arts is coming back to the park in 2024, running from January 12th to February 19th. This is one of our favorite events at any Disney Park, as it blends art displays, captivating performances and, of course, food to make for a unique experience. In this post, we’ll share the newly released details on the 2024 iteration of the festival as well as add a little bit of our own commentary.

Disney on Broadway Concert Series Artists

One of the highlights of Epcot Festival of the Arts is the Broadway Concert Series performed at the America Gardens Theatre. This series stars different Broadway stars who have performed in Disney shows. They perform 3 times a night and usually have a nice variation in their setlist between well known classics and a tunes specially picked by the performers. Speaking of, here’s a list of those performers!

• Caissie Levy and Patti Murin (“Frozen”): Jan. 12, 14, 15, 18, 20, 22, 23
• Heidi Blickenstaff (“Freaky Friday” and “The Little Mermaid”) and Gavin Lee (“Mary Poppins” and “Beauty and the Beast”): Jan. 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, 24
• Ashley Brown (“Mary Poppins” and “Beauty and the Beast”) and L. Steven Taylor (“The Lion King”): Jan. 26, 28 and 29; Feb. 1, 3, 5 and 6
• Kissy Simmons (“The Lion King”) and Josh Strickland (“Tarzan”): Jan. 27, 30, 31; Feb. 2, 4, 7 and 8
• Mandy Gonzalez (“Aida”) and Michael James Scott (“Aladdin” and “Tarzan”): Feb. 9, 11, 12, 15, 18, 19
• Bradley Gibson (“Hercules” and “The Lion King”) and Shoba Narayan (“Aladdin”): Feb. 10, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19

There are dining packages available if you want reserved seating for the performances. These restaurants offer the dining package:

• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
• Biergarten Restaurant
• Coral Reef Restaurant
• Garden Grill Restaurant
• Rose & Crown Dining Room
• Le Cellier
• Spice Road Table
• Regal Eagle Smokehouse (same-day, in-person walk-up packages only)

I wouldn’t necessarily recommend those dining packages. The last showing of the night isn’t generally too hard to get into. That said, if you’re going at a particularly busy time (over the weekend) and are interested in one of the listed restaurants, it wouldn’t be a bad idea!

Specialty Dining

As with all of the Epcot festivals, this one includes many specialty items to try at the different food booths (or Food Studios as Disney puts it).

More than 15 Food Studios throughout EPCOT blend touches of delectable flavors with an artistic twist – including tempting new dishes and drinks to savor. While I can’t wait to try new flavors, I’m also excited about returning favorites. The Rainbow Cake with freeze-dried SKITTLES® bite-sized candies is always a sweet sensation at Figment’s Inspiration Station at the Odyssey: Art, Food and Little Sparks of Magic. And I never miss the Red Wine-braised Beef Short Rib with parsnip puree, broccolini, baby tomatoes and balsamic glaze at Pastoral Palate.

Menus will be released soon and we’ll be sure to post those when the time comes! The festival coinciding with the return of the Disney Dining Plan is a nice touch, as the snack credits can be used on some of those items.

Interactive Art and Merch

Along with performances and food, there’s also some fun interactive moments at Festival of the Arts that guests can partake in.

At Animation Academy, held daily at 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. in America Gardens Theatre, learn drawing skills from some of the best in the business as they teach you how to draw a Disney character. At Expression Section: A Paint by Numbers Mural, join fellow artists to leave your creative mark on a larger-than-life wall mural.

Kid’s Chalk Art takes place on the bridge to World Showcase Plaza daily from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. allowing little ones to create their very own chalk masterpieces. And what would a visit to the festival be without artful photo ops? From Botticelli to Renoir, these life-size tableaus beckon you to become part of the painting.

Showcase Plaza is also home to a kaleidoscope of performances daily, where you’ll find musicians, live painting and the thrilling acrobatic feats of Art Defying Gravity. One of the reasons we love this festival so much is because of that interactivity. It’s something that no other festival has as much of.

Kids of all ages will want to engage in Figment’s Brush with the Master’s Scavenger Hunt. On this journey throughout World Showcase, you’ll help Figment learn all about art. To get started, purchase your map and stickers at Creations Shop, Port of Entry, or World Traveler. Then, search for Figment hiding inside art inspired by famous works at each World Showcase pavilion—just look for the Figment-themed picture frame.

There’s also merch, of course!

Speaking of interactivity, the festival offers chances to visit galleries and meet the artists who bring imaginative works to life. New and returning favorites will be part of this year’s lineup, so be sure to visit ArtfulEPCOT.com to stay up to date on the latest news.

There’s no way that we can celebrate all things imagination without a visit from everyone’s favorite purple dragon – Figment! This lovable ambassador of whimsy takes center stage on a wide array of festival merch, ranging from household items and décor to apparel and trading items. I’ll be first in line for the Figment Spirit Jersey.

And I have a feeling that the paintbrush cup and Figment plush will be making their way into my reusable shopping bag, too!

Looking for a convenient way to pay? We love the beauty and convenience of the mini festival-themed Disney Gift Card. Load it with as little as $15 and wear it on your wrist for quick and easy scanning when you purchase all your festival delights.

Festival of the Arts is one of our favorite times of year at Epcot and we highly recommend it to those that can swing a trip. We’ll cover anymore details on the festival as they are released!

Are you excited for Epcot Festival of the Arts? Let us know, along with any questions you have, in the comments below. Planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Check out our planning guide to help you along the way! Looking for discounted tickets? Check out this site! Thank you for reading Wandering in Disney. If you enjoy the site please subscribe to the blog via WordPress and like our social media pages. You can find all of those on the right side of this page. Have a great day!