Universal Orlando’s 30th Mardi Gras Celebration is happening February 1st – March 30th, 2025. The event celebrates a New Orleans style Mardi Gras with international flavors of carnaval. Guests can enjoy an authentic Mardi Gras parade, concerts from Grammy-winning artists, plus shopping and dining opportunities all included with your regular ticket to Universal Studios Florida.
- Universal Orlando's 30th Anniversary Mardi Gras Parade
- Live Music, Entertainment, and Concerts
- Mardi Gras Tribute Store – Legends of the Bayou
- Carnaval-Inspired Menus
- Cursed Coconut Club at Universal CityWalk
Universal Orlando’s 30th Anniversary Mardi Gras Parade
The Universal Mardi Gras Parade is celebrating 30 years of letting the good times roll with 13 one-of-a-kind floats including 6 all NEW ones! Universal partners with New Orleans-based float company, Kern Studios, to bring authentic floats directly to Orlando. In fact, Universal is one of the very few Mardi Gras “krewes” to hand-glitter each of its floats with over one ton of glitter used for the parade.
The parade begins and ends in Hollywood (in between the Horror Make-Up Show and Café La Bamba), making a clock-wise circle of the front of the park. Be sure to line-up at least 30-minutes before the parade to catch the most beads as possible! Oh yeah, did we mention every float has riders throwing Mardi Gras beads? “Throw me somethin’ mister!”
Mardi Gras Parade Dates and Times:
- 5:00 pm – February 4
- 6:00 pm – February 2, 3, 5 -7, 9 – 13, 18 – 21, 24 – 28 and March 3 -7, 9, 12, 18
- 7:00 pm – February 14, 17 and March 2, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17, 19, 20, 23 – 28, 30
13 Parade Floats:
NEW! Music of Mardi Gras Float
Returning – Krewe of Dionysus Float
Returning – King and Queen Float
NEW! Masks and Beads Float
Returning – Jesters Float
NEW! A Taste of Mardi Gras Float
NEW! God of Wine Float
Returning – French Quarter Float
NEW! Flowers on the Bayou Float
Returning – River Boat Float
NEW! Blast from the Past Float
Returning – King Gator Float
Mardi Gras Float Ride and Dine Experience
This special dining package includes a guaranteed spot to throw beads and join in on the party from one of the Mardi Gras floats during the nightly parade. PLUS a 3-course meal at one of the below restaurants. Spots are limited and the cost per person starts at $89 plus tax and gratuity.
Included restaurants:
Universal Studios Florida
- Finnegan’s Bar & Grill
- Lombard’s Seafood Grille
Universal Islands of Adventure
- Confisco Grille (2-park ticket required)
Universal CityWalk
- Pat O’Brien’s (dinner only)
- The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar
- NBC Sports Grill & Brew
- Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food (dinner only)
- Bob Marley – A Tribute to Freedom (dinner only)
Reservations can be made online or by contacting your Dreams Unlimited Travel Agent.
Live Music, Entertainment, and Concerts
Honey’s Mardi Gras Indians with NOLA Brass Band
Direct from New Orleans, this iconic group brings the sounds and rhythm from the “Crescent City”. Performances are held sporadically each night of Mardi Gras. You can find Honey’s Mardi Gras Indians with the NOLA Brass Band in the New York section (Gramercy Park) outside the Park Plaza Holiday Shop and across from Transformers: The Ride 3-D.
The Beads & Brass Band
A returning Universal Mardi Gras favorite, The Beads & Brass Band plays each night of Mardi Gras and can be found parading near the entrance to Minions Land and the Wicked Experience.
Mardi Gras Concert Series
Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras concert line-up includes Grammy-winning artists and returning fan-favorites with performances included in your Universal Studios Florida theme park ticket. Performances are held at the Music Plaza Stage in front of the Rip Ride Rocket rollercoaster at 8:30 pm on the below dates. The concert is standing room only and fills up quickly so be sure to get there at least an hour before show time. Just keep in mind the parade steps off between 5 and 7 pm.
- February 1: T-Pain
- February 8: Joe Jonas
- February 15: Kool & The Gang
- February 16: Juanes
- February 22: Scotty McCreery
- March 1: Foster the People
- March 8: Illenium
- March 15: All Time Low
- March 16: Lawrence
- March 21: Coco Jones
- March 22: DJ Pauly D
- March 29: TLC
Mardi Gras Tribute Store – Legends of the Bayou
No other theme park does a gift shop experience quite like Universal! The Mardi Gras Tribute store is located in Williams of Hollywood and offers a campy walk-through experience and opportunity to buy Universal Mardi Gras exclusive merchandise. You can visit the Mardi Gras Tribute Store during regular park hours and is your go to place to purchase masks, customizable beads, Universal Mardi Gras t shirts, plus King Gator and Gator Junior merchandise.
The theme this year is “Cyrus T. Pavo’s Legends of the Bayou Museum Giftshop” which is reminiscent of a road-side attraction including a mystery wall of oddities, coming face to face with some of the mystical bayou creatures, and taking a walk through the swamp.
Carnaval-Inspired Menus
Universal Mardi Gras celebrates the flavors of carnaval from around the world with 13 food booths and special menu items packed with flavor. These menu items can be purchased any day of the Mardi Gras celebration and are found throughout the park.
Food booths include:
- Bites of the Bayou
- Canada
- China
- Coca-Cola Market Square
- Colombia
- France
- Germany
- French Quarter Sips
- India
- Italy
- Mexico
- Puerto Rico
- Taste of the Quarter
Taste of the Quarter (New Orleans) – Located at Gramercy Park
Red Beans and Rice – Vegan sausage with stewed beans, white rice and garnished with scallions – $7.49
Taste of the Quarter (New Orleans) – Located at Gramercy Park
Beignets – Sweet fried pastry with powdered sugar – $7.49
India – Located at San Francisco
Potato Dasa – Griddled dosa filled with curried potatoes, onions, black mustard seeds, served with a coconut chutney – $7.99
China – Located at San Francisco
Spicy Szechuan – crispy pieces of chicken with white rice, sesame seeds, Szechuan chili crunch – $11.99
Puerto Rico – Located at New York
Pinchos de Lechon – Char-grilled pork shoulder skewer with guava bbq sauce and pan sobao – $10.99
Cursed Coconut Club at Universal CityWalk
The Red Coconut Club at Universal Orlando CityWalk has transformed into the Cursed Coconut Club for the Mardi Gras season. The Cursed Coconut Club is open 5 pm – 12 am on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays and 5 pm – 1 am on Fridays and Saturdays and offers free admission.
You can enjoy themed cocktails, select draft beer, a full bar, plus specialty mocktails. However, the real highlight of the Cursed Coconut Club is the immersive theming found throughout the two levels plus incredible live entertainment. The first level is themed to Mardi Gras in New Orleans and the cursed Krewe of Balatro complete with jesters, masks, over the top Mardi Gras beads, and medallions representing the 30 years of Universal Mardi Gras.
Pictured left is the downstairs menu and right is the upstairs menu.
The upstairs level is themed to the fortune teller, Madame Stratera, who can be found on select nights reading fortunes to guests with the help of her crystal ball and tarot cards. You can even receive a Cursed Coconut Club exclusive fortune from the one and only Zoltar.
