Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue bring the Third Annual Shorty Gras Tour to Orlando and Tampa
- Alastair Mac
- Feb 19
- 4 min read
Get ready to party as trombone Shorty brings the New Orleans Mardi Gras party to Tampa and Orlando with special guests New Breed Brass Band
GRAMMY-winning New Orleans icon Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue is bringing the third annual Shorty Gras Tour for 2026 to Orlando , Tampa and more.
The nine-date run will bring the explosive energy of a Mardi Gras parade to the Southeastern U.S., with fellow New Orleans ambassadors New Breed Brass Band joining as special guests for the entire tour.
The Shorty Gras tour has turned into an annual musical celebration, a traveling block party that translates the vibrant spirit of New Orleans into a spectacular live show. Kicking off on February 20, 2026, in Naples, FL, the tour will stop in major Florida markets, including Orlando, Tampa, and Miami, before heading through Pensacola, Birmingham, and concluding in Atlanta, GA, on March 6.
Known for their high-energy performances, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue will deliver a powerhouse set of blistering funk, soulful R&B, and ecstatic jazz-infused rock, all built on the foundational traditions of their hometown.
This tour is a true family affair, as Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue will be joined by special guests New Breed Brass Band, led by Shorty’s nephew, Jenard Andrews. The lineup is a live celebration of their powerful 2025 joint album, Second Line Sunday. Released exactly 20 years to the day after Hurricane Katrina, the album serves as a joyous and defiant reflection on culture, survival, and resilience.
Produced by Shorty and dedicated to his late mother, who first introduced him to the second line tradition, Second Line Sunday is a "joyous cultural travelogue" that honors the authentic sound of the streets. Having both bands on the road together brings the album's multi-generational energy to life, offering audiences a direct link to the past, present, and future of New Orleans' most vital music.
The tour lands in Orlando on February 21 with the party happening at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
Tampa's turn is February 24, with Shorty taking to the stage at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
Keep up to date with the latest entertainment news from Orlando and throughout Central Florida.
Born Troy Andrews, Trombone Shorty got his start (and nickname) earlier than most: at four, he made his first appearance at Jazz Fest performing with Bo Diddley; at six, he was leading his own brass band; and by his teenage years, he was hired by Lenny Kravitz to join the band he assembled for his Electric Church World Tour. Shorty’s proven he’s more than just a horn player, though. Catch a gig, open the pages of the New York Times or Vanity Fair, flip on any late-night or morning TV show and you’ll see an undeniable star with utterly magnetic charisma, a natural born showman who can command an audience with the best of them.
Since 2010, he’s released five chart topping studio albums (his most recent being 2022’s Lifted); toured with everyone from Jeff Beck to the Red Hot Chili Peppers; collaborated across genres with Pharrell, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson, Foo Fighters, ZHU, Zac Brown, Normani, Ringo Starr, and countless more; played Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Newport Folk, Newport Jazz, and nearly every other major festival; performed four times at the GRAMMY Awards, six times at the White House, on dozens of TV shows, and at the star-studded Sesame Street Gala, where he was honored with his own Muppet; launched the Trombone Shorty Foundation to support youth music education; and received the prestigious Caldecott Honor for his first children’s book.
Meanwhile in New Orleans, Shorty now leads his own Mardi Gras parade atop a giant float crafted in his likeness, hosts the annual Treme Threauxdown shows that have drawn guests including Usher, Nick Jonas, Dierks Bentley, Andra Day, and Leon Bridges to sit in with his band, and has taken over the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival’s hallowed final set, which has seen him closing out the internationally renowned gathering after performances by the likes of Neil Young, the Black Keys, and Kings of Leon.
In addition to touring across the globe nearly year-round, Trombone Shorty has started a very special tradition: a cultural exchange trip to Cuba with his Trombone Shorty Foundation. It includes an ever-expanding group of special guests artists who join Shorty and his Foundation to host workshops and play concerts in Cuba over a 5-day period, as well as nearly 100 students. These exchange programs have previously been featured on NPR and CBS Mornings.
Lifted, Trombone Shorty’s second release for Blue Note Records and 5th solo LP, was released in 2022. Recorded at Shorty’s own Buckjump Studio with producer Chris Seefried (Fitz and the Tantrums, Andra Day), the album finds the GRAMMY-nominated NOLA icon and his bandmates tapping into the raw power and exhilarating grooves of their legendary live show, channeling it all into a series of tight, explosive performances that blur the lines between funk, soul, R&B, and psychedelic rock.
Since the release of Lifted, Shorty and his band have made appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, TODAY and Good Morning America, and CBS Mornings. Shorty has also recently performed at the MusiCares pre-GRAMMY Awards gala, the Roots Picnic with Lil Wayne, on the instantly legendary NPR Tiny Desk featuring Juvenile, and at the White House’s 2024 Juneteenth concert.
Before attending any of the events listed on Gotta Go Orlando, you should contact the organizer or venue to confirm that the event is taking place as information, changes, and cancellations can occur.
Contact Us:
You can contact us here. To advertise with us, click here. To list your upcoming event, submit it here.
Newsletter:
Sign up for our newsletter and stay in the loop with all the latest news from Central Florida delivered daily to your mailbox.
Social Media:
Join the local conversation on X, Facebook, and Instagram, plus, for extended coverage, catch the latest on our YouTube channel.
Comments