Kick Off Celebration / 12th Night
Twelfth Night marks the official start of the Mardi Gras season, traditionally celebrated on the twelfth night after Christmas. It’s when the community and krewes formally begin the festivities that will continue through Fat Tuesday. In Pensacola, it signals the transition from holiday season to Mardi Gras season.
The Kick Off Celebration is the official start to Pensacola’s Mardi Gras season. Downtown streets surrounding Seville Quarter close to traffic so krewes can park their floats for public viewing. A brass-led second line processional moves through the lineup, where each float and krewe is announced and ceremonially blessed to begin the season. The night ends with free King Cake for the community.
Kick Off takes place in the heart of Downtown Pensacola, centered around the historic Palafox Street and Seville Quarter. Floats are parked along Palafox and Jefferson Streets.
The Town Crier will announce and individual proclamation for each participating Krewe. The King’s and Queen’s of the Mardi Gras Krewes will reign over a 2nd Line Procession which will officially start the Pensacola Mardi Gras Kick Off Celebration on the 12th Night. The 2nd line band will escort a walking procession which is scheduled to include: Father Nicholas Schummn, to bestow blessing, along with the Mayor and amongst the Krewes and their floats. The processional and blessing will end at the official King Cake table. The reigning King and Queen Priscus will cut the Official King Cake marking the official opening of the Mardi Gras Season.
Yes! At the conclusion of the event, free King Cake is served to the public, krewes, and participants—first come, first served.
Floats typically begin to load starting around 4:00pm and remain in place until approximately 10:00pm. More information on exact locations and street closures are announced closer to the event.
Kick Off is a rain-or-shine event. Adjustments may be made for safety in coordination with the City of Pensacola, law enforcement, and participating krewes. Any schedule or logistical updates will be communicated on official PMG channels.
No—floats are encouraged but not required. Krewes without floats can still be recognized and blessed inside Seville Quarter during the program portion of the evening. Bringing a float allows your Krewe to take part in the full outdoor processional experience.
Due to space and permitting limits, only 40 floats may participate, and spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Mardi Gras Mambo
The Mardi Gras Mambo is a city-wide Mardi Gras party featuring live headlining performances, krewe participation, and a high-energy celebration to ignite Pensacola’s biggest Mardi Gras weekend. It’s open to the public and designed to bring the entire Mardi Gras community together before the parade weekend begins. Headliners and special guests are announced closer to the event.
No—Mambo is open to everyone! Krewes are encouraged to attend and celebrate together, but the event welcomes the general public. Age restrictions or ID checks may apply based on venue policies.
Parking is available at the venue for a fee. Additional parking may be available in nearby public and private lots throughout downtown on a first-come basis.
Yes—concessions will be available for purchase throughout the venue, including food and beverage options.
Ticket pricing will be announced closer to the event. Tickets will be available for purchase through Ticketmaster once on sale.
Yes. The floor will feature table seating (available for purchase), alongside reserved seating in the stands and additional VIP and GA areas. Table layouts and seating maps will be released closer to the event.
Yes! A central party-pit style dance floor will be located on the arena floor near the stage. This area is designed for high-energy celebration and open dancing throughout the night.
There’s no required dress code, but Mardi Gras colors, krewe attire, costumes, beads, and festive outfits are encouraged to help set the tone. Most guests dress in Mardi Gras-themed clothing or semi-dressy party attire rather than concert wear.
Mambo is a Mardi Gras party featuring live headlining performances—it’s not a traditional concert format. The event blends music, krewe involvement, dancing, tables, VIP areas, and interactive programming to kick off parade weekend with a celebration of the community.
Pensacola Grand Mardi Gras Parade
This is an important question and Pensacola Mardi Gras is here to give you the official answer. The Krewes have been instructed to not throw ANY item off their float unit there float hit the traffic light at Garden and Spring Streets.
This is a major concern for safety without barricades. Our “staging” / “line up” begins on the South side of Garden and Spring and because Krewes have to be funneled in onto Garden and Spring we need a good amount of space to make that happen safely.
The parade rolls rain or shine. Pensacola Mardi Gras works closely with law enforcement, public safety officials, and emergency management to monitor conditions throughout the day. If weather creates a public safety risk, an official announcement will be made on PMG channels.
No. Due to road closures, public safety coordination, and seasonal scheduling, the parade does not have a rain date and will not be rescheduled.
No. While we love our furry friends, pets are not permitted along the parade route or within the event footprint for safety and crowd-control reasons. Service animals permitted under ADA guidelines are allowed.
The 2026 parade route is temporarily adjusted to accommodate the Palafox Street improvement project. The route will feature modified turns and viewing areas. A full map and details can be found here
Yes. Accessible parking will be available in designated areas near approved viewing zones. A map will be released closer to the parade date highlighting accessible parking, drop-off points, and ADA-friendly viewing areas.
Parking is available throughout downtown, but not on streets that will close for the parade route or staging areas. We will release maps to guide public, paid, and accessible parking options closer to the event.
Road closure maps and timing will be released closer to the event in coordination with the City of Pensacola, Pensacola Police Department, and traffic-control partners.
Yes! We offer a designated family-friendly viewing area sponsored by (Sponsor) with space for strollers, seating, and comfortable parade-day viewing. A map with the exact location will be released closer to the event.
Yes, we host a variety of food, beverage, and merchandise vendors throughout the parade footprint. A vendor map will be posted before parade day.
If you’re interested in being a vendor, just fill out this quick form and we will get back with you.
No. Parade participants can not be dropped off in the line up area.
No. Because of the foot traffic the line up has, no Golf Carts are allowed unless it is given direct permission from Pensacola Mardi Gras.
Fat Tuesday Celebration
The Fat Tuesday Celebration, a longstanding Pensacola Mardi Gras tradition, kicks off at 11:00 a.m. with a Jazz Royalty Brunch featuring a Mardi Gras menu, Skyy Vodka Bloody Mary specials, and a low country boil. Various Krewes transform Seville Quarter into the French Quarter for the day, with each Krewe taking over different rooms. At 2 p.m., Krewe Royalty and officials will oversee the transformation, culminating in the coronation of the new King and Queen Priscus at 7 p.m. The evening includes live entertainment, awards presentation by Pensacola Mardi Gras President Danny Zimmern, a Mardi Gras drag show, and dancing.
This event is 21 and up!
Because this is a “inside” event, we will not host any vendors.