New Orleans · Christmas in New Orleans
Christmas in New Orleans for Grown-Ups
New Orleans does Christmas its own way: Creole Réveillon dinners, candlelit carols in front of St. Louis Cathedral, bonfires on the Mississippi levee to light the way for Papa Noël, and the old live oaks of City Park strung with lights. Here are the 2026 dates and how to fit them around great meals and music.
- Lights
- Celebration in the Oaks, November 27, 2026-January 1, 2027
- Caroling
- Caroling in Jackson Square, December 20, 2026
- Bonfires
- Christmas Eve Bonfires on the Levee, December 24
- Music
- LPO's Messiah, December 3; Holiday Spectacular, December 17
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Celebration in the Oaks
Celebration in the Oaks lights up City Park from November 27, 2026 to January 1, 2027. It's been a New Orleans tradition since the late 1980s and is the park's biggest fundraiser. You can drive it (entrance at 4 Friederichs Ave) or walk it (7 Victory Ave); walking is better, because the lights hang in centuries-old live oaks.
Celebration in the Oaks, City Park
New Orleans City Park (walking tour entrance: 7 Victory Ave)
Heads-up: Runs November 27, 2026 to January 1, 2027 only.
City Park's holiday lights festival among the old live oaks, a New Orleans tradition since the late 1980s and the park's biggest fundraiser. Runs November 27, 2026 to January 1, 2027, as a walking tour (7 Victory Ave) and a driving tour (4 Friederichs Ave).
Tip: The walking tour is the one to do: you see the oaks up close and can stop for a hot drink.
Carols, concerts and bonfires
Caroling in Jackson Square, with candles in front of St. Louis Cathedral, is on December 20, 2026. French Quarter Festivals' holiday concerts at St. Louis Cathedral return in December; check its site for the 2026 schedule. The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra plays Messiah on December 3 and a Holiday Spectacular on December 17. On Christmas Eve, the Bonfires on the Levee are lit along the Mississippi upriver from the city to guide Papa Noël; tour companies run evening trips out from town.
Réveillon dinners
Réveillon began as the Creole feast eaten after midnight Mass. Today many of the city's classic restaurants serve multi-course Réveillon menus through December. The 2026 menus and participating restaurants are not yet published. The old French Creole rooms are where the tradition feels most at home: Galatoire's, and Commander's Palace in the Garden District.
Galatoire's
209 Bourbon St, French Quarter
French Creole cooking in a mirrored, paddle-fanned dining room that has barely changed in a century. Friday lunch is a long, lively local ritual; dinner is calmer.
Tip: Upstairs rooms take reservations; the first-floor room is still first come, first served.
Dress: Gentlemen need jackets after 5 p.m. and all day Sunday (loaners available)
Commander's Palace
1403 Washington Ave, Garden District
The turquoise Victorian landmark of Creole fine dining. The weekend jazz brunch, with a trio strolling between tables, is the classic grown-up New Orleans meal.
Tip: Jazz brunch runs Saturday and Sunday; book well ahead.
Dress: Business attire; jackets preferred for men, no shorts ever
Music and a nightcap
A short set at Preservation Hall is the best way to end a Christmas evening in the Quarter. For a drink, the Carousel Bar turns slowly in the Hotel Monteleone, and the Sazerac Bar at the Roosevelt serves its namesake in an Art Deco room. Finish with beignets at Café Du Monde, which is quieter late in the evening.
Preservation Hall
726 St. Peter St, French Quarter
The small, plain room that has kept traditional New Orleans jazz alive since the 1960s. Several short concerts run each evening with a rotating line-up of the Preservation All Stars and other house bands.
Tip: A limited number of seats can be reserved online; the rest are sold at the box office in the afternoon.
Carousel Bar & Lounge
Hotel Monteleone, Royal St
The city's only revolving bar: a 25-seat carousel that turns once every 15 minutes, in the hotel where Faulkner, Capote and Tennessee Williams drank. Live music plays in the lounge nightly.
Tip: Seats on the carousel are first come; the lounge tables are easier and closer to the music.
The Sazerac Bar
The Roosevelt Hotel, CBD
An Art Deco bar from 1938 with walnut panelling and Paul Ninas murals, once Huey Long's hangout. Order a Sazerac or a Ramos Gin Fizz.
Café Du Monde
French Market, Decatur St
The 1862 coffee stand for beignets and café au lait with chicory. Touristy, yes, and still worth it early in the morning or late in the evening when the line is short.
Our advice
- Plan around December 17-20 to catch the LPO Holiday Spectacular and Jackson Square caroling in one trip.
- Book Réveillon dinners as soon as the menus are announced; the best rooms fill quickly.
- Book the Christmas Eve bonfires as a tour; the levees are well upriver and roads are busy that night.
- Check current hours, event dates and prices before you go.
Everything on this page was checked on October 1, 2026, on each organizer's official site. Holiday dates, show runs and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Questions people ask
When is Celebration in the Oaks 2026?
November 27, 2026 to January 1, 2027, in New Orleans City Park, as a walking tour and a driving tour.
When is caroling in Jackson Square in 2026?
December 20, 2026, in front of St. Louis Cathedral.
What are the bonfires on the levee?
A Christmas Eve tradition: bonfires are lit along the Mississippi levee upriver from New Orleans to guide Papa Noël. They're on December 24; most visitors go on an evening tour.
What is a Réveillon dinner?
A multi-course Creole Christmas feast, once eaten after midnight Mass and now served on special menus at many New Orleans restaurants through December. The 2026 menus are not yet published.