Grahame Lesh and Friends have officially announced a major New Orleans style Mardi Gras celebration for Saturday, February 6, 2027, at San Francisco’s iconic Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. The evening is built around a deep roster of special guests, led by Warren Haynes and Neal Francis, and it carries forward a decades long Grateful Dead community tradition of enormous Bay Area Mardi Gras parties. For Lesh, stepping into that role also means stepping into the mantle once held by his late father, Phil Lesh, whose name has long been tied to the celebrations that fill the city with brass, funk, and second line spirit every winter.

The All Star Lineup

Warren Haynes, the voice and guitar behind Gov’t Mule and a longtime member of the Allman Brothers Band, headlines the guest list alongside the Chicago soul and piano stylist Neal Francis. They are joined by Cyril Neville of the Neville Brothers, a living link to the first family of New Orleans music, and by drummer John Molo, whose résumé includes Phil Lesh and Friends and Bruce Hornsby and the Range. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band rounds out the announced names, bringing the sound of the French Quarter’s most famous traditional jazz hall to the West Coast. The camp says additional very special guests will be named later, so the final lineup is still growing.

Tickets and How to Get Them

The general public on sale begins today, Friday, October 30, 2026, at 10 AM Pacific time. Fans can purchase through the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium event page or through Grahame Lesh’s official website.