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Panda Fest returns to Mall of America® for its second year with expanded cultural programming

Early Bird tickets for the three-day festival go on sale April 17

BLOOMINGTON, MN — April 14, 2026

Panda Fest, one of the nation’s fastest-growing outdoor Asian food and culture festivals, will return to Mall of America® for its second year, taking place July 31 - August 2, 2026, in the North Lot. More than just a food festival, Panda Fest is a large-scale cultural celebration that brings together Asian street food, traditional and contemporary performances, hands-on cultural activities, artisan markets, and playful panda-themed attractions, which have become fan favorites.

Following a successful debut in 2025 at Mall of America, the three-day festival is returning bigger and better, with a series of thoughtful improvements designed to elevate the guest experience while continuing to celebrate the diversity of Asian cuisine, art and culture. 

Attendees can embark on a culinary journey across Asia with more than 80 food vendors and food trucks serving over 200 dishes representing cuisines from China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, and beyond. From authentic street food staples to inventive fusion bites, Panda Fest offers something for every palate.

Beyond food, the festival features a curated marketplace of more than 20 vendors showcasing crafts, apparel, accessories, and artisanal goods inspired by Asian heritage. Cultural programming spans traditional art demonstrations, contemporary dance, theatrical showcases, and nonstop live entertainment such as lion dances, sugar painting, paper cutting, calligraphy, and K-pop dance performances.

Pandas remain at the heart of the experience, with playful, Instagram-worthy attractions, including a 15-foot inflatable panda, a panda bounce ring, themed treats, exclusive merchandise/souvenirs, interactive games, and photo moments throughout the festival grounds.

Early Bird tickets are priced at $10 and limited to 1,000 tickets. They go on sale at www.pandafests.com on April 17, 2026 at 10 a.m. CDT and are available through April 26, 2026, at 10 p.m. CDT, or while supplies last.

General Admission tickets are $14, and VIP tickets are $35. Saturday tickets are priced $2 higher across all tiers.

  • General Admission tickets include single entry during the selected time slot, access to all food vendors and merchandise vendors, cultural performances, and panda attractions, and two complimentary gifts: a customized Panda pin and a Panda headband.
  • VIP ticket holders receive all General Admission benefits, plus fast-pass entry, access to exclusive VIP areas and bathrooms, and an exclusive Panda bag.

For ticket information, vendor applications, and updates, visit www.pandafests.com and follow @pandafesttwincities on Instagram for festival updates, vendor spotlights, and sneak peeks.

INTERVIEW & ASSET REQUESTS: Interviews with festival founder BiuBiu Xu, media passes, and high-resolution images are available upon request by emailing sarah@sgprco.com.

 

ABOUT MALL OF AMERICA

At 5.6 million square feet, Mall of America is the largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America with up to 520 world-class retail stores and restaurants; Nickelodeon Universe, a 7-acre indoor theme park; SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium; FlyOver America; Crayola Experience; and more. The Mall opened in 1992 and is located in Bloomington, Minn., minutes from downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul and adjacent to MSP International Airport. Follow Mall of America on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok. Listen to So Much More – a Mall of America podcast, on all major platforms or watch on YouTube. Download the Mall of America app from the App Store for iOS or Google Play for Android.

 

ABOUT PANDA FEST

Launched in 2024, Panda Fest is one of the largest outdoor Asian food and culture festivals in the United States. In its first year alone, the festival produced 13 events across 11 cities, welcoming over 500,000 attendees, with attendance continuing to grow. Featuring experiential activities, tastings, market fairs, and live performances, Panda Fest brings communities together to celebrate the richness of Asian American and Pacific Islander cultures. Pandas serve as a playful central theme, appearing throughout the event in inflatables, games and activities, merchandise, and food offerings. Originally created as a one-day event called Panda Day by founder BiuBiu Xu, Panda Fest has since expanded into a multi-day, multi-city experience with events held in Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Dallas, Seattle, Austin, the Twin Cities, Connecticut, Charlotte, Nashville, and Orlando. For more information on Panda Fest, visit www.pandafests.com and follow along on Instagram.

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