Overview
- Chad Gilbert, New Found Glory’s founding lead guitarist and songwriter, died peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, September 20, his wife Lisa Cimorelli and the band announced.
- The group said they will cancel their upcoming Aftershock Festival appearance to give members time to grieve and will instead take the stage for six Eat to the Beat Concert Series shows at EPCOT on September 28–29 as an intentional tribute.
- New Found Glory shared the EPCOT setlists, which mix fan favorites like “My Friends Over You,” “Dressed to Kill,” and “Hit and Miss” with their Disney cover “Part of Your World,” and said Gilbert helped plan and was practicing the sets.
- Gilbert’s death follows a years-long, public fight with cancer that included emergency surgeries and a 2026 diagnosis of stage 4 adrenocortical carcinoma with brain tumors, a history the band and outlets say shaped the decision to honor him through performance.
- The EPCOT dates are part of the park’s Food & Wine Festival Eat to the Beat series and are included with regular park admission, offering fans a public space to mourn, sing along, and celebrate Gilbert’s influence on New Found Glory and the pop-punk scene.