When is Mardi Gras 2026? Get ready for a much shorter Carnival season next year
Mardi Gras is coming early next year.
This year’s Carnival season lasts 58 days, from 12th Night on Jan. 6 to Mardi Gras on March 4.
But next year, Mardi Gras falls on Feb. 17. That means celebrations in 2026 will pack into just 43 days.
Why isn’t Mardi Gras on the same day?
Mardi Gras falls on different days each year because the holiday depends on Easter.
Easter falls between March 22 and April 25. It comes the first Sunday after the first full moon that follows the spring equinox on March 21.
Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, is 46 days before Easter. Fat Tuesday always falls the day before that.
So Mardi Gras falls on a Tuesday anytime between Feb. 3 and March 9.
Future Mardi Gras schedule
- 2026: Feb. 17
- 2027: Feb. 9
- 2028: Feb. 29
- 2029: Feb. 13
- 2030: March 5