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New Found Glory to Honor Chad Gilbert with EPCOT Shows
Confirmed
In Short: Gilbert, who died on September 20 after a battle with cancer, was a 'massive Disney fan,' according to the band.
New Found Glory, the pop-punk band, announced they will honor their late guitarist Chad Gilbert with performances at Disney World's EPCOT.
The surviving members—vocalist Chad Pundik, bassist Ian Grushka, and drummer Cyrus Bolooki—will perform at EPCOT on September 28 and 29.
The band stated that these shows 'feels like the right way to honor him, and what he would want us to do.
Gilbert had been off the road since 2022 due to back pain, but he was still playing local shows in Florida.
For the EPCOT performances, Real Friends guitarist David Knox will join the band on rhythm guitar and keyboards.
The band shared their setlists on social media, emphasizing that 'Every note we play and every word you sing at EPCOT is for Chad.
Gilbert's death has prompted tributes from the music community, with Hayley Williams, Ben Barlow, Kellin Quinn, and Mark Hoppus among those remembering him.
New Found Glory's only remaining tour date for 2026 is the Vans Warped Tour stop in Orlando on November 15, following the EPCOT shows.
What this adds
The band's commitment to performing at EPCOT in honor of Gilbert underscores his significance to the group and their fans.
Background
Chad Gilbert, guitarist for the pop-punk band New Found Glory, died Sunday at age 45.
What's confirmed
- New Found Glory, the pop-punk band, announced they will honor their late guitarist Chad Gilbert with performances at Disney World's EPCOT.
- The surviving members—vocalist Chad Pundik, bassist Ian Grushka, and drummer Cyrus Bolooki—will perform at EPCOT on September 28 and 29.
- The band stated that these shows 'feels like the right way to honor him, and what he would want us to do.
- Gilbert had been off the road since 2022 due to back pain, but he was still playing local shows in Florida.
- For the EPCOT performances, Real Friends guitarist David Knox will join the band on rhythm guitar and keyboards.
- The band shared their setlists on social media, emphasizing that 'Every note we play and every word you sing at EPCOT is for Chad.
- Gilbert's death has prompted tributes from the music community, with Hayley Williams, Ben Barlow, Kellin Quinn, and Mark Hoppus among those remembering him.
- New Found Glory's only remaining tour date for 2026 is the Vans Warped Tour stop in Orlando on November 15, following the EPCOT shows.
What's still developing
- The pop-punk veterans – who themselves are Florida natives – had been slated to perform at the park as part of the Eat To The Beat concert series prior to Gilbert’s death, with shows set to take place on Monday, September 28th and Tuesday, September 29th.
- “Anyone who knew Chad knew that he was a massive Disney fan,” the band wrote in a joint statement.
- Following the news of his passing breaking on Monday, Blunt ‘s Joel King paid tribute to the guitarist by describing him as “central to how New Found Glory sounded”.
- Several guitarists were enlisted to fill in for Gilbert from 2023 onwards, with the most recent being Real Friends guitarist David Knox.
- New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert passed away peacefully in his sleep today (September 20) after several years of living with cancer, the band and his wife Lisa Cimorelli have confirmed.
- New Found Glory fight pain with hope with some of their best songs in years – and you’ll grin till your face hurts.
- As he, Jordan Pundik and the rest of New Found Glory made their new album, Listen Up!, what they wanted was to find life’s moments of greatness in it all.
- Because, as he says, “At any time, something way scarier than you can ever predict can happen…” Ahead of next month’s Listen Up! album, NFG have just shared a new single – Beer And Blood Stains – about “an old venue we used to play when we first started…” Taken from 2026 album Listen Up!, New Found Glory have released an uplifting, punky new single entitled Treat Yourself.
- “We want to encourage hope that the hard times will bring growth and strength…” New Found Glory will release their new album Listen Up! early next year.
- The band was due to play six short sets across two days as part of the Eat To The Beat gig series at Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival on September 28-29.
- Five years ago, Chad Gilbert was diagnosed with cancer.
- In their first statement since announcing Gilbert's death, New Found Glory addressed the band's immediate future and previously scheduled tour dates.