When Is Universal Mardi Gras 2027?

Mardi Gras is back at Universal Studios Florida from February 6 through March 27, 2027. This guide is for parents and grandparents planning a February or March Universal trip around the parade, the beads and the food. Here are the dates, what your ticket covers, last year’s concerts, and the calmest and cheapest days from our own crowd and price data.

By Favorite Grampy | Last Updated: November 2026 | Dates checked against Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras pages on November 1, 2026

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What Are the Universal Mardi Gras 2027 Dates?

Universal Mardi Gras 2027 runs February 6 through March 27, 2027. That’s 50 days at Universal Studios Florida, with the parade and concerts included in admission.

Swipe left to see all columns on mobile.

According to Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras page, a theme park ticket or annual pass covers the celebration, with blockout dates for passes. The 2027 event is a week shorter than 2026, which ran 57 days from February 7 to April 4. It wraps up the day before Easter, which falls on March 28, 2027.

The 2027 concerts and parade times aren’t named yet, so I’ve marked what’s confirmed and what’s still coming. Our own crowd and price numbers show which of the 50 days are calmest and cheapest.

When Is the Best Time to Go to Universal Mardi Gras?

The best time to go is a February weekday, and Wednesdays are calmest. Our crowd calendar forecasts a 5 out of 10 on February 10, 17 and 24, well under the closing-week crush. A quiet weekday gives your family the full parade and beads at the lowest crowd level of the 50-day event.

Our Universal Orlando crowd calendar backs that call with numbers. February averages 6.2 across the event’s 23 February days, while March averages 7.5. Saturdays are busiest at 7.9, and Wednesdays are lightest at 6.1.

The last week climbs fast. March 22 through 26 forecasts between 8 and 9, and closing day on March 27 hits a 10, the day before Easter. That week is also spring break for the three biggest school districts on our Northern Virginia school calendar page.

My pick is a Wednesday in February. You get the full parade and the beads at the event’s lowest crowd forecast, a good 3 to 5 points under closing week.

Which Universal Mardi Gras Days Cost the Least?

The cheapest Mardi Gras day on our tracker is Fat Tuesday, February 9, 2027. A one-day, one-park adult ticket read $134.99 before tax on November 1, 2026. The priciest dates run $45 more per adult, so the right day saves a family real money.

A family of four saves $186 on Fat Tuesday compared with Presidents’ Day Saturday. That’s on a single day, before you add a second park or a second day.

Adding days? Every multi-day ticket you book with us comes with an extra perk you won’t get buying on your own. Your advisor will fill you in.

If your dates are flexible, I’d build the trip around February 9 and 10. You’d get the event’s lowest ticket price on Fat Tuesday and its calmest forecast the very next day.

The priciest days land on Presidents’ Day weekend and most of spring break week, March 23 to 26, which read $179.99 on our Universal Orlando ticket price tracker.

Swipe left to see all columns on mobile. Crowd forecast is for Universal Studios Florida, 1 to 10. Prices are one-day, one-park tickets before tax, read November 1, 2026; family of four is two adults and two children.

What Time Is the Mardi Gras Parade at Universal Studios?

Universal hasn’t posted 2027 parade times yet. Last season’s posted schedule listed a 7 p.m. start on most nights, with an earlier start on a handful of dates.

Two viewing areas get the nod in Universal’s guide to Mardi Gras. One is the Hollywood section, where the parade begins and comes back. The other is the New York area just past Finnegan’s Bar & Grill.

With little ones, I’d take the Hollywood spot. You’re at the start of the route, so the floats reach you first and your crew can head for the exit sooner.

This party has run at Universal since 1995, and start times can shift from night to night. Check the Universal Orlando app that morning.

Favorite Grampy’s Insider Tip Pack an empty drawstring bag for each child. Beads pile up faster than you’d think, and small hands can’t hold a parade’s worth of them and a churro at the same time.

Who Is Playing the Universal Mardi Gras Concerts in 2027?

The 2027 concert lineup hasn’t been announced yet. Universal’s concerts page still says to check back soon for 2027 details.

Last season gives you a good guide: the 2026 lineup was revealed on January 13, 2026, and eight of the shows fell on Saturdays. Concerts are part of park admission, so there’s no separate concert ticket.

If one artist is the whole reason for your trip, hold your dates until Universal posts the 2027 nights.

What Did Last Season’s Concert Lineup Look Like?

Universal’s Mardi Gras concerts page listed the 2026 shows, and FOX 35 Orlando ran the full lineup. All 11 played the Music Plaza Stage.

Swipe left to see all columns on mobile. These are last season’s concerts, not 2027’s. We’ll add the 2027 lineup the day Universal posts it.

Favorite Grampy’s Insider Tip Universal’s own Mardi Gras guide tells concert fans to arrive two to three hours early for a spot near the stage. With kids, I’d flip that around: watch the parade first, then listen from the back of the plaza where you can slip out when little eyes start drooping.

What Is Universal Mardi Gras Like in Person?

Mardi Gras in person feels like a slice of New Orleans dropped into the park. FGT advisor Julie Shar says the atmosphere is what stands out. She loves the touches of New Orleans throughout the park, and she especially loves stopping to hear the jazz bands playing in different spots.

Erin Houston, another of our advisors, has done the Float Ride and Dine. That’s Universal’s paid package that pairs a meal with a spot on a parade float. She calls it “an amazing, pinch-me experience.” Her advice if you ever get the chance is short: take it.

Julie echoes every word. One of her clients had so much fun on her first float ride that she went back and did it a second time.

What Is It Like to Ride a Mardi Gras Float?

Erin’s group picked a later lunch at Confisco Grille in Islands of Adventure. She called the meal amazing and loved that it came with the float ride, which she says is hard to put a price tag on. After lunch they went to the meeting area to get dressed and ready.

The team members were a delight, she told me, and her float’s bead manager was “the sweetest man.” Then the parade rolled. “We threw beads until our arms were sore,” Erin said. What stayed with her was the view from the float: thousands of smiling faces and pure happiness.

Angie Dodd, another FGT advisor, rode a float too. She says throwing beads is fun and exhausting, but the team spirit on her float is what she enjoyed most.

Their float guide chatted with the group the whole ride and shared stories from the different jobs he’s held at Universal Orlando. One of them, Angie says, was “a very important scare actor.”

She loved the joy on the faces of guests who caught beads, and she took on the challenge of reaching the back row. She also noticed that one float had wheelchair access, which made her smile because everyone can be included.

Angie would happily take her own family on a float and do it again.

What Is the Mardi Gras Float Ride and Dine Experience?

The Float Ride and Dine is a paid add-on that puts you on a parade float tossing beads. It’s paired with a three-course meal at a participating Universal restaurant.

For 2027, Universal’s listing still says “Check Back for Details.” Last season’s price was $94.99 plus tax per person, with 15% off for passholders, as Spectrum News 13 reported. The meal covered an appetizer, an entrée, a dessert and a non-alcoholic drink.

The rules on Universal’s Mardi Gras parade page matter for families. Riders must be at least 48 inches tall, and anyone under 18 rides with a legal guardian. You’ll also need same-day park admission, and you have to buy at least 24 hours ahead.

Every rider also has to be able to board the float, stand for the whole parade and transfer to a Universal-provided wheelchair. If someone in your group uses a wheelchair, ask your advisor to check what’s possible before you book.

For a family whose kids all clear 48 inches, book it. Erin would do it again without hesitation, and Angie would happily bring her family. Skip it if anyone in your group is shorter, because they can’t ride and someone has to stay on the curb with them.

Which Park Ticket Do You Need for the Float Ride and Dine?

If you pick Confisco Grille the way Erin did, sort out your tickets first. It sits in Islands of Adventure, but the parade runs in Universal Studios Florida, and last season Universal required a 2-park ticket for that restaurant.

What Food Can You Buy at Universal Mardi Gras?

At Mardi Gras you can buy New Orleans favorites and Carnaval dishes from around the world. Food and drinks are sold separately from your ticket. The booths line the French Quarter Courtyard in Universal Studios Florida, and you need to be 21 or older with ID for alcohol.

The 2027 booth menus and countries aren’t posted yet, so check back closer to opening on February 6, 2027.

On top of that, the party spills past the park gates. Universal hotel guests can buy special Mardi Gras menu items at the resorts.

Over at CityWalk, the Red Coconut Club turns into the Cursed Coconut Club for carnival season, according to Universal’s Red Coconut Club guide. Our Universal CityWalk family guide covers the rest of CityWalk.

Plan food into your budget the same way you’d plan tickets. A booth-by-booth grazing night adds up quickly for a family of four, so set a number before you start sampling.

Is Universal Mardi Gras Good for Kids?

Universal Mardi Gras is good for kids, and the parade is the reason. Catching beads from a passing float is the part kids will brag about at school.

The concerts are a different story. Last season’s shows ran late, and eight of the 11 landed on Saturdays, the busiest day of the week on our forecast at 7.9.

For a family with young children, I’d plan four things around the parade. Pick a weeknight, when crowds forecast lower, and stand in the Hollywood section where the parade starts.

Leave the Saturday concert crowds to the grown-ups, and keep the 48-inch float rule in mind so you know who can ride.

If you do pick a Saturday, read up on whether Express Pass is worth adding before that busy day. Shorter kids still catch plenty of beads from the curb, and the curb comes with your ticket. Strollers and little legs do better there than in a packed concert plaza anyway.

Should You Book Now or Wait for the 2027 Lineup?

You should book now, unless one specific concert is the whole reason for your trip. The dates are locked at February 6 through March 27, 2027, and our numbers already show the calmest and cheapest days. Waiting has a real cost, because last season the lineup arrived just 25 days before opening night.

The Float Ride and Dine details came out in late November, as FOX 35 Orlando reported. Waiting for both would leave you planning a February trip in mid-January.

Our post on whether to book a 2027 Universal Orlando vacation package now walks through the same question for the whole year. A Universal Orlando vacation package can bundle your hotel and park tickets for Mardi Gras dates.

Favorite Grampy’s Insider Tip Book your February dates now and let your advisor keep an eye on prices. If a better rate turns up after you book, we can reprice your eligible booking, and you’ll already have your hotel locked in when the concert news drops.

What Do Families Ask About Universal Mardi Gras?

Is Universal Mardi Gras Included with a Park Ticket?

Universal Mardi Gras is included with a Universal Studios Florida theme park ticket, and annual passes cover it too, though blockout dates apply. The parade, the street entertainment and the concerts on select nights all come with admission across the 50-day run from February 6 to March 27, 2027.

What costs extra is the food and drinks from the booths, plus the Float Ride and Dine, which started at $94.99 plus tax per person last season. Here’s how I’d handle it: set aside a food budget first. Then decide whether a float ride is worth it for your crew.

Do You Need a Separate Ticket for the Mardi Gras Concerts?

Universal Mardi Gras concerts need no separate ticket; they come with regular Universal Studios Florida admission. Last season had 11 concerts at the Music Plaza Stage, which Spectrum News 13 listed in full, and eight of them fell on Saturdays. They play on select nights across the February 6 to March 27, 2027 run.

The catch is space, not price. Popular artists fill the plaza early, and Universal’s own guide suggests arriving two to three hours ahead for a spot near the front. So if a certain artist matters to your family, wait for the 2027 lineup before you pick that night.

When Is Fat Tuesday 2027?

Fat Tuesday 2027 falls on February 9, 2027, which is 47 days before Easter on March 28. At Universal, it’s the fourth day of the 2027 Mardi Gras celebration, which runs February 6 through March 27. It’s also the cheapest day of the event on our ticket tracker.

A one-day, one-park adult ticket read $134.99 before tax on November 1, 2026, and our crowd calendar forecasts a 6 out of 10. Because the priciest dates run $45 more per adult, a family of four saves $186 by choosing Fat Tuesday over Presidents’ Day Saturday. If you want to celebrate on the real Mardi Gras day, that’s a good one to grab.

Can Kids Catch Beads at Universal Mardi Gras?

Kids can catch beads at Universal Mardi Gras every time the parade rolls by. Float riders toss beads to guests along the route, and Universal’s guide says each float carries beads colored to match its look. Last season’s parade had 12 floats.

To give little ones the best shot, I’d stand in the Hollywood section where the parade starts. Get there before the crowd builds and let the kids stand at the curb. An empty bag for each child keeps the haul from spilling everywhere on the walk back.

Is Mardi Gras at Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure?

Mardi Gras takes place at Universal Studios Florida, not Islands of Adventure or Epic Universe. The parade and the concerts both happen inside that one park across the full 50-day run from February 6 to March 27, 2027. That matters when you buy tickets.

A one-park-per-day ticket works fine, as long as Universal Studios Florida is your park on parade night. Park-to-park tickets let you ride at Islands of Adventure during the day, then cross over in the evening for the parade. If you plan the Float Ride and Dine at Confisco Grille, note that last season Universal required a 2-park ticket for that restaurant.

How Can a Travel Advisor Help You Plan Universal Mardi Gras?

A Favorite Grampy Travels advisor can line up your Mardi Gras trip around the days that matter. We check crowd forecasts and ticket prices by date, and we’ll watch for the 2027 concert lineup so your nights match the artists you care about.

We’re a Universal U-Preferred Platinum agency, so Universal hotels, tickets and packages are a big part of what we book. Start with a complimentary consultation, or meet our agents and pick the advisor who fits your family.

Our concierge travel planning services may include a planning fee that covers the time, care, and personal attention your travel advisor puts into your vacation. The fee depends on the complexity of your trip and will be explained during your complimentary 15-minute consultation. Once your vacation is booked, we’ll continue watching for special offers and better values to help you save time and money whenever possible.

Favorite Grampy Director of Digital Marketing and AI Strategy

My goal is to spoil my grandchildren and make memories that last a lifetime. As the Director of Digital Marketing and AI Strategy at Favorite Grampy Travels, an award-winning travel agency, I’m recognized as an expert in amusement parks and family travel. You'll find stories of me and the grandkids finding the magic in every adventure. After decades of exploring Disney, Universal Studios, and beyond, I’m proud to be the trusted, fun-loving guide known as the… Favorite Grampy.

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