Another piece of the 2026 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival puzzle has come into place. The longstanding Eat to the Beat Concert Series will be returning to the festival and the lineup has been revealed. In this post, we’ll share the lineup as well as information on the Eat to the Beat Dining Packages.
There are a few brand-new headliners making their EPCOT debut including Lauren Alaina, Fitz and The Tantrums, and Grace Potter – covering everything from country, to indie pop, and blues. Fitz and The Tantrums, one of the more popular bands on the lineup, also contributed to California Adventure’s World of Color Happiness soundtrack.
There’s also returning favorites to this year’s festival like Boyz II Men, Yellowcard, The Beach Boys, and more. Each week will bring internationally recognized artists, house favorites, local talent and genres for every music fan. Here’s the full lineup with a touch of commentary below.
August
- Aug 27: Evolution: Motown
- Aug 28-31: Hanson
September
- Sep 1-3: Evolution: Motown
- Sep 4-5: The War and Treaty (NEW)
- Sep 6-7: Yellowcard
- Sep 8-10: Fly Guys
- Sep 11-12: Couch (NEW)
- Sep 13-14: Fitz and the Tantrums (NEW)
- Sep 15-17: Latin Ambition
- Sep 18-19: MercyMe
- Sep 20-21: Grupo Manía (NEW)
- Sep 22-24: Metro Latino Band
- Sep 25-27: Element
- Sep 28-29: New Found Glory
- Sep 30: Smash Mouth
October
- Oct 1: Smash Mouth
- Oct 2-4: Champagne Orchestra
- Oct 5-6: Rey Ruiz (NEW)
- Oct 7-8: Tiffany
- Oct 9-11: Viva Latina
- Oct 12-13: The Fray
- Oct 14-15: STARSHIP featuring Mickey Thomas
- Oct 16-18: Jaclyn Hayden
- Oct 19-20: Ben Rector
- Oct 21-22: Allen Stone (NEW)
- Oct 23-25: SoundUp
- Oct 26-27: Lauren Alaina (NEW)
- Oct 28-29: Bowling For Soup
- Oct 30-31: Southbound
November
- Nov 1: Southbound
- Nov 2-3: Boyz II Men
- Nov 4-5: Big Head Todd and The Monsters (NEW)
- Nov 6-8: M-80’s
- Nov 9-10: Grace Potter (NEW)
- Nov 11-12: The Beach Boys
- Nov 13-16: The Hooligans
I have a love hate relationship with these concert announcements. It’s always exciting to see what acts will be at Epcot, as this concert series has gotten particularly popular in recent years. Yellowcard, The Fray and others have drawn very long lines to get into the American Gardens Theatre.
On the other hand, seeing very popular bands from when I was in high school now playing at Epcot makes me feel old. Time comes for us all, that cruel beast. I wonder where that Yellowcard concert DVD I had when I was 14 is now? I can’t say I listen to any of those bands very much now but it’s still odd to see them playing in Epcot.
To be fair, it seems as if the programming for this concert series has shifted in recent years. They are certainly targeting more millennial audiences and that’s come with quite a bit of success. I don’t have big thoughts on that shift, I think the lineup is versatile. There are older and younger acts as well as basically every genre covered.
Seeing The War and Treaty, Allen Stone and Grace Potter all added this year is pretty exciting. I’m not sure we’ll have any trips aligning with those concerts but if we were in town then I’d figure out a way to get to their sets. I doubt you’re coming to this theme park blog to find out about my musical taste though so let’s move along to the dining packages.
While the Eat to the Beat Concert Series is included with admission to Epcot, seating is first-come, first-served. As I mentioned, that means there are some very long lines in order to see certain concerts. There are multiple showtimes each night and we recommend the latest one, as it will likely be the least crowded.
The best way to bypass the standby line is by purchasing a dining package. The Concert Series Dining Package includes a meal at a number of different EPCOT restaurants and a guaranteed seat at one of the Eat to the Beat concerts that same day in a reserved seating section of the theatre. Seating is guaranteed but spots are still on a first-come, first-served basis for guests with the dining package, so we recommend arriving early to secure the best view.
Guests can book the dining package beginning on July 16th. Here are the restaurants included as well as what they cost.
| Participating Restaurants | Adult (ages 10+) | Child (ages 3 to 9) | Dining Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biergarten Restaurant Germany Pavilion | $66 | $35 | 1 Table-Service Meal |
| Chefs de France France Pavilion | $85 | $35 | 1 Table-Service Meal |
| Coral Reef Restaurant The Living Seas | $73 | $29 | 1 Table-Service Meal |
| Garden Grill Restaurant The Land Pavilion | $66 – Breakfast $79 – Lunch/Dinner | $40 – Breakfast $49 – Lunch/Dinner | 1 Table-Service Meal |
| La Crêperie de Paris France Pavilion | $59 | $31 | 1 Table-Service Meal |
| La Hacienda de San Angel Mexico Pavilion | $82 | $37 | 1 Table-Service Meal |
| Le Cellier Steakhouse Canada Pavilion | $99 | $39 | 2 Table-Service Meals |
| Nine Dragons Restaurant China Pavilion | $62 | $25 | 1 Table-Service Meal |
| Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue (same-day dining packages only) American Adventure Pavilion | $36 | $21 | Not Eligible |
| Rose & Crown Dining Room United Kingdom Pavilion | $61 | $26 | 1 Table-Service Meal |
| Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya Japan Pavilion | $89 | $45 | 1 Table-Service Meal |
| Spice Road Table Morocco Pavilion | $56 | $21 | 1 Table-Service Meal |
| Teppan Edo Japan Pavilion | $89 | $45 | 1 Table-Service Meal |
| Tutto Italia Ristorante Italy Pavilion | $81 | $33 | 1 Table-Service Meal |
| Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria Italy Pavilion | $69 | $31 | 1 Table-Service Meal |
The dining package is a very effective use of the Disney Dining Plan for some of the 1 table-service credit restaurants. If there’s a band you really want to see and you’re on the Dining Plan, we highly recommend going that route. Even if you’re not on the DDP, the Eat to the Beat Dining Packages do save you a pretty big headache. The value isn’t all that strong when paying out of pocket but it’s worth considering if you really need to scream the lyrics to “Ocean Avenue” while Spaceship Earth lingers in the distance.
Are you excited for the Eat to the Beat Concert Series? Let us know your thoughts, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below. Planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Check out our WDW Trip Planning Guide to help you out. This is our favorite site for discount Disney World tickets! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends and like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!
Categories: News