Frequently Asked Questions

Mudbug Madness Festival is held each Memorial Day weekend — the 2026 dates are May 22–24 in downtown Shreveport, LA. It's a three-day event that runs across two stages with roughly 30 bands performing country, pop, blues, and zydeco music.

The festival takes place at 101 Crockett Street in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana 71101. The venue is in the heart of the city's festival district, with free parking available and a dedicated handicap parking lot at RiverView Hall.

Single-day admission is $10 per person, or you can grab a three-day pass for $15. Entry is free for everyone until 5:00 pm on Friday, children under 12 get in free all weekend, and military members are admitted free the entire festival.

Mudbug Madness features country, pop, blues, and zydeco music across two stages with approximately 30 bands over three days. The lineup has historically included prominent zydeco artists like Buckwheat Zydeco and Dwayne Dopsie, alongside country and blues performers.

Yes — Mudbug Madness is nationally recognized as one of the Southeast Tourism Society's Top 20 Events and the American Bus Association's Top 100 Events in the nation. It began in 1984 and has grown into one of Louisiana's largest and most popular Cajun festivals.

The festival offers plenty of boiled crawfish, cold beverages, and a wide variety of food and art/craft vendors. Special contests include crawfish eating competitions and a crawfish calling contest held across the weekend, making it a full immersive Cajun experience.

Absolutely. The Kids on the Bayou children's area features jump houses, hands-on art activities, crawfish races, magic shows, and kids' karaoke running 11 am–11 pm each day. Children under 12 are admitted free, making it a great weekend outing for the whole family.

Yes, both food vendor and artist/craft vendor applications are available for the 2026 festival. Application forms are downloadable directly from the festival's website under the Forms section, with separate policies for food vendors and craft vendors.

Bally's Shreveport is the official hotel of Mudbug Madness and offers a 20% discount for festival attendees. Booking links are available through the Admissions & Hotel page on the festival's website, so it's worth reserving early as Memorial Day weekend fills up fast.

The festival is produced by Downtown Shreveport Unlimited (DSU), a private non-profit organization dedicated to creating a vibrant downtown experience. DSU also organizes other signature events including Paddy in the Plaza and BREW, a premier beer tasting held in October.