Busch Gardens Mardi Gras Celebration

Busch Gardens huge Mardi Gras Celebration and Park updates for 2022

Mardi Gras is back at Busch Gardens Tampa and is the first big event of 2022! This event includes parades, live music, a bead garden and half a dozen bars and food stations that will take place every weekend at the park starting January 8 - March 6. In addition to Mardi Gras, Busch Gardens' longest running concert series has returned with all new music performances, Tuesday - Sunday, now through February 27th. 

The Mardi Gras Parade of stilt walkers and musicians around the Bird Gardens, a bead garden to catch as many strands of colorful beads as you can, a brass band performing throughout the event and local outfits playing New Orleans style tunes on the stage. The live entertainment series includes world class tributes, musical performances and top artists from the greatest musical eras. Grab a seat in the Stanleyville Theater and see these memorable acts live!

Xcursions will have Mardi Gras cupcakes as well as themed crafts and rum tastings. Across from the Coca-Cola stage will be a Hurricane bar serving up traditional Hurricane cocktails. Nearby is the Jackson Square booth with Impossible Dirty Rice, reimagined shrimp and grits and Creole style jambalaya. The Esplanade Street Bites around the corner from the stage has smoked pepper brisket with chipotle cream and New Orleans kettle chips and po’boys with smoked chicken or shrimp and a smoked Bloody Mary. Of course, Mardi Gras wouldn’t be complete with beignets and the Sweet Beignets station has traditional with powdered sugar, ones with Woodford Reserve chocolate drizzle and banana’s foster beignets. Wash it all down with a smoked bourbon peach sour cocktail with Woodford Reserve.

For more sweets, the Nola Creamery has specialty ice cream concoctions include a French Quarter chocolate amaretto cheesecake waffle cone, the Mardi Gras waffle cone sundae and the Bourbon Street cream and cookie. Beyond the Bird Gardens area, there are additional Mardi Gras food and beverage locations at the Giraffe Bar in Egypt and Twisted Tails in Pantopia. The Garden Gate Café also turned into Bayou Beverage with draft beer and a selection of frozen cocktails.

Through January 16th, guests can enjoy a massive Eagles tribute. On the horizon is a Bob Seger tribute band, All-4-One R&B, and a Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons tribute group. You can see a full lineup and reserve tickets to shows online. 

Busch Gardens has also announced more information and a possible opening date for their World Famous rollercoaster, Gwazi! Get ready for one of the biggest thrills in the world! Busch Gardens Tampa Bay says that the Iron Gwazi will open as North America’s tallest hybrid coaster as well as being the fastest and steepest hybrid coaster in the world in March 2022! 

The new ride will take thrills to new heights, plunging riders from a 206 foot tall peak into a 91 degree drop and reaching top speeds of 76 miles per hour. The journey will include a dozen airtime moments, including three inversions, as it races along more than 4,075 feet of purple steel track. This wild roller coaster attraction is the most anticipated ride of the year, according to USA Today.

A brand new Giraffe Bar, offering panoramic safari views has also opened at the theme park! Adventure Island also has a brand new tiki bar and it may be the best new bar in the Tampa Bay area!