Top Reasons to Explore New Orleans in 2026

WHY IT RATES: In 2026, New Orleans offers exciting events and festivals, providing multiple reasons to visit.  —Janeen Christoff, TravelPulse Managing Editor

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Here are six reasons to visit New Orleans in 2026:

1) Rockin’1000

• For the first time ever, Rockin’ 1000  - the globally renowned music event that unites 1,000 musicians of all skill levels together for the concert of their lives - is coming to the United States with New Orleans serving as its North American debut destination. The concert will be Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the Caesars Superdome and feature 1,000 musicians, picked through an open audition process. They will play a curated setlist of timeless rock anthems and fan favorites, fulfilling their lifelong dreams of playing in front of thousands of people.
• This landmark event not only underscores New Orleans’ status as a world-class music and cultural capital but reflects our ongoing efforts to position our city at the center of global tourism, creativity and community, while showcasing that New Orleans is truly Built to Host. To view the launch video, click here. The press release is available here. As spots are limited, interested musicians of all skill levels can join the band at www.rockin1000.com/join-the-band. Tickets are available at www.neworleans.com/rockin1000.

2) Mardi Gras Falls Over a U.S. Holiday Weekend

• In 2026, the second weekend of Mardi Gras falls over Valentine’s and Presidents’ Day weekend, presenting an expanded opportunity for visitors to travel to New Orleans. The first big weekend of parades is Friday, February 6, through Sunday, February 8. There will be seven consecutive days of parades starting Wednesday, February 11 running through Mardi Gras Day on Tuesday, February 17.
• With Lundi Gras, the Monday before Mardi Gras Day, falling on a U.S. holiday (Presidents’ Day) this year, this is a perfect opportunity for visitors to stay in New Orleans through the three-day holiday weekend and Mardi Gras Day.

3) Sail 250

• Sail 250 will be coming to New Orleans May 28 – June 1. New Orleans will be the first stop as America welcomes tall ships from around the world to the Port of New Orleans to celebrate America’s 250^th Anniversary. There will be a welcome parade, a downtown fireworks show, multiple family activities and the ability to tour several of the tall ships. For more info, visit www.sail250neworleans.com.

4) LIV Golf Louisiana

• LIV Golf announced LIV Golf Louisiana at the Bayou Oaks Golf Course in City Park June 26-28. 13 teams featuring 54 golfers, with no cut line, will compete in New Orleans at LIV Golf’s first event in Louisiana. To buy tickets, visit events.livgolf.com/louisiana.

5) Bocuse d’Or and Pastry World Cup

• The Americas Selection of Bocuse d’Or and Pasty World Cup will be held in July 2026 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The best chefs and pastry artists from across North and South America will be in New Orleans competing for a coveted place in the Grand Finale in Lyon, France in 2027, where they will join colleagues from Europe, Africa, Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region. Last hosted by New Orleans in 2024, no other United States city has hosted either event.
• A new twist is that Bocuse d’Or and Pastry World Cup will be held in conjunction with the Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) Showcase, the largest restaurant and hospitality industry tradeshow in the U.S. Gulf Region.

6) A Quick Trip from FIFA World Cup Cities

• With the World Cup being hosted in North America during the summer of 2026, New Orleans is uniquely positioned as a drive market with plenty of direct flights to several host cities, including Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Miami.

Newsworthy Developments

• In 2026, Audubon Nature Institute’s Riverfront for All project will debut, transforming working wharfs into a public park and recreational facility. It will link Crescent Park to the Moonwalk, creating 2.25 miles of contiguous park space along the Mississippi River for the first time in generations.
• Work already is underway to promote New Orleans as the host city for IPW 2027, a US Travel Association event. This is a huge win for our city, state and economy since IPW will bring thousands of international travel buyers and media to the city and the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. IPW is a business-first trade event, with over 100,000 pre-scheduled business appointments connecting 1,400 global travel buyers and press with 1,000+ U.S. exhibitors. Thousands of travel professionals representing 70+ countries participate in total.
• Vision 2035, a ten-year systems plan for the Greater New Orleans area, is in development in partnership with some of the most respected cross-sector organizations in our community: New Orleans & Company, Greater New Orleans, Inc., Urban League of Louisiana, the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, Jefferson Economic Development Commission, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. The guiding principle for this plan is clear: If New Orleans is a great place to live, learn, and work, it will be a great place to visit.
• City Park - City Park Conservancy (CPC) is embracing the future of New Orleans City Park, unveiling City Park 2050 – a bold, long-term Park plan that will help guide the Park’s growth and development for the next two decades. City Park 2050 establishes an innovative and thoughtful roadmap for City Park’s future – one that will prioritize the greater good, address community needs, preserve historical and cultural context, strengthen environmental resiliency, and foster a welcoming sense of place for generations of Park users and visitors.
• In September 2025, the River District NOLA team provided an update on the River District development project. Shell Riverside is officially underway and taking shape at 1600 Convention Center Blvd., the first Class A office building constructed in New Orleans since 1989. They remain on track with Infrastructure Construction and are scheduled to complete the first phase mid-2026. The Louisiana Music & Heritage Experience Museum is on track to break ground in 2026, paving the way for a $165 million cultural destination at the River District.
• WWE Money In The Bank 2026 to be held in New Orleans: Money in the Bank will make its return to New Orleans in 2026, on August 29^th giving fans another premium live sporting event to look forward to.
• The Josephine on Napoleon is a beautifully renovated and reimagined event venue in the Our Lady of Lourdes Church, originally built in 1923. The space features a large courtyard, choir loft balcony, and a 130-ft overhead dome with state-of-the-art sound and projection mapping.

Meetings and Conventions

• In recognition of its sustainability achievements, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC) has earned its second Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, making it one of only two convention centers in the country to be certified Gold twice in a row. LEED is a globally recognized building rating system from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) that provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, green buildings based on standards for energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality and waste reduction.
• Built to Host, the convention marketing brand created by New Orleans & Company, will continue to evolve in 2026. Our team will unveil a new video on the main stage at the annual meeting of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Convening Leaders gathering in January 2026.
• In 2026, we have several citywide conventions on the calendar including the American Heart Association International Stroke Conference, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Annual Meeting, the American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session and the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting & Exposition.

Hotel News

• The Hilton Riverside received permitting and started a nearly $14 million renovation to the guestrooms, guestroom bathrooms, parlor rooms, corridors, elevator lobbies, and vending areas of the Hilton Riverside New Orleans main side building one. The work includes, but is not limited to replacing floor, wall, and ceiling finishes, along with removal of new fixtures, furniture, equipment and updates to existing ADA guest rooms.
• The Omni Royal Orleans is undergoing a renovation to be completed in early 2026. The renovation involves a full upgrade of guest-facing spaces and event areas while preserving the building’s historic character. Work includes the construction of a new lobby bar, music lounge, coffee shop, and a fully renovated ballroom, along with the addition of a rooftop bar and pool. For more information, click here.
• In January 2025, the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority approved a headquarters hotel development agreement and ground lease agreement with Omni Hotels & Resorts (Omni) to develop a 1,000-room headquarters hotel projected to be transformative for the city, region and state. These agreements allow Omni to move forward with development as owner and operator of a headquarters hotel across the street from the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Construction is expected to start in 2026. The hotel is anticipated to open in 2029.
• In early 2026, Hilton New Orleans on St. Charles Ave will begin an extensive, property-wide renovation led by HRI’s Hospitality in-house construction team, HCI Construction. The project will update all public areas, meeting and event spaces, and guest rooms, including the new presidential suites and a reimagined lobby bar. For more information, click here.
• The Marriott Warehouse Arts District opened following a major redevelopment featuring redesigned guestrooms and bathrooms, a new Presidential Suite, a Greatroom lobby, a 24-hour speakeasy-style M Club, 21 updated meeting spaces, two reimagined ballrooms, and a bright private event space with an adjacent art gallery.
• The former Bank of New Orleans building has two new properties inside, the Fairmont Hotel & Resort and the Element by Marriott. The Fairmont is an 18-story luxury hotel with 250 guestrooms (including 40 suites), 20,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, and a 10,000 sq. ft. Spa. The Element by Marriott was developed with 216 extended-stay guestrooms as part of the same luxury, upscale project at the former Bank of New Orleans building.
• The JW Marriott completed a redesign of its 22 meeting and event spaces totaling over 24,000 sq. ft., featuring sustainable upgrades, including the Vieux Carré Grand Ballroom with a balcony overlook, the Promenade Room, and the Orleans Room.

Culinary News and New Restaurants

• In April, Michelin and Travel South USA revealed that the MICHELIN Guide American South is coming later in 2025 as part of a new regional approach, which will include six states, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Winning restaurants will be announced November 3, 2025.
• In September, two New Orleans restaurants were recognized at the inaugural North America’s 50 Best. Dakar NOLA was named #6 and “Best Restaurant in the South USA” while Emeril’s, now run by EJ Lagasse, was named #30.

Cruises

• Carnival continues to be the only cruise line with two ships homeported year-round in New Orleans and is moving the larger Carnival Dream back to Port NOLA in May 2027, joining Carnival Liberty. Carnival Dream can accommodate more than 4,600 guests and offers a wide variety of signature Carnival experiences.
• In the fall, Norwegian Cruise Line debuted a new 5,000-passenger vessel out of the Port of New Orleans. In 2026, Royal Caribbean will be replacing its current ship with one that is 50% larger.

Railroad

• In August, Amtrak launched the Mardi Gras Service, a new line connecting New Orleans to Mobile, Alabama via a series of stops along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, providing an exciting opportunity for easy getaways, quick day trips, and car-free "roadtrips" at a super affordable price point. The Amtrak station, Union Passenger Terminal, is in a convenient location as it's a short walk to the Caesars Superdome and Smoothie King Center on game days and for concerts, a quick taxi or rideshare to the French Quarter, or travelers can hop aboard the streetcar, which picks up right across from the entrance. For more, visit neworleans.com/amtrakdeals2025.

Cultural Attractions

• In April 2025, the National WWII Museum broke ground on the Floyd Education and Collections Building on Magazine Street. The new complex that will support the Museum’s growing efforts to produce more exhibits, continue preserving its macro-artifacts and expand its leadership programs. The new pavilion at 1042–60 Magazine Street is made possible through a $7.5 million gift from longtime Museum supporters Timber and Peggy Floyd.
• In 2026, the Historic New Orleans Collection is set to host five exhibitions and events. The Trail They Blazed (June 6, 2025-June 7, 2026) highlights New Orlean’s Civil Rights history, while New Orleans Musicians in Art: Selections from the Permanent Collection (Nov 4, 2025-Nov 8, 2026) showcases works inspired by the city’s musical legacy. The spring will feature the Tennessee Williams Scholars Conference on March 27, 2026, and later in the year, Don’t be Boring: The Life, Art, and Obsessions of Bunny Matthews (Sep 18, 2026-May 9, 2027) will celebrate the life and cultural impact of the beloved New Orleans cartoonist.
• The New Orleans Museum of Art’s 2026 season includes Nicolas Floc’h: Fleuves-Océan, Mississippi Watershed (April 30, 2025–March 1, 2026) showcases photographic and sculptural works on the Mississippi River system and ecological change. Later in the year, The View From Here: Women Photographers of the American Landscape (July 25, 2025–January 4, 2026) highlights women artists’ perspectives on America’s diverse and evolving landscapes.

Airlines and Airport

• In 2025, for the fourth year in a row, the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport was named Best Airport in North America (5 to 15 million passengers per year) by the Airports Council International World's 2024 Airport Service Quality program. Now, with an eye toward the future, the airport is mapping out plans for the next 20 years of growth, which could include additional passenger terminal space, more efficient roadways, expanded cargo operations, an aircraft maintenance facility, and more.
• Frontier Airlines will add four new nonstop flights from the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport starting in February 2026. Frontier will be flying to and from Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.

This is only a sampling of what's happening in 2026, for a full list of events and festivals, visit our website.

SOURCE: New Orleans & Company press release

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