The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival showcases beautiful flowers, plants and food around Walt Disney World’s Epcot every spring. In 2026, the festival runs from March 4th to June 1st and is in its 33rd year of existence. This post will give an overview of what to expect out of the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, including our favorite parts of the festival.

For the non Disney World regulars, Epcot is festival central. The Food & Wine Festival and Flower & Garden Festival have been stalwarts while Festival of Arts in January and February as well as Festival of the Holidays in November and December make for a full calendar. For the second summer in a row, Epcot will be festival-less and that’s a shift away from what was becoming a year around activity. I don’t mind the ‘pure’ Epcot experience but when there’s something as lovely as Flower & Garden Festival, it’s hard to compete with.

Epcot began as a park that, among other things, celebrated the beauty of the world and the ingenuity that would lead the planet into the future. Flower & Garden showcases both of those ideas and combines them seamlessly. Using the beauty of blooming spring flowers, Epcot enhances those with topiaries, flower beds, butterfly gardens and, of course, food.

Here is what a typical Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, which is included with theme park admission, includes:

Topiaries

While the food is good and follows a pretty natural theme, the star of the festival is the, you guessed it, flowers and gardens. These are spread throughout the park but reside near or in World Showcase more than anywhere else.

The topiaries are gorgeous and whimsical, being a little less ‘natural’ than the gardens. That doesn’t make these presentations any less impressive or beautiful. These topiaries are usually Disney characters and generally fit in with whatever area they reside.

More than 60 topiaries inspired by classic Disney favorites will be blooming throughout the park in 2026. Buzz, Woody, Bo Peep and her Sheep, Lotso, and the Pixar Ball will greet you as soon as you enter the World Celebration Neighborhood, while other pals you haven’t seen in a while, like Stitch, Mike Wazowski and Sulley, and Lightning McQueen and Mater sprout across the park. Additionally, over 31 gardens and floral displays invite you to explore, relax, and enjoy the stunning horticulture Disney is known for.

Other Gardens & Activities

The gardens are a nice treat that you can happen upon naturally throughout Epcot. The Disney Parks horticulture team always does a wonderful job, no matter what park or season they’re in. That’s even more exceptional in the spring when everything is in bloom. The time of year makes Flower & Garden feel very natural at times. There are exceptions that make Epcot unique though. My favorite of which are the beautiful gardens that surround the ponds on your way to World Showcase. If given the chance, entering the park via monorail is a great view of those gardens.

Along with breathtaking gardens, and beautifully designed exhibits throughout World Celebration, World Discovery, World Nature, and World Showcase, Flower & Garden Festival will also include these activities!

• Butterfly Landing presented by AdventHealth:
Observe a kaleidoscope of butterfly species up close in this vibrant walk-through experience.
• Camp Get Out ’N’ Play Garden presented by OFF! Repellents:
Families can venture into a camp themed garden where little ones are invited to jump, play, and climb.
• Blossoms of Fragrance presented by Scentsy:
Follow your nose and create lasting memories with fresh, unforgettable fragrances in the garden. Then, sniff your way through the festival to discover which festival topiary is featuring Scentsy’s Strawberry Sweetie for 2026.
• English Tea Garden Tours presented by Twinings:
Discover the history and art of tea blending in this elegant garden featuring key plants found in Twinings beverages.
• Rain or Shine Fruit Stand Presented by Outshine:
Celebrate the water cycle and how it nurtures crops in all its forms—liquid, vapor, and ice!
• The Honey Bee-stro Garden Hosted by The National Honey Board™:
Learn about honey bees’ critical role in the environment, and enjoy sweet and savory treats made possible by their hard work.

And this year, you can explore three fresh garden experiences, Pluto’s Pet‑Friendly Garden, the Wildlife Crossing Garden, and the Trendy Tropicals Garden, each bringing its own unique charm to the festival.

My favorite of these, at least in previous years, is the butterfly garden. Granted, I’m also a man in his mid-30’s and try not to spend my own time on playgrounds. Your mileage may vary there, depending on your group!

Outdoor Kitchens

Like the other Epcot Festivals (notably Food & Wine), Flower & Garden utilizes temporary booths around World Showcase to offer unique food items to guests. These booths are called Outdoor Kitchens. Most of them are themed to the countries around them. Most of the food items range from 7-12 dollars, with a few outliers. The alcoholic beverages are typically around $10-15 and the non-alcoholic drinks are usually around $6. The portion size is never very large but is comparable to most snacks throughout the parks. Generally, I think the items at these booths are a little overpriced for what you get but the quality of food usually makes up for that. They are a good use of a Disney Dining Plan snack credit. I’ve never been overly disappointed in what I’ve paid for a snack at Flower & Garden or Food & Wine Festivals despite admitting that they’re overpriced. 

We’ve always thought these booths are fun places to try new items. I’ll admit that the results have sometimes been mixed but it’s a good way to see if you like something or to retry a food that you used to not like. Here are all of the menus for 2026!

Garden Rocks Concert Series

The lineup for the annual Garden Rocks Concert Series has already been announced. Here’s what is coming in 2026:

• March 5-7 — The Music of ABBA (NEW) 
• March 8-9 — Simple Plan
• March 13-14 — Blue October
• March 15-16 — Billy Ocean
• March 20-23 — THE ORCHESTRA starring former members of ELO & ELO Part II
• March 27-28 — Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
• March 29-30 — 38 Special
• April 3-4 — Chubby Checker
• April 5-6 — Sugar Ray
• April 10-11 — Information Society (NEW)
• April 12-13 — Rick Springfield
• April 17-18 — Berlin
• April 19-20 — The Commodores
• April 24-25 — FireHouse (NEW)
• April 26-27 — Air Supply
• May 1-2 — A Flock of Seagulls
• May 3-4 — Plain White T’s
• May 8-9 — Katrina, formerly of Katrina & The Waves (NEW)
• May 10-11 — 98 Degrees
• May 15-16 — The Spinners
• May 17-18 — Josiah Queen (NEW)
• May 22-23 — Iam Tongi (NEW)
• May 24-25 — A.J. Croce: Croce Plays Croce
• May 29-30 — Queensrÿche
• May 31-June 1 — Maverick City Music

Guests can book a special dining package to include a reserved seat for the show as well as lunch or dinner at an Epcot restaurant. For those that don’t want to partake in that, there will be limited standby seating. For more information on the concert series as well as the dining package, click here.

Is the Flower & Garden Festival worth making a special trip for? How much extra time will I spend in Epcot due to the Festival?

There’s no hard and fast rule for these questions. If you enjoy plants more than the average person then the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival is definitely for you. Even if you’re not that into plants, like me, then you will still probably find the festival interesting, informative and beautiful. Is it worth making a special trip to Epcot for? Probably not, unless money isn’t an issue or you live close by. But, if you’re planning a trip and are somewhat flexible in timing then spring might be a good choice.

As far how many hours or days to allot for Epcot when the Festival is ongoing… That answer is even more tricky. I think you could fill up just a day exploring the Flower & Garden portion of Epcot as well as the World Showcase Pavilions. More realistically, if you’re planning for a day and a half at Epcot on a normal trip, I’d just make it two full days. If you have kids, that may be pushing it but I think most adults could easily spend 2 days at the park experiencing Epcot and Flower & Garden.

We love Flower & Garden Festival and think it adds a boost to Epcot, making it more colorful and interesting. I look forward to it every year and am excited to see the 2026 iteration. Visiting in the early spring, before the weather gets too hot is one of my favorite Epcot experiences.

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