Abstract: The geocell flexible retaining wall, a new type of retaining structures, has a broad application prospect in road slope protection. Flexural deformation of the flexible retaining wall will take place under the effect of earth pressures. Therefore, the failure mode of the geocell flexible retaining wall differs significantly from that of rigid retaining wall. And the backfill surface is always subjected to the surcharge. The failure process and failure mode of the geocell flexible retaining wall with surcharge acting on the backfill surface are studied by means of the centrifugal model tests. Moreover, its failure mode is compared with that of the one without the effect of surcharge. The results indicate that the surcharge acting on the backfill surface has little effect on the failure mode of the geocell flexible retaining wall, and thus the same failure mode with the one whose backfill surface is not acted by the surcharge can be employed in the calculation of earth pressures against the flexible retaining wall.