SeaWorld Brings the Big Easy to South Texas as it Rolls Out Its Mardi Gras Celebrations for an Entire Month

SeaWorld’s Mardi Gras celebration, free to pass members and with general admission, is back with Fat Tuesday flare featuring new food and drinks, festive jazz and zydeco music, daily parades, and specialty event pop-up merchandise.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (January 20, 2026) – SeaWorld San Antonio is letting the good times roll as Mardi Gras returns to the park starting Saturday, January 24 and runs through February 15. SeaWorld’s Mardi Gras celebration transforms Texas’ biggest and best theme park into a jazzed-up, New Orleans-style atmosphere complete with live music, festive characters and a Mardi Gras-inspired menu featuring all-new and returning Cajun and Creole food favorites. This event is included with park admission, so guests are invited to don their beads and boas in the spirit of Mardi Gras while also enjoying inspiring animals and thrilling coasters. SeaWorld Season and Annual Pass Members can ‘laissez les bons temps rouler’ or ‘let the good times roll’ over and over, returning week after week to enjoy amazing cuisine, toe-tapping music and a festive party environment.

Guests can enjoy the incredible sights, sounds and tastes of Mardi Gras—every weekend at SeaWorld! 

Festive Food & Beverage

  • The smells of authentic Cajun and Creole cuisine will fill the air as Ça C’est Bon! Créole Café, Bayou Bites, Smokehouse, Rio Crispy Coop and Pretzel Kitchen all serve up traditional New Orleans favorites, including jambalaya, shrimp, boudin balls, dirty rice, Cajun fries, beignets, blackened chicken, and Louisiana gumbo. Guests can sample new menu items this year, including Bourbon Street chicken and sausage po’ boy sandwiches, crispy Cajun fried pickles, crawfish etouffee and more savory staples of many New Orleans’ dinner tables.
  • In addition to all the amazing Creole and Cajun cuisine, guests can visit the Masked Mimosa and Lone Star Lakeside Bar to sip on a variety of Mardi Gras-themed specialty adult beverages, including the famous Hurricane, tasty frozen Daiquiris and a signature party cocktail that includes smooth tequila, pineapple rum and sweet melon liqueur. Flavorful drinks for partygoers to sip on include the Bourbon Street Daisy, crafted with bourbon and blackberry syrup, and Blue Raspberry French made of gin, champagne and lemonade. All specialty drinks will be served in a SeaWorld Mardi Gras hurricane-style souvenir cup.

New Music and Entertainment Vibes

  • Partygoers will feel the New Orleans vibe this year they groove to the sounds of the Brass Animals and Bexar Brass, two bands that pay homage to the soulful rhythms of New Orleans with a fusion of jazz, funk, rock, reggae and more. Along with the bands, colorful carnival characters will flood the pathways throughout the park with Fat Tuesday cheer, and guests will be treated to a magician and a living statue, enhancing the Mardi Gras experience and transporting them to a Bourdon Street-inspired world full of New Orleans excitement.
  • Bringing animals into the celebration is Cajun Critters, an educational presentation highlighting some fascinating critters from SeaWorld’s Animal Ambassador Team that serve as representatives of their wild counterparts found in the bayous of Louisiana. From the mysterious swamps to the vibrant marshes, these critters have adapted to the rhythms of Louisiana’s distinctive landscape.
  • It wouldn’t be Mardi Gras without a parade! SeaWorld Mardi Gras will feature The Krewe’s Beats and Beads Jamboree, a pulsating parade that makes its way down SeaWorld’s pathways bringing the park alive with vibrant music, dazzling floats, and high energy performance! Guests will have the opportunity to catch beads from colorful floats as they fully immerse themselves in the festival fun. This celebratory jamboree winds its way through the streets giving guests several opportunities to line the parade route and feel as though they have been transported to the French Quarter for one of New Orleans’ famed Mardi Gras street celebrations. 

New Music and Entertainment Vibes

Parkgoers wanting to join in on the traditions and dress like iconic festival characters can purchase their Mardi Gras attire at Jester’s Closet – a pop-up Mardi Gras-themed store filled with beads, boas, masks and more Fat Tuesday fun!

Best Way to Enjoy with Annual and Seasonal Passes

One of the easiest ways to enjoy Mardi Gras is with a SeaWorld San Antonio Season Pass or Annual Pass. For a limited time, guests who purchase a SeaWorld Pass will get Aquatica for free! Enjoy thrilling rides, festive events and amazing animal experiences at SeaWorld. Silver, Gold and Platinum Annual Passes are packed with benefits designed to make the park even more enjoyable all year, including up to six (6) FREE bring-a-friend tickets, VIP up-close parking, up to 50 percent off in-park discounts, FREE access to animal interactions and much more. The new 2026 Season Pass allows for unlimited visitation through the 2026 year and includes FREE parking, pass member exclusive discounts on merchandise and photos and access to all special events. The fun and incredible value doesn’t end there. Pass members are also treated to several exclusive pass member-only perks, including exclusive VIP after-hours ride time on favorite coasters, gift giveaways, Pass Member picnics, and will be the first to experience the new Barracuda Strike!