Are you ready to party? It’s Mardi Gras time, and once again, Galveston will be host to two epic weeks of fun and excitement.
Mardi Gras! Galveston will feature more than 30 concerts, over 20 parades, tons of parties, and a good time for all in attendance.
Read on for your complete guide to the island’s 109th Mardi Gras celebration.
Entertainment Lineup
The Mardi Gras! Galveston entertainment headliners were announced recently, and you can’t beat the diverse range of artists set to take the stage from February 15-25, 2020.
This will be the 109th annual Mardi Gras! Galveston celebration and headliners include Texas natives Blue October and Bowling for Soup on the Corona Main Stage.
Entertainment highlights on other stages were also announced, including La Leyenda, Bidi Bidi Banda, and Houston hip hop legend Bun B. La Leyenda and Bidi Bidi Banda will be performing as Corona stage headliners on Sunday, Feb. 16th with Bun B as the Grand Marshal of the Bumpin’ Bus Parade on Feb. 22 at 5:30 pm.
The parade will feature over 20 party buses that will parade throughout downtown Galveston, followed by the Knights of Momus Grand Night Parade, a historic parade, and the largest of the celebrations. To get your tickets to Mardi Gras! Galveston click here.
Mike Dean president of Yagas Entertainment and organizer of Mardi Gras! Galveston stated, “This is by far our best band lineup of the last 10 years…Concerts are part of what make the Mardi Gras experience different in Texas, and we are excited to bring in these great local bands and homegrown Texas talent.”
Blue October established its group in Houston in 1995. They’re most known for their platinum and chart-topping hits “Hate Me”, “Into the Ocean” and “Foiled.” Their first album title “The Answers” was first released in 1998. Group members in the band include Ryan Delahoussaye , Matt Noveskey and siblings Jeremy and Justin Furstenfeld. Blue October will perform on the Corona main stage at 6 pm on Saturday February 15 in downtown Galveston’s Saengerfest Park during its kick-off weekend.
Grammy-nominated band Bowling for Soup will also be at Mardi Gras! Galveston. Originally from Wichita Falls, Texas, their band has produced 19 albums over the past 25 years. They’re best known for their top charting singles “Girl All the Bad Guys Want”, “1985”, “Almost”, and “High School Never Ends.” The band is comprised of members including Jaret Reddick, Chris Burney, Gary Wiseman, and Rob Felicetti. Bowling for Soup will take the Corona main stage on Friday, February 21 at 10:30 pm.
For EDM fans, the “Electric Mardi Gras” returns to downtown Galveston. This area will provide continuous concerts, laser light shows, and non-stop DJ performances from 5 pm to 1 am on Fridays and Saturdays from February 14-15 and February 21-22. Performers will include DJ SQUARED, Houston’s Bryan Rhymez, and Galveston’s DJ Nonstopp.
Admission is $23 at the gate, with discounted prices available in advance online at www.mardigrasgalveston.com.
Stunning Parades
Mardi Gras in Galveston will feature over 20 parades with millions of beads and trinkets being tossed around. There will be multiple parades each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday throughout the celebration from the beach to The Strand.
You can see the full parade schedule here.
Family-Friendly Activities Abound
If you have little ones, you don’t have to miss out on the fun. The festival will have plenty of kid-friendly options to ensure all ages can have a good time! And the best part? Admission is free for kids 12 and under.
Some of the kid-friendly events this year include a coloring contest (download a coloring sheet from this website), a kid-friendly balcony party, kid-friendly parades taking place during Family Gras on February 23, and more.
You can learn more about the family-friendly Mardi Gras events here on their website.
About Mardi Gras! Galveston
Mardi Gras was first observed on Galveston Island in 1867. Mardi Gras! Galveston was restored in 1985 by Galveston-born preservationist and developer George P. Mitchell following the sabbatical imposed in 1941 by the war and challenging times. It was the largest celebration of its kind in Texas at the time and the third-largest in the nation. Organizer Mike Dean of Yagas Entertainment works in conjunction with the city of Galveston to put on the celebration.
The 109th Mardi Gras celebration from Feb. 14-25, 2020, is expected to draw more than 300,000 attendees.
