Mardi Gras New Orleans

Mardi Gras is the end of Carnival season in New Orleans. The season opens on Twelfth Night (6 January) and finishes on Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday: Tuesday 9 February 2027. Mardi Gras is always 47 days before Easter, so the date moves every year and can fall on any Tuesday from 3 February to 9 March.

The parades are put on by krewes, clubs that each have their own history and traditions, and float riders are required by law to wear masks. Most of the big parades roll down St. Charles Avenue, the spine of the route, from Uptown past Harmony Circle to Canal Street. They don't go into the French Quarter, though the celebrations spill into its streets before, during and after the parades. New Orleans & Company, the city's official visitor organisation, calls it "the greatest free show on Earth": all parades are free to watch.

This season

New Orleans & Company has published a provisional 2027 parade schedule, from the Phunny Phorty Phellows and the Joan of Arc parade on 6 January to Zulu and Rex on Mardi Gras Day. The busiest stretch is the final week: the provisional list has Muses on Thursday 4 February, Endymion on Saturday 6 February and Bacchus on Sunday 7 February. Final 2027 dates and routes are still to be confirmed, so check the official schedule before you book.

• Twelfth Night, Wednesday 6 January 2027: the season opens with the Phunny Phorty Phellows and the Joan of Arc parade (provisional schedule).
• The final weekend: Endymion on Saturday 6 February and Bacchus on Sunday 7 February 2027 (provisional), two of the largest parades of the season.
• Flambeaux: torch carriers who have lit night parades since the first Carnival parade in 1857, and still dance alongside many krewes.
• Mardi Gras Day, Tuesday 9 February 2027: Zulu and Rex roll on Fat Tuesday.
• Family viewing Uptown: New Orleans & Company points families to St. Charles Avenue between First Street and Napoleon Avenue.

• Uptown and the Garden District: hotels on St. Charles Avenue near the start of the route, with more relaxed, family-friendly crowds.
• Downtown, mid-route: larger hotels past Harmony Circle, many with viewing stands for guests.
• Canal Street: the end of most routes, with wider sidewalks and an easy walk to the French Quarter.

New Orleans & Company says hotels on the parade route book up a year in advance and advises booking flights and hotels early.

Fly into Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY). Buses leave from Level 1 baggage claim, outside Door 2: the RTA Airport Express (route 202) runs to downtown New Orleans (Elk Place at Cleveland, or Union Passenger Terminal) for $1.25, and Jefferson Transit's E1 runs to City Park Avenue for $2. On parade days streets close to traffic several hours before the parades, and walking is the fastest way around. The RTA publishes a Mardi Gras guide with parade schedules and detours by neighbourhood; in 2026 the St. Charles streetcar was switched off for the rest of the parade season and replaced by buses. We don't have a New Orleans city guide yet; see our USA guide.

Flight delayed or cancelled on the way? See our Travel Disruption guide for your rights.

Watching the parades is free: New Orleans & Company says all parades and most Mardi Gras events are free. You can pay for seats in viewing stands around the city and for some Mardi Gras balls, and New Orleans & Company lists balcony viewing tickets on its parade schedule. Many hotels along the downtown stretch of the route offer viewing stands for their guests, so ask when you book.

Plan to walk: streets close to traffic several hours before each parade. Bring layers and waterproof shoes, because Mardi Gras weather can be warm, chilly, dry or wet, and the neutral ground gets muddy after rain. Jeans, a T-shirt and closed-toe shoes are fine; purple, green and gold are encouraged. Bring snacks, water and a bag for throws. Portable toilets along the route are free or cost a small fee; public urination is illegal.

Rules on the route (City of New Orleans)

• Don't put ladders, chairs or other items on the route more than four hours before a parade, or block intersections.
• Ladders must be free-standing, no taller than 6 feet, at least 6 feet back from the kerb, never fastened together and never left overnight.
• Stay behind barricades, don't cross between floats, and don't go after throws that land near passing floats.
• Throwing beads or other items back at riders is banned, with a $250 fine per violation.
• No pets except service animals, and no tents, open flames, generators, confetti guns, Mylar balloons or unattended coolers.

The City of New Orleans' Mardi Gras pages (NOLA Ready) don't publish accessible viewing areas for 2027. Most RTA buses and streetcars are equipped for disabled riders, and RTA paratransit ($2, for riders with an RTA Paratransit Card, booked in advance on 504-827-7433) is there for those who can't use the standard system; expect parade-day detours. City first aid stations on the Uptown and Mid-City routes open one hour before the first float, and there are lost child stations along the route. For accessible viewing, ask your hotel or contact New Orleans & Company.

The City of New Orleans advises agreeing a meeting point in case your group gets separated, taking a photo of your group at the start of the day, and telling the nearest public safety official if you lose a child. Keep track of your belongings, only drink what you've prepared or watched being prepared, and report anything suspicious on 504-821-2222 (911 in an emergency). FCDO notes that terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in the US, including at crowded places and mass gatherings.

• Before you go, read the UK government's FCDO travel advice for the United States (entry requirements, safety and local laws).
• Flight delayed or cancelled on the way? See our Travel Disruption guide for your rights and live alerts.