If you’re trying to figure out when is Mardi Gras New Orleans 2025, you’ve probably realized that this holiday is a bit of a moving target. Unlike Christmas or the Fourth of July, Carnival doesn’t just sit still on the calendar.
Honestly, it’s all about the moon and some old-school religious math.
In 2025, Mardi Gras falls on Tuesday, March 4.
That’s a "late" Mardi Gras. When the date pushes into March, the vibe in the city shifts. The weather gets a little more predictable—sorta—and the anticipation builds for an extra couple of weeks. But don't let that single date fool you. If you show up on March 4th expecting to see everything, you’ve already missed the best parts of the party.
The 2025 Carnival Timeline: It’s Not Just a Day
Mardi Gras isn't a single event. It’s a season.
It officially kicks off every year on January 6, which locals call Twelfth Night or Epiphany. That’s the day the first King Cakes appear in bakery windows and the Phunny Phorty Phellows ride the St. Charles streetcar to announce the start of Carnival.
From January 6th until late February, the city is basically in a slow-burn celebration mode.
The real madness—the part you see on TV with the massive floats and the neon lights—starts about two weeks before Fat Tuesday. For 2025, that means the "Deep Carnival" period really cranks up around Friday, February 21.
The Big Weekends
If you can’t stay for the whole month (and your liver probably shouldn’t), you have to pick your windows carefully.
The first "big" parade weekend for 2025 hits on February 15-16. This is when the satirical krewes like Krewe du Vieux and krewedelusion roll through the Marigny and French Quarter. These parades are smaller, weirder, and definitely not for kids. They’re biting, political, and very "Old New Orleans."
Then comes the "Main Event" stretch.
🔗 Read more: Finding the Best Flights SEA to CVG Without Getting Ripped Off
From Thursday, February 27, through Mardi Gras Day on March 4, the city basically shuts down. Schools close. Banks close. The streets become rivers of purple, green, and gold.
When is Mardi Gras New Orleans 2025? The Schedule You Need
You’ve got to plan your life around the parade routes. In New Orleans, we don’t say "North, South, East, West." We say "Uptown, Downtown, Riverside, Lakeside." Most of the big 2025 parades follow the Uptown Route, starting at Napoleon Avenue and heading down St. Charles Avenue.
Here is how the 2025 peak dates actually look:
- Thursday, Feb 27: Muses. This is the one everyone wants to be at because of the shoes. The riders hand-decorate glittery high heels, and catching one is like winning the lottery.
- Friday, Feb 28: Hermes and d'Etat. These are old-school, beautiful, and the satire in d'Etat is always sharp.
- Saturday, March 1: Endymion. This is a "Super Krewe." It doesn't roll Uptown; it rolls through Mid-City. It’s massive. It’s loud. It’s basically a rolling rock concert.
- Sunday, March 2: Bacchus. Another Super Krewe. This year, basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal is the King of Bacchus. Expect the crowds to be absolutely wild.
- Monday, March 3 (Lundi Gras): Orpheus. Founded by Harry Connick Jr., this parade is famous for its "Smoky Mary" train float and incredible lighting.
- Tuesday, March 4 (Mardi Gras Day): Zulu starts early (8:00 AM), followed by Rex. This is the day of the costumes.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Date
A lot of people think the French Quarter is where the parades happen.
Nope.
The streets in the Quarter are too narrow for the modern, multi-story floats. If you spend all your time on Bourbon Street, you aren't actually "doing" Mardi Gras—you're just at a crowded bar. To see the real Mardi Gras New Orleans 2025, you need to be on the neutral ground (the grassy median) of St. Charles Avenue.
Also, people worry about the weather. Since it’s March 4th in 2025, it should be beautiful, right?
Maybe.
I’ve seen Mardi Gras days that were 80 degrees and humid, and I’ve seen years where we were wearing parkas under our costumes. New Orleans weather in March is a chaotic mess. Pack layers. Seriously. You’ll be sweating at 2:00 PM and shivering by the time the night parades roll at 6:00 PM.
📖 Related: Why Rosemoor Animal Park Zoo Still Matters: The Real Story Behind the Legend
Tips for Surviving the 2025 Season
If you're coming down, you've gotta be smart. This isn't a theme park; it's a city of 400,000 people throwing a party for a million guests.
- Download a Parade Tracker: There are apps like WDSU or WWL Parade Tracker. Floats break down. Tractors stall. These apps show you exactly where the "head of the parade" is in real-time.
- The Bathroom Situation: It's the biggest challenge. Most restaurants will charge for a "potty pass" or require you to buy something. Carry cash.
- Don't Reach for Beads in the Street: This is how people get hurt. If a bead lands in the street, let it go. Another one is coming in ten seconds.
- The "Box": If you are staying in a hotel or Airbnb "inside the box" (the area between the parade route and the river), you are stuck. Cars cannot cross the parade route once the cops close the streets. Plan your airport shuttle accordingly.
Why the 2025 Themes Matter
Every krewe has a secret theme. In 2025, Bacchus is doing "Louisiana Fairs and Festivals," which is a nod to the local culture. Rex, the King of Carnival, always picks something more academic or historical.
The themes dictate the "throws." If the theme is about the ocean, expect a lot of pearl beads and fish-shaped plushies. Part of the fun is seeing how creative the riders get with their costumes to match the float’s story.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Trip
If you haven't booked your hotel for Mardi Gras New Orleans 2025 yet, you’re already behind the curve, but it's not impossible. Look for spots in the Garden District or Lower Garden District if you want to be close to the parades but away from the Bourbon Street madness.
Start breaking in your walking shoes now. You will likely walk 5–10 miles a day just getting to and from the routes. Also, go ahead and buy a sturdy, reusable bag. You’re going to catch way more "swag" than you think, and those thin plastic grocery bags will snap under the weight of ten pounds of plastic beads.
Check the official parade schedules as February approaches, as the city sometimes shifts start times by 30 minutes depending on the weather or police staffing. Most importantly, remember the local mantra: "It’s a marathon, not a sprint." Pace your drinking, eat plenty of fried chicken and king cake, and just go with the flow.
When the "Second Line" starts playing and the sun goes down over the oak trees on St. Charles, you’ll realize why we do this every single year.