Coastal Mississippi Invites Visitors to Revel with Bigger & Bolder Family-Friendly Mardi Gras 2026 Celebrations

Over 20 parades, parties, and special events starting in early-January across the region

BILOXI, Miss., Dec. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2026 Mardi Gras season in Coastal Mississippi is ready to step off with parades and events filled with beads, bands, and the Mississippi Gulf breeze carrying the rhythm of Carnival Season across the destination's 62 miles of pristine shorelines. Visitors will experience an electrifying lineup of parades, live music, culinary indulgences, and family-friendly festivities from January 3, through February 17, 2026.

Highlights of the 2026 Coastal Mississippi Mardi Gras schedule include:

• Twelfth Night: Hosted by the Gulf Coast Carnival Association (GCCA), this annual event at the Biloxi City Hall kicks off the Mardi Gras season and marks the twelfth day after Christmas and the eve of Epiphany. January 5, Biloxi, MS
• Ocean Springs Elks & Krewe Unique Mardi Gras Day Parade: Rolling through downtown Ocean Springs, this annual celebration features a day full of beads, floats, and Mardi Gras fun for all. January 31, Ocean Springs, MS.
• Annual Long Beach Mardi Gras Parade: Hosted by the Carnival Association of Long Beach, this parade has been bringing the Mardi Gras fun to the streets of Long Beach since 1961. February 7, Long Beach, MS.
• Annual Krewe of Little Rascals Parade: An annual children's Mardi Gras parade features floats and family-friendly fun along the downtown area of Pascagoula for all ages. February 7, Pascagoula, MS.
• Krewe of Nereids Parade: Beginning on Highway 90 in front of the Hancock County Government Center, this parade strolls through Waveland with floats, trucks, marching, and bands for its 58^th year. February 8, Waveland, MS.
• Ocean Springs Night Parade: Starting back in 2009 as the Ocean Springs Carnival Association's first night parade, this event has grown into one of the most anticipated parades of the Mardi Gras season. February 13, Ocean Springs, MS.
• Krewe of Gemini Parade: Celebrating its 57^th year on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the Krewe of Gemini Parade rolls through the streets of downtown Gulfport with world-class floats. February 14, Gulfport, MS.
• Krewe of Diamondhead Mardi Gras Parade: This annual parade held on the Saturday before Mardi Gras Day features a family friendly parade where visitors can catch lots of beads, stuffed animals and other throws. February 14, Diamondhead, MS.
• Annual Krewe of Neptune Night Parade: With all the sights, sounds, and spirit of Carnival on the Coast, this annual parade makes its way through downtown Biloxi, featuring towering floats, thundering bands, endless beads. February 14, Biloxi, MS.
• North Bay Mardi Gras Association Parade: Celebrating its 36^th year, the North Bay Mardi Gras Association parade rolls through the streets of St Martin and D'Iberville with Grand Marshal Keith Edward Wilson, of the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Program for Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission. February 15, D'Iberville, MS
• St. Paul Carnival Association Parade: Known as the "Pass Parade," this annual event take place through the streets of Pass Christian and will be celebrating its 96^th year. February 15, Pass Christian, MS.
• Mystic Krewe of the Seahorse Lundi Gras Parade: This event features more than 5,000 revelers lining the streets of Old Town Bay St. Louis for an annual evening Mardi Gras golf cart parade. February 16, Bay St. Louis.
• Gulf Coast Carnival Association (GCCA) Mardi Gras Parade: Biloxi's home of Mardi Gras & the Mississippi Coasts oldest and most prestigious Carnival organization will host its annual parade, known as the greatest free show on the coast, to end the Mardi Gras season. February 17, Biloxi, MS.

These 13 events are just the start of what Coastal Mississippi has in store for the 2026 Mardi Gras season. For a complete list of all 20+ events, please see the blog post, here.

"Mardi Gras is all about community, culture, and celebration, and there's no better place to experience all three than right here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast," said Judy Young, CEO of Coastal Mississippi Tourism. "In 2026, we're taking the energy up another notch with more than 20 incredible events, where our guests will find fabulous entertainment, exciting parades, great food, and unforgettable memories for visitors of all ages."

For the complete range of Mardi Gras events, accommodations, and travel planning tips to Coastal Mississippi, please visit CoastalMississippi.com or follow @PlayCoastalMS on social media.

About Coastal Mississippi: Coastal Mississippi is the organization charged with promoting South Mississippi as a tourism and convention destination worldwide. Its mission centers on attracting ever-increasing numbers of leisure, convention, sports, and business visitors to the area. It is dedicated to maximizing the travel and tourism industry for South Mississippi. Visit CoastalMississippi.com to learn more.

SOURCE Coastal Mississippi