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New Found Glory honored guitarist Chad Gilbert during its September 28 performance at EPCOT in Florida, a week after his death at 45. The band said Gilbert had been looking forward to the shows and helped plan their setlists; details about the September 29 performance have not been provided in the source report.
New Found Glory honored guitarist Chad Gilbert during its September 28 performance at EPCOT in Orlando, Florida, a week after he died at 45 following a battle with cancer. The band went ahead with the previously scheduled show as part of the park’s Eat to the Beat concert series, dedicating the performance to its late founding member.
Before the performance, the band said on Instagram that Gilbert had been excited about the EPCOT dates and had been actively planning to perform. According to the post, he had worked on the setlists with the group and was practicing in preparation. The band said that playing the shows felt like the right way to honor what he wanted.
At the show, frontman Jordan Pundik addressed the audience and described Gilbert as a brother who remained present through the band’s songs and the people onstage. Pundik said Gilbert loved his family, the band and its fans, then invited the audience to treat the performance as a celebration of Gilbert’s life.
The tribute also included Gilbert’s custom guitar featuring a Mickey Mouse design, placed onstage with flowers on the amplifier beside it. The band had been booked for two EPCOT performances, on September 28 and 29, during the International Food & Wine Festival. The source report describes the Monday show and says the Tuesday date remained scheduled; it does not provide details of that second performance.
A Planned Show Becomes a Tribute
The performance gave the band and its audience a public way to remember a member whose role in the date had already been part of its preparation. The band’s account that Gilbert helped plan the setlists and was practicing makes the EPCOT appearance particularly tied to his own plans, rather than simply a concert repurposed after his death.
For fans, Pundik’s remarks and the guitar display connected the tribute to Gilbert’s relationships with the group and his interest in Disney. The band’s decision to perform also kept the scheduled event in place while changing its meaning: the show became a remembrance shaped by the music and plans Gilbert had helped make.
The account is also a specific snapshot of how Gilbert’s bandmates chose to honor him in the days after his death. It does not establish how the audience responded beyond Pundik’s address, or whether the group changed the setlist beyond the tributes described.
Gilbert’s EPCOT Plans
Gilbert was a founding member and guitarist of New Found Glory. The source report says he died on September 20, 2026, at age 45 after a battle with cancer. The EPCOT performance took place eight days later, on Monday, September 28, according to the dates in the report.
The shows were part of Eat to the Beat, a concert series held during EPCOT’s International Food & Wine Festival. The band said Gilbert was a major Disney fan and had been looking forward to playing at the park. It had scheduled two performances, on Monday and Tuesday, before his death.
The report also notes a tribute from Gilbert’s ex-wife, Paramore singer Hayley Williams. Williams described him as a “legend in the scene” and said her time connected to him had taught her a lot. Her statement is a separate reflection on Gilbert’s influence and does not add details about the EPCOT shows.
““We lost our brother last week, Chad, and even though he’s not here in body, he’s here in spirit today, in these songs, in our hearts on this stage.””
— Jordan Pundik, New Found Glory frontman, speaking to the EPCOT audience
Details on the Second Show
The source report does not say whether New Found Glory performed the September 29 EPCOT date, whether that show included the same tribute, or whether the setlists changed across the two performances. It also does not provide the full setlist, attendance figures, or further remarks from the band about Gilbert’s death. Those details should not be inferred from the September 28 tribute.
The Scheduled September 29 Date
The band’s second EPCOT performance was scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, as part of the same festival concert series. The source material does not confirm its outcome. Further reporting or a statement from the band would be needed to establish whether the performance went ahead and how the group chose to recognize Gilbert there.
Key Questions
When did New Found Glory honor Chad Gilbert at EPCOT?
The band honored Gilbert during its September 28, 2026 performance in Orlando, Florida.
How did the band pay tribute to Gilbert?
Frontman Jordan Pundik addressed the crowd, and Gilbert’s Mickey Mouse design guitar was displayed onstage with flowers beside it.
Why did New Found Glory decide to perform?
The band said Gilbert had been excited about the EPCOT dates, helped plan the setlists and was practicing for the shows. It said playing felt like the right way to honor him.
When did Chad Gilbert die?
According to the source report, Gilbert died on September 20, 2026, at age 45 after a battle with cancer.
Did the band play its second EPCOT show?
The band had a second performance scheduled for September 29. The source report does not confirm whether it took place.
Source: rss
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