The beads are flying, the music is loud, and the smell of beignets is in the air — Mardi Gras has officially taken over Universal Orlando.

Universal Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval is back to turn Universal Orlando into one giant celebration. From colorful parade floats and high-energy concerts to a global food fest packed with New Orleans–inspired favorites, there’s something for everyone to love! We were lucky enough to attend a media preview of this year’s festivities, and we’re breaking down all the must-see, must-eat, and must-do highlights to help you plan your visit.

It’s time to kick off one of Universal Orlando’s most anticipated events of the year — Mardi Gras! Universal Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval runs from February 7th through April 4th, transforming the park into a lively celebration packed with dazzling floats, colorful beads, and live performances on select nights by some of today’s biggest music stars. You can also indulge in a wide variety of international cuisine alongside delicious dishes inspired by New Orleans’ iconic flavors, all included in the cost of your day’s admission. And now that the swingin’ party is taking shape, we’re getting an inside look at what’s coming to this year’s festival, so join us as we explore all the highlights you won’t want to miss!

Food and Drink

Food lovers will definitely want to come prepared, because Universal Mardi Gras is serving up a selection of more than 40 mouth-watering, internationally inspired menu items this year. The festival’s culinary lineup spans bold global flavors and New Orleans–inspired favorites, offering you plenty of savory and sweet options to sample throughout your visit. This year’s menu is meant to showcase a love of fried cooking, too.

It’s the perfect excuse to turn your Mardi Gras day into a full-blown tasting tour! Now let’s take a look at some of our favorites we tried (and we’ll even tell you how they taste!).

We started with a cocktail, the Cielo Rosado, made with Cuervo Tradicional blanco tequila, Del Maguey Single Village Vida Clásico mezcal, grapefruit juice, peach purée, smoked paprika, and a hint of smoked sea salt. It’s very grapefruit-heavy, as in we didn’t get any of the peach purée flavor. It has a smokiness to it, though.

We also got a chance to taste some of the foods being served this year. The Mala Beef Skewer from China is a marinated beef skewer topped with Szechuan spice blend and scallions. It’s a long piece of meat wrapped around a skewer, but it has a sweet and peppery flavor. The meat is super tender, too, and there’s a LOT of it.

The Pinchos de Lechon (Puerto Rico) is made with Char-Grilled Pork Shoulder Skewer With Guava BBQ Sauce, and Pan Sobao. This is the best thing we ate at the Mardi Gras celebration…there, we said it. It’s got some nice Cajun flavor, but there’s also some sweetness to the BBQ sauce. The meat is smoky and cooked to perfection.

We can say the same about the Verlasso “Fire” Salmon from Chile, which is Fire-roasted Verlasso salmon, served with crispy potatoes and fresh herb salsa. This would be our second favorite pick from the foods we tried. The salmon is tender, pink, and moist, although the outside is almost candied with the glaze. The herb salsa added a saltiness, but the potatoes didn’t really add much flavor. However, all the other elements made this one tasty dish.

Next up was the Mazatlan Street Ceviche from Mexico, which is a Shrimp Ceviche Served On Top Of Tostitos Salsa Verde Chips With Cucumber, Carrot And Tomato Salsa. This one also knocked it out of the park. It’s sort of like a walking taco, but with ceviche. There’s also some extra seasoning that makes it tangy, as well as a mild salsa with a wonderful tomato flavor. The chips added some nice crunch.

Okay, back to Puerto Rico for the Coconut Flancocho, a Coconut Flan With Pineapple Cake And A Rum Whipped Topping. Okay, so this is basically a coconut flan on top of a pineapple-flavored cake, but we’re okay with that. You also get hints of the rum flavor, but it’s more of a butteriness. These are flavors you’re going to have to love to appreciate this dessert, but we’ll say this was the best of the desserts we tried.

Let’s head to the U.S.A. for King Cake. It’s a miniature Mardi Gras Cake with Cinnamon Swirl Icing and Sprinkles. We weren’t really impressed with this because the cake was dry and the icing was hard. It was like a donut that’s been sitting out for just a little too long. It is FUN, though, with the sprinkles and the little baby on top. The cinnamon flavor does come through nicely, though, but this is just pretty basic.

Italy is offering the Sfogliatelle “Lobster Tail,” made with Layers Of Sweet Flaky Pastry Filled With Rich Vanilla Ricotta Cream. This one surprised us. If you like flaky pastry, this is right up your alley. It reminded us of a turnover. Sure, it’s not SUPER special or anything, but it’s solid.

Finally, we dove into the Spanakopita from Greece. This is a  Savory Greek Pastry Filled With Spinach And Feta Cheese Wrapped In Crispy Layers Of Phyllo Dough. The pastry was similar to that of the lobster tail, although this is a savory snack. Inside, you’ll find spinach, but it’s not the most dominant flavor, thanks to the creamy feta. It’s not anything we’d go out of our way for, though, because there are more unique and flavorful snacks available.

One thing that we heard a lot of folks talking about is how much better the food is this year than last year, so you’re in for a real treat if you attend Mardi Gras this year.

Merchandise

Be on the lookout for this year’s Mardi Gras Tribute Store! The theme of this store changes throughout the year to match the current celebration happening at Universal Studios Florida, and boy, were we in for a treat this year.

Universal Mardi Gras also brings a fresh lineup of exclusive event merchandise designed to capture the essence of the celebration.

Look for festive apparel, accessories, and collectibles featuring bold colors, creative designs, and festival-inspired motifs.

We also spotted this adorable beignet plush.

This little shoulder plush is also a great way to celebrate.

It’s a great way to commemorate your visit or find the perfect keepsake to take home from this year’s International Flavors of Carnaval.

Entertainment

The Mardi Gras parade is a must-see highlight of the celebration, featuring vibrant floats, lively performers, and tons of colorful beads tossed to eager parade viewers along the route. It’s pure festive fun and one of the best ways to soak in the Mardi Gras energy at Universal.

We were told that the version of the parade we saw was slightly modified, but the floats still brought their “A” game.

Each of the parade floats (including this year’s new ones) is hand-glittered and built in partnership with Kern Studios,  the company behind the Mardi Gras parade floats you’ll find in New Orleans!

One of our favorite parts about this gorgeous parade is that you can even get in on the action! Each year, you can opt to participate in riding the floats and throwing beads to the crowd 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. Either is a great way to get in on the fun and have a unique experience that not everyone in the park will get to do.

This year, Universal also added a new character you can meet during Mardi Gras, Prince Gator. You can only meet him during Mardi Gras, so make sure to add him to your Mardi Gras itinerary!

The Mardi Gras fun continues with live concerts on select nights, featuring performances from some of the biggest names in music — all included with park admission! It’s an unforgettable bonus that turns your theme park day into a full-blown festival experience. And tonight, we’re kicking off the first of these concerts with Kaskade!

Don’t forget to swing by the Cursed Coconut Club over in CityWalk! This seasonal pop-up bar transforms with Mardi Gras flair, offering themed cocktails, eye-catching décor, and a lively atmosphere that feels like an extension of the celebration. It’s a must-do stop for anyone looking to add a little extra fun (and flavor) to their Mardi Gras night.

There’s truly a part of the celebration here at Universal Mardi Gras for everyone to enjoy! Be sure to check out all of the fun and festivities on your next Universal trip, and we’ll keep you updated on the latest right here at DFB.

NEWS: A Universal Orlando Ride Is Permanently CLOSING in 2027

Which of the Mardi Gras offerings are you most looking forward to experiencing this year? Tell us in the comments below!

Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by Universal to attend their media preview of Mardi Gras. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ