Bear Jamboree returns to Orlando every June — the first Friday through Monday of the month. If you’re planning your bear weekend, looking for the best gay bear parties in Orlando, or trying to figure out where to stay and what to do around Bear Jamboree, this is the Anthem Orlando bear venue guide.
When Bear Jamboree happens
Bear Jamboree is always scheduled for the first Friday–Monday of June in Orlando. Practically that means:
- Bear Jamboree 2026: Friday June 5 – Monday June 8, 2026 (past — happened earlier this year)
- Bear Jamboree 2027: Friday June 4 – Monday June 7, 2027
- Bear Jamboree 2028: Friday June 2 – Monday June 5, 2028
Four days of parties, pool events, meet-and-greets, and downtown Orlando programming. Check the official Bear Jamboree channels for the year’s registration, hotel package, and official-party schedule.
Anthem’s Bear Jamboree programming
Anthem Orlando programs bear-forward nights across the Jamboree weekend — official and unofficial. Historically our lineup covers:
- Friday night — Bear Jamboree Kickoff at Anthem: Circuit-adjacent programming, full production, extended hours for the arriving crowd
- Saturday night — Bear Circuit Night: Our main Jamboree-weekend event. Guest DJ, drag headliners, bear-forward crowd, full production. This is the ticket that sells first every year.
- Sunday afternoon — Bear T-Dance: Afternoon-into-evening pool-party vibe on the main floor
- Sunday late night — Recovery + Send-Off: Softer programming for the folks heading home Monday morning
- ABS Drag Brunch Sunday: Bear-forward drag brunch cast. See our ABS page.
Exact schedule, DJ headliners, and ticket tiers post 6–8 weeks before the event weekend. Sign up for our newsletter for early access.
Where Anthem fits in the Jamboree weekend
Bear Jamboree runs across multiple Orlando venues each year — Anthem is downtown’s flagship nightclub in the rotation. Advantages of using Anthem as your Jamboree evening base:
- Location: 100 N Orange Ave, downtown. Five-minute walk from downtown hotels. Direct rideshare from theme-park-adjacent hotels.
- Room capacity: Main floor + upper deck accommodate the Saturday-night peak crowds without hitting fire-code cutoffs
- Full production: Same lighting/sound rig our HYDRO circuit weekends use — no bear-weekend downgrade
- Queer-owned: NGLCC-certified. Our door and security are LGBTQ+-competent, which matters for bear-weekend safety and vibe
- Bar program built for volume: We can pour fast enough that the bar line isn’t the story of your night
Where to stay for Bear Jamboree 2027 (and beyond)
Downtown Orlando is walking distance to Anthem and rideshare-friendly to every other Jamboree venue. Book by March for the June weekend:
- AC Hotel Orlando Downtown — 5-min walk to Anthem
- Aloft Orlando Downtown — 5-min walk
- Grand Bohemian Hotel — 8-min walk, higher-end
- Marriott Downtown — direct rideshare to Anthem and Lake Eola
Bear Jamboree also negotiates official hotel blocks each year — check their site for the discounted rate.
Planning your first Jamboree
- Register for the official weekend pass if you want access to daytime pool events
- Buy Anthem’s Saturday circuit ticket early — tiers rise fast, VIP booths book weeks out
- Pack for Florida June heat: mid-90s, high humidity, afternoon thunderstorms possible
- Comfortable dance floor shoes matter — Saturday runs to 2:30 AM
- Rideshare early Saturday, walk back Sunday morning: the downtown Sunday-morning walk to brunch is part of the Jamboree tradition
Sign up for our newsletter to catch Bear Jamboree 2027 ticket drops in April. See you next June.
