Mardi Gras 2026 in MS is just around the corner. Here’s what’s planned so far
From extravagant floats to collectable throws, Mardi Gras is a big deal in Southern Mississippi — and it’s just around the corner.
This year’s Carnival season is 15 days shorter than last year’s, stretching from the Twelfth Night on Jan. 5 to Mardi Gras on Feb. 17, the Sun Herald reported.
Here’s what you need to know to prepare for Mardi Gras 2026 along the Mississippi Coast.
What is Mardi Gras?
Mardi Gras, meaning Fat Tuesday in French, is a festive day marking the end of the pre-Lenten season, also known as Carnival.
The Carnival season, mainly celebrated in the United States in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, is filled with festivities, including elaborate parades and eating King Cake.
When was Mississippi’s first Mardi Gras?
Mississippi’s first official Mardi Gras celebration happened on March 3, 1908, but records suggest a smaller celebration could have taken place as early as 1883, according to the Biloxi Historical Society.
Why is Mardi Gras significant to the Mississippi Coast?
Coastal Mississippi is right in between Mobile, Alabama, the first U.S. city to celebrate Mardi Gras, and New Orleans, which touts the biggest celebrations in the country.
Over the years, the celebrations have become central to Mississippi’s coastal culture, with community members getting involved in krewes with unique traditions, Mississippi Magazine reported.
“If there’s one thing Mississippi loves, it’s tradition. Carnival is a beloved one,” Abreeza Thomas, executive director of the Coastal Mississippi Mardi Gras Museum, told Mississippi Magazine.
What events are planned for Mardi Gras 2026?
Here’s a list of parades and festivities that will celebrate the Carnival season on the Mississippi Coast, according to Coastal Mississippi:
Saturday, Jan. 3
- 2 p.m., The King’s Parade in Moss Point
Monday, Jan. 5
- 5-7 p.m., Twelfth Night Celebration in Biloxi
Saturday, Jan. 10
- 6 p.m., Jeep-A-Gras in Long Beach
Saturday, Feb. 7
- Time TBD, Carnival Association of Long Beach Parade in Long Beach
- Time TBD, Annual Krewe of Little Rascals Children’s Parade in Pascagoula
- 11:30 a.m., MKOPI Annual Mardi Gras Parade in Vancleave
Sunday, Feb. 8
- 12 p.m., Krewe of Nereids Parade in Waveland
Friday, Feb. 12
- 6 p.m., Carnival Association Night Parade in Ocean Springs
Saturday, Feb. 14
- Time TBD, Second Liners Mardi Gras Club Parade in Biloxi
- 12 p.m., Krewe of Diamondhead Mardi Gras Parade
- 2 p.m., Krewe of Gemini Carnival Day Parade in Gulfport
- 5:30 p.m. Annual Krewe of Neptune Night Parade in Biloxi
Sunday, Feb. 15
- Time TBD, St. Paul’s Carnival Association Parade in Pass Christian
- Time TBD, Second Street Social Club Parade in Gulfport
- 1:30 pm., North Bay Mardi Gras Association Parade in D’Iberville and St. Martin
Monday, Feb. 16
- 5:30 p.m., Mystic Krewe of the Seahorse 2025 Lundi Gras Golf Cart Parade in Bay St. Louis
Tuesday, Feb. 17
- 1 p.m., Gulf Coast Carnival Association’s Mardi Gras Parade in Biloxi
Sunday, Feb. 22
- 2 p.m., Krewe of PAWseidon Parade in Bay St. Louis
