We’re Letting the Good Times Roll at Universal Orlando Mardi Gras
One of our favorite times of year has finally returned to Universal Orlando Resort!
That’s right, it’s time for Mardi Gras once again, and we could not be more thrilled! This event is home to some of our favorite dining options throughout the whole year, an incredible parade we can’t get enough of, live entertainment you won’t find anywhere else, and so much more. We were at the FIRST day of Mardi Gras in 2026 to show you EVERYTHING there is to do at this festival!
This year, Universal Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnival runs from February 7th through April 4thand there is SO much to experience at this iconic event. You’re likely going to walk out of this event with tons of beads, new New Orleans’ inspired dish recommendations to share with your friends if they’re heading to the festival, and memories to last a lifetime. Let’s break down what EXACTLY you can do at this event so you don’t miss a thing!
Dining
There are over 40 Mardi Gras-inspired eats from all over the world at this festival! You’ll be able to find Vienna-Style Pork Schnitzel from Austria, Verlasso Salmon from Chile, Picanha from Brazil, tons of beignets, and so much more.
First, we tried the Bad Beef Skewer from China. It’s a marinated beef skewer with Szechuan spice blend and scallions. This was incredible – it has a Chinese chili powder on top for a great flavour, and the beef was nice and tender.
Next was Lechon Skewers from Puerto Rico. It’s char-grilled pork shoulder skewer with guava BBQ sauce and Pan Sobao. This was our favorite of the night – the guava sauce brought a bright and unique flavor to the smoky pork.
Then we had Velrasso Salmon from Chile. It’s fire-roasted Verlasso salmon served with crispy potatoes and fresh herb salsa. The salmon was tender with a great chimichurri-esque herb sauce.
Next up was Mazatlan Street Ceviche from Mexico. It’s shrimp ceviche served on top of Tostitos Salsa Verde Chips with cucumber, carrot, and tomato salsa. It was an elevated walking taco! We loved the salsa it was topped with.
Then we tried Spanakopita from Greece. It’s a savory Greek pastry filled with spinach and feta cheese wrapped in crispy layers of phyllo dough. The feta was very creamy and prominent and wasn’t as spinach-forward as other Spanakopitas we’ve had.
For dessert, we had the Coconut Flancocho from Puerto Rico. It’s coconut flan with pineapple cake and a rum whipped topping. It had a very strong coconut flavor to the flan with a slight hint of buttery rum. We loved this, but it’s not for everyone, considering how strong it is.
Next up was King Cake from the USA. It’s a Mardi Gras cake with cinnamon swirl icing and sprinkles. This was your standard King Cake with a great cinnamon flavor, but it was pretty dry.
Lastly, we had the Sfogliatelle “Lobster Tail” from Italy. It’s layers of sweet, flaky pastry filled with rich vanilla ricotta cream. This one surprised us – the sweet cream was tasty, and the pastry was ultra-flaky.
Merchandise
The best place to find all the Mardi Gras inspired merchandise items this year is the Mardi Gras Tribute Store inside Universal Studios. This year, you can find it across from Five & Dime.
This merchandise is ONLY available during this event, so if you see something you like, you’ll want to snag it ASAP so you don’t miss out.
We saw some awesome finds like this sweater and a beige plushie!
They even have a keychain version that we brought home with us!
Live Entertainment
Live entertainment is ALWAYS important in Universal Orlando, but especially during Mardi Gras! One of the most popular parts of the festival is none other than the Mardi Gras Parade. It’s high-energy, full of beads being thrown all over the place (seriously, you may want to protect your face), and you’ll get to take in the absolutely incredible floats, made in partnership with Kern Studios.
One of our favorite things about the parade is that you can even be PART of it, if you’d like! By signing up for the virtual line queue on the Universal app or reserving a ride and dine meal package for the day of your visit, you’ll get a chance to ride on one of the floats and be part of this energetic experience — and yes, that includes throwing beads to everyone!
On select nights, you can also experience concerts by some pretty well-known artists! Universal Orlando recently released the full list of artists that will be playing — here’s who you can see this year!
- February 7 – Kaskade
- February 14 – Portugal. The Man
- February 15 – Ivy Queen
- February 21 – Joey Fatone & AJ McLean
- February 28 – RuPaul (DJ SET)
- March 7 – Shaggy
- March 13 – Tyler Hubbard
- March 14 – Baby Rexha
- March 15 – Zedd
- March 21 – Barenaked Ladies
- March 28 – The All-American Rejects
This is certainly an event you won’t want to miss, so if you’re heading to Universal Orlando during the celebration, get ready to have a great time! We’ll continue to keep you updated on all the latest Universal news, so stay tuned to AllEars.
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What are you most excited to experience at Mardi Gras this year? Tell us in the comments!
Disclosure: We were invited by Universal Orlando to attend Mardi Gras. This did not affect our reporting of the event — our opinions are our own.
