New Orleans Mardi Gras 2027: Dates, Parades, Tickets and Travel Tips

New Orleans Mardi Gras 2027 falls on Tuesday, February 9, 2027, and the Carnival season leading up to it opens on Twelfth Night, January 6, 2027 ^{1 2}. Ash Wednesday follows on February 10, 2027 and Easter Sunday on March 28, 2027 ². That makes the 2027 season short, about five weeks of official festivities ³.

The date moves every year because it hangs on Easter. Mardi Gras is the day before Ash Wednesday, exactly 47 days before Easter Sunday, and Easter follows the first full moon on or after the spring equinox ². Fat Tuesday can therefore land anywhere between February 3 and March 9 ². For comparison, Mardi Gras 2026 fell on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, and Mardi Gras 2028 falls on Tuesday, February 29, 2028 ².

The 2027 parade calendar is tentative, built on each krewe's traditional day to roll, so treat these as expected dates until krewes confirm them ¹:

• January 6, 2027: Phunny Phorty Phellows Uptown at 7:00pm and the Krewe of Joan of Arc in the French Quarter at 7:30pm ¹

• January 16, 2027: Krewe of Chewbacchus in the Marigny at 7:00pm ¹

• January 23, 2027: Krewe du Vieux in the French Quarter at 6:30pm ¹

• February 3, 2027: daily Uptown parades begin with Druids at 5:00pm ¹

• February 8, 2027: Lundi Gras, with Proteus at 5:15pm and Orpheus at 6:00pm ¹

• February 9, 2027: Zulu at 8:00am and Rex at 10:30am ¹

The season is older than the city's parades. The first recorded Mardi Gras celebration in Louisiana took place on March 2, 1699, near the mouth of the Mississippi River, and Louisiana made the day a legal state holiday in 1875 ⁴. The Twelfth Night Revelers have marked January 6 with a parade and ball since 1870 ⁴, which is why king cake appears in bakeries from Epiphany until Carnival day ¹⁴.

Tip: If you only have a few days, come from Thursday, February 4 to Tuesday, February 9, 2027, when Muses, Endymion, Bacchus, Orpheus, Zulu and Rex all roll ¹.

No: every street parade on St. Charles Avenue, Canal Street and the Mid-City route is free to watch from the sidewalk or the neutral ground, the grassy median locals treat as their living room for the season. At New Orleans Mardi Gras 2027, that covers everything from Twelfth Night on January 6, 2027 to Rex on February 9, 2027 ¹. There is no ticket, wristband or gate.

What you can pay for is comfort. Businesses along the Uptown route and downtown build private grandstands and sell seats for single parade days, usually with restrooms and drinks included. Prices change every winter and the best stretches sell early, so buy only from a seller that names the exact parade day and location. The galleries in front of Gallier Hall at 545 St. Charles Avenue are reserved for Mardi Gras royalty, and parades on the St. Charles route stop there ⁵. On Mardi Gras Day the mayor toasts the kings of Zulu and Rex from that spot ⁵.

The balls are a separate world. Old line krewes such as Rex, Comus, Momus and Proteus hold private balls ⁴, and Endymion's after-parade Extravaganza has been held at the Superdome in most years since 1981 ¹⁸. Most visitors never attend one, and nothing about the street experience depends on it.

The throws are free too, and they decide where people stand:

• Beads, doubloons, plastic throw cups and toys come from almost every krewe ⁴

• Krewe of Muses riders give single hand-decorated shoes, never a pair ¹⁶

• Zulu's painted coconuts are handed down rather than thrown, after injury concerns ended the throwing ⁴

• Night parades are lit by flambeaux carriers, and spectators often tip them ⁴

Your real costs are getting to the route and getting home. The RTA 1-Day Jazzy Pass costs $3 (October 2026) ⁹, parking near the routes is scarce, and ride apps surge after the last float.

Tip: Carry a sturdy tote for throws and a few small bills for flambeaux carriers; your hands fill up fast on a long parade night.

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) sits in Kenner, about 11 miles (18 km) west of downtown New Orleans ⁸, and three kinds of transport link it to the parade routes. Public buses and taxis leave from Level 1 Baggage Claim ^{6 7}.

• RTA 202 Airport Express: $1.25 (October 2026) to Elk Place at Cleveland or Union Passenger Terminal, from outside Door 2, Zones B4 and B5 ⁶

• JET E1 bus: $2 (October 2026) for stops in New Orleans, running to City Park Avenue from the same zones ⁶

• Taxi: $36 for up to two passengers to the Central Business District, or $15 per person for three or more (October 2026), from the zone beside Door 7 ⁷

Only the Regional Ride pass works on both JET and RTA ⁶, so a JET rider pays again on RTA unless they hold one. The Regional Ride costs $6 (October 2026) ⁹.

The main Uptown route starts on Napoleon Avenue, turns down St. Charles Avenue and runs into downtown, with Muses ending near Tchoupitoulas and Poydras Streets ¹⁶. Gallier Hall at 545 St. Charles Avenue, at 29.9463 N, 90.0714 W, is the best-known landmark on that route ⁵. Endymion keeps its own Mid-City route along Orleans Avenue, North Carrollton Avenue and Canal Street ¹⁸.

Inside the city, a 1-Day Jazzy Pass costs $3 and a 3-Day Jazzy Pass $8 (October 2026) ⁹. Streetcars are the weak link during parade week. In 2026 the St. Charles line was de-energized for the rest of parade season, the Canal lines stopped short of the river until parades cleared Canal Street, and buses replaced streetcars on several days ¹⁰. Bus detours shift with crowds, so check RTA alerts on the day ¹⁰.

Tip: On Endymion Saturday or Mardi Gras Day, plan to walk the last stretch. Roads around the routes close well before the first float, and a taxi stuck behind barricades is slower than your feet.

From Wednesday, February 3 to Tuesday, February 9, 2027, at least one big krewe rolls every day, mostly on the Uptown route along St. Charles Avenue ¹. The tentative schedule for that week ¹:

• Wednesday, February 3, 2027: Druids at 5:00pm, followed by Alla ¹

• Thursday, February 4, 2027: Knights of Chaos at 4:30pm, Knights of Babylon at 5:30pm, Muses at 6:00pm ¹

• Friday, February 5, 2027: Hermes at 5:30pm, Krewe d'Etat at 5:30pm, then Morpheus ¹

• Saturday, February 6, 2027: Iris at 11:00am and Tucks at 12:00pm Uptown, Endymion at 4:00pm in Mid-City ¹

• Sunday, February 7, 2027: Okeanos at 11:00am, Thoth at 12:00pm, Bacchus at 5:15pm ¹

• Monday, February 8, 2027: Proteus at 5:15pm and Orpheus at 6:00pm ¹

• Tuesday, February 9, 2027: Zulu at 8:00am and Rex at 10:30am, followed by truck parades ¹

Each night has its own ritual. Muses is an all-women super krewe founded in 2000, and its riders hand out upcycled shoes they decorate themselves; a 17-foot LED-lit shoe float carries the Honorary Muse ¹⁶. Endymion, Bacchus and Orpheus are the super krewes of Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights ⁴. Proteus is one of the old line krewes, and Rex, whose motto is "Pro Bono Publico", first specified purple, green and gold before its first parade in 1872 ⁴.

Lundi Gras on Monday belongs to the riverfront. Rex arrived by river as early as 1874, and since 1987 his landing at the foot of Canal Street has anchored the day, with the mayor saluting the kings of Rex and Zulu ¹⁹.

Fat Tuesday morning starts with Zulu, the largest predominantly African American Carnival organization in the city ¹⁷, then Rex, the King of Carnival. Away from the floats, Mardi Gras Indians appear in hand-beaded suits that can take up to a year to make ¹⁵, and the Society of Saint Anne walks through the downtown neighborhoods ⁴.

Tip: Stand near Gallier Hall at 545 St. Charles Avenue if you want to see riders salute the reviewing galleries; for room to move with children, watch further Uptown.

For the weeknight Uptown parades, arriving well before the first float usually gets you a curbside spot; for Endymion, Bacchus and Mardi Gras Day, regulars set up from the morning. New Orleans Mardi Gras crowds are heaviest from Thursday, February 4 to Tuesday, February 9, 2027 ¹, while January weekends with walking krewes such as Krewe du Vieux are far easier.

The city regulates how you claim space. Ladders must be free-standing, no taller than 6 feet and at least 6 feet back from the curb, and they cannot be fastened together or left on the neutral ground overnight ¹¹. Louisiana State Police add that intersections must stay clear for emergency vehicles and that nobody should cross between floats ¹². Tandem floats were banned after two deaths involving them ⁴.

February weather is mild but changeable. Normals at MSY show a 66.4°F (19.1°C) average high, a 49.7°F (9.8°C) average low and 4.13 inches (105 mm) of rain over about 9.0 wet days in February ¹³. Night parades on St. Charles Avenue feel colder once you stand still for hours under the live oaks.

What to bring for a long day on the route:

• A rain jacket and a warm layer for after dark

• Folding chairs, water and snacks for the wait

• A tote for throws and a power bank for your phone

• Shoes you can stand in for hours on broken sidewalks

• A printed note with your phone number for each child ¹²

Keep cash out of sight, carry valuables in a front pocket and stay with your group away from empty side streets ¹². In any emergency, call 911.

Tip: Agree on two landmarks at your spot, such as a specific corner and a house, and tell children to go to a police officer if they get separated ¹².

The Central Business District and the Warehouse District put you closest to where Uptown parades finish, within walking distance of Gallier Hall and Canal Street. That matters on New Orleans Mardi Gras weekends, when roads close and the St. Charles streetcar may not run, as happened in 2026 ¹⁰.

Each area suits a different trip:

• Central Business District and Warehouse District: short walks to St. Charles Avenue, Canal Street and the riverfront for Lundi Gras

• French Quarter: walking krewes such as Joan of Arc and Krewe du Vieux, plus Bourbon Street, but the big float parades stay on St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street ^{1 4}

• Garden District and Lower Garden District: on the Uptown route itself, with a calmer, family feel, though you may be boxed in by parades for hours

• Mid-City: right on Endymion's route along Orleans Avenue and Canal Street ¹⁸

• Marigny: home turf of walking parades such as Krewe du Vieux and 'tit Rex ⁴

Book as early as you can. Coverage of the 2027 season expects fierce competition for hotel rooms and neutral ground spots because the season is so compressed ³. Short-term rentals near the route fill first for the final weekend, and many travelers lock in rooms soon after the dates of the previous Carnival are over.

Think about which side of the route you sleep on. A moving parade on St. Charles Avenue cuts the city in two, and crossing between floats is not allowed ¹². If your room is on the river side and your friends watch from the lake side, you may face a long wait to reach them.

Tip: If central rooms are gone, stay further out along a bus line and travel in early, before the barricades go up, rather than late when traffic stops.

Your phone slows down on Canal Street because packed crowds in a few blocks share the same cell towers, all filming floats, calling friends and checking maps at once. Expect public Wi-Fi to be useless on parade routes; it is built for cafés, not crowds of this size.

On Mardi Gras Day, February 9, 2027, the heaviest moment comes after Zulu at 8:00am and Rex at 10:30am, when Uptown crowds drift downtown towards Canal Street and the French Quarter ¹. That is exactly when people try to regroup. The apps that keep the day working are Routewise for parade positions and Lost Child stations ¹², the RTA's Le Pass app for fares ⁹, maps for finding a street that is still open, and a group chat with live location.

A few habits help more than any gadget:

• Download offline maps of Uptown, Mid-City, the Central Business District and the French Quarter before the trip

• Load your transit pass and ride-app account at your hotel, not at the curb

• Send key messages before the parade reaches you, not during it

• In 2024 the state police promoted texting MARDIGRAS to 77295 for parade updates ¹²

For visitors from abroad, roaming fees add up quickly over a long parade stretch. An eSIM installed before you fly lets your phone connect when you land at MSY, so the airport bus, taxi zone and first map all work without hunting for Wi-Fi. Data use at Mardi Gras is mostly video and maps, so a plan with room for photo and video uploads suits a parade-heavy stay better than a minimal one. Coverage details for the country are on the United States eSIM page.

Tip: Keep your phone on low-power mode during day parades and charge between parades; a dead phone at night is the hardest problem to fix on the route.