Believe it or not, it’s almost time to start planning for this year’s EPCOT Food & Wine Festival! While it may still feel like 2026 just started, the truth is we’re just months away from the kickoff of EPCOT’s premier annual event.
Of course, flights and hotels can’t be booked until you know when you’re going, and currently, the 2026 dates haven’t been revealed yet. However, looking at years past, we can make some educated guesses as to when this year’s version of the EPCOT classic is going to kick off.
WE KNOW – there is SO much to know about EPCOT festivals, but we’ve got you covered! We have been doing the Disney World festival thing for YEARS, and we’ve written a series of DFB Guides about them! Check out our DFB Food & Wine Festival Guide Bundle for all the details you need to plan your snackin’ and spending. You can even download them to your smartphone – it’ll be like we’re right there with you in the parks!
For the last several years, the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival has begun sometime in the latter part of summer, stretched through the fall, and ended in the middle of November just before the Thanksgiving Holiday. For example, the previous half-decade of events has used the following dates:
2021: July 15th – November 20th
2022: July 14th – November 19th
2023: July 27th – November 18th
2024: August 29th – November 23rd
2025: August 28th – November 22nd
Looking at those dates, in particular the 2024 and 2025 installments, each festival began on the final Thursday of August and ended on the weekend before Thanksgiving. If Disney follows the same pattern in 2026, this year’s festival would last from August 27 through November 21st.
Further evidence pointing to these dates can be found in the scheduling of the 2026 Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic! This annual event, which is usually in conjunction with the final weekend of EPCOT’s International Food & Wine Festival — and features two days of gourmet cuisine from award-winning chefs, paired with fine wines, beers, and spirits from around the world, as well as live entertainment, seminars, and fireworks — is scheduled for November 20th and 21st, from 5 PM until 9 PM each day this year.
So, those are our predicted dates. When will we know for sure? Once again, looking at past years, the festival’s dates have been announced between late-April and mid-May, which would seem to indicate that the 2026 dates should be released during that same period this year.
If you’re beginning to plan your 2026 Food & Wine Festival visit, we’d suggest blocking out time between August 27 and November 21st. We will let you know when the official dates are announced! Stay tuned to DFB for further updates on this year’s installment of the festival.
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IT'S WINE & DINE TIME!
Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience.
If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU!
Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival!
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Are you planning to hit up the International Food & Wine Festival this year? Let us know in the comments below.







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