No Festival This Summer?

Since the dates were released for the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, there’s been some confusion. Why is it starting so late? Does that mean that Epcot will introduce a new festival this summer, since the Flower & Garden Festival ends on May 27?

I’ll start with the why. Things are going back to the way they were before COVID. In 2023, the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival ended in early July. The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival started at the end of the same month. It wasn’t always that way. The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival in 2019 was the longest to that point. It started on August 29, and ran until November 23. I think that part of the reason why it started on August 29 was that was also the day that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened. Having the Food & Wine Festival start the same day helped to disperse the crowds.

Likewise, the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival was also shorter in 2019. It began on March 6, and ran until June 3. That’s a comparable length to this year’s dates, February 28 through May 27.

So what about a summer festival? It’s highly unlikely. Before COVID, there was no reason for a festival at Epcot during the summer. But when things reopened and we had reduced capacity, social distancing, and fewer experiences, having extra foods and drinks at Epcot made sense. Crowds are back up, and there’s really no reason to have a festival during the summer months.

Plus this summer we’ll see the end of the construction walls at Epcot. CommuniCore Hall will open, and there will be a limited time show based on Encanto. Before COVID, Guardians of the Galaxy – Awesome Mix Live! took place during the summer months. It wasn’t associated with a festival.

Epcot used to only have two festivals anyway. It wasn’t until 2017 that it became a four festival park. That was the year that the Epcot International Festival of the Arts debuted. It was also the first official year for the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays. Before 2017, Epcot celebrated Holidays Around the World. While it’s pretty much the same thing, it wasn’t considered a festival.

If you plan to visit Epcot this summer, don’t worry. There will still be plenty to do. Even without extra food booths you can find unique items to eat and drink and there will be plenty of entertainment. There just won’t be a festival attached to your visit.