Credit: DisneySome EPCOT festivals are remembered for the food. Others are remembered for the decorations. But every spring, there is one version of EPCOT that is remembered for something else entirely. The music.
As the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival returns from March 4 through June 1, 2026, the park once again transforms into a place where guests don’t just stroll past gardens and topiaries — they gather around a stage at sunset, waiting for the first chord to hit.
That stage is the American Gardens Theatre, and the reason so many guests plan their evenings around it is simple. The Garden Rocks Concert Series.
In 2026, Disney has assembled one of the most varied and carefully balanced lineups the festival has offered in years, blending classic rock, pop, R&B, boy bands, and several new performers across nearly three full months. It’s not a single headliner event. It’s a slow-building concert season designed to change the mood of EPCOT night after night. And it begins in early March with a name that almost everyone recognizes.
Spring and early summer already bring heavier crowds to EPCOT The return of the Garden Rocks Concert Series is expected to amplify those surges on select nights. Each weekend, thousands of guests plan their park visits specifically around the nightly performances at the American Gardens Theatre, turning otherwise manageable evenings into some of the busiest of the season.
From March 5 through March 7, the series opens with The Music of ABBA, one of the new additions for 2026. Just days later, the tone shifts as Simple Plan performs on March 8 and 9, followed by Blue October on March 13 and 14.
By the middle of March, the series leans into classic pop and soul, with Billy Ocean appearing on March 15 and 16. From there, the nostalgia continues as THE ORCHESTRA starring former members of ELO & ELO Part II takes the stage from March 20 through March 23.
The final stretch of March belongs to longtime fans of classic rock. Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone performs on March 27 and 28, followed by 38 Special on March 29 and 30.
April opens with one of the most recognizable names in early rock history. Chubby Checker performs on April 3 and 4, followed immediately by Sugar Ray on April 5 and 6.
One of the new performers for 2026, Information Society, takes the stage on April 10 and 11, before Rick Springfield performs on April 12 and 13.
Mid-April brings a strong run of legacy acts. Berlin appears on April 17 and 18, followed by The Commodores on April 19 and 20. The final weekend of April features another new addition, FireHouse, on April 24 and 25, and Air Supply on April 26 and 27.
May begins with A Flock of Seagulls on May 1 and 2, followed by Plain White T’s on May 3 and 4.
Another new face joins the series on May 8 and 9, as Katrina, formerly of Katrina & The Waves, takes the stage, followed by 98 Degrees on May 10 and 11.
The middle of May belongs to soul and contemporary voices. The Spinners perform on May 15 and 16, followed by Josiah Queen on May 17 and 18, another new performer for 2026. Iam Tongi appears on May 22 and 23, before A.J. Croce: Croce Plays Croce performs on May 24 and 25.
The final week of the festival closes with two very different sounds. Queensrÿche performs on May 29 and 30, and the entire concert series ends with Maverick City Music on May 31 and June 1.
All Garden Rocks performances are included with EPCOT park admission and are held at the American Gardens Theatre in World Showcase. Seating remains first-come, first-served, with dining packages expected to return later in the season for guests seeking guaranteed seating.
But the concerts are only one part of what makes the Flower & Garden Festival such a draw.
Every spring, EPCOT fills with hundreds of topiaries representing Disney characters, animals, and scenes from classic films. These displays are scattered throughout World Showcase and Future World, turning the park into a living garden gallery. Each year, Disney introduces new designs while bringing back longtime favorites that guests make a point to photograph year after year.
Alongside the topiaries, the festival brings a full slate of Outdoor Kitchens, temporary food and beverage locations offering garden-inspired dishes, fresh flavors, and seasonal drinks. These booths operate throughout the festival and change slightly from year to year, encouraging guests to sample their way around the park over multiple visits.
The festival also features the Garden Graze, a culinary scavenger hunt that rewards guests for trying specific menu items across the Outdoor Kitchens. After collecting stamps in their festival passport, guests can redeem them for a small prize, adding a game-like element to the dining experience.
Live entertainment extends beyond the main concert series as well. Throughout the day, guests can encounter smaller musical performances, garden tours, and educational presentations focused on horticulture, sustainability, and home gardening. These quieter offerings give the festival a different pace than EPCOT’s other seasonal events.
But it’s the Garden Rocks Concert Series that shapes the emotional rhythm of the festival. Because unlike food booths or topiaries, the concerts change the entire feel of the park each night.
Some evenings feel like a reunion for longtime fans of classic rock. Others feel like a throwback to the early 2000s. Some nights bring families together. Others bring couples who plan their entire vacation around one performance. And that variety is intentional.
Disney didn’t build this lineup around one genre or one generation. They built it around contrast. They created weekends where the audience changes completely from one night to the next, where the energy of EPCOT shifts depending on who is on stage.
In the end, that may be what makes the 2026 Flower & Garden Festival so memorable. Not just the gardens. Not just the food. But the fact that, night after night, EPCOT becomes a different park — shaped not by rides or fireworks, but by the sound of live music echoing through World Showcase as spring settles in.