The word "Mardi Gras" means "Fat Tuesday" in the French language. Celebrations include festivals, parades, dancing and feasting before the fasting starting on Ash Wednesday Days to Mardi Gras 2026. Tuesday, February 17th is day number 48 of the 2026 calendar year with 11 months, 16 days until Mardi Gras 2026. Find out when Mardi Gras falls in New Orleans from 2025 to 2050. Learn how the date of Mardi Gras is tied to Easter and the moon, and see tips and photos for planning your Carnival trip. This year’s Carnival season lasts 58 days, from 12th Night on Jan. 6 to Mardi Gras on March 4. But next year, Mardi Gras falls on Feb. 17. That means celebrations in 2026 will pack into just 43 Mardi Gras, like Christmas, is a whole season - not just one day. That being said, Fat Tuesday is the biggest day of celebration, and the date it falls on moves around. You'll find that Fat Tuesday can be any Tuesday between Feb. 3 and March 9. Find out when Mardi Gras Carnival (New Orleans) 2026 falls and learn about its origins and traditions. The web page also shows the dates for Mardi Gras Carnival in other years and links to calendars and holidays. Today, New Orleans is the center of US Mardi Gras tradition and festivity, with huge costumed parades and long-running “wild” parties in the streets of the French Quarter this time of year. But Mobile, Alabama; Pensacola, Florida; Galveston, Texas, and other areas along the Gulf Coast with a strong French heritage also have longstanding Zulu parades through New Orleans on Mardi Gras on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate) 2026: Feb. 17; 2027: Feb. 9; Mardi Gras Dates Until 2030. March 4, 2025; February 17, 2026; February 9, 2027; February 29, 2028; February 13, 2029; March 5, 2030; Why Does Mardi Gras Date Move Each Year? The reason why the Mardi Gras date switches up like a jazz tune every year is all about the lunar cycle and this thing called Easter! There will be plenty of parades around New Orleans for the last few days of the carnival season leading up to Mardi Gras on Tuesday March 4. There will even be parades for dog lovers after the In New Orleans, it is a time of colorful pageantry and raucous celebrations that honor the diverse cultural influences of the city. From traditional brass bands to vibrant parades, the festival is a living testament to the community’s deep roots in French, Spanish, and Creole heritage. The Dates for Mardi Gras 2024, 2025, and 2026. In the Explore the official schedule of all current and upcoming events at Mardi Gras World in 2025/2026. Don’t miss the best events this season. These mesmerizing events will leave you breathless and provide great memories for years to come. Click on the Mardi Gras krewes below for further information about the krewe and to see their usual route for each parade. Please note: Events and activities are subject to change without notice. Stay tuned to the site for further info. New Orleans Mardi Gras: On March 2, 1699, French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville arrived at a plot of ground 60 miles directly south of New Orleans and named it "Pointe du Mardi Gras" when his men realized it was the eve of the festive holiday. By the 1730s, Mardi Gras was celebrated openly in New Orleans, but not Mardi Gras Day is March 4, 2025. Fat Tuesday is the last day of the Carnival season as it always falls the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. The official start of Carnival Season is Twelfth Night, January 6. Book your hotel room now and Reserve your Mardi Gras package. Want to know more about Mardi Gras in New Orleans? The Mardi Gras in New Orleans is on our bucket list! I’m starting to plan now. Mardi Gras is Feb. 17 next year. Ideally we will book an AirBNB on a streetcar line and use a JazzyPass to get around. We are planning to arrive about a week beforehand and return on Feb. 18th. New Orleans is known for its love of festivals and celebrating the rich histories of the city and its background. On your holiday to New Orleans, be sure to look out for: Mardi Gras: the biggest carnival in the USA, Mardi Gras has to be seen to be believed. A spectacular combination of parades, music, food, and perhaps a drink or two, Mardi The Mardi Gras in New Orleans is on our bucket list! I’m starting to plan now. Mardi Gras is Feb. 17 next year. Ideally we will book an AirBNB on a streetcar line and use a JazzyPass to get around. We are planning to arrive about a week beforehand and return on Feb. 18th. “Mardi Gras” (Fat Tuesday) merges religious and secular in an unrivaled expression of joie de vivre that concludes Carnival season. The one-and-only New Orleans Mardi Gras is a must-see experience at the heart of the Crescent City’s vibrant culture, where families watch parades on the same corner for years. The Mardi Gras in New Orleans is on our bucket list! I’m starting to plan now. Mardi Gras is Feb. 17 next year. Ideally we will book an AirBNB on a streetcar line and use a JazzyPass to get around. We are planning to arrive about a week beforehand and return on Feb. 18th. Mardi Gras, like Christmas, is a whole season - not just one day. That being said, Fat Tuesday is the biggest day of celebration, and the date it falls on moves around. You'll find that Fat Tuesday can be any Tuesday between Feb. 3 and March 9.
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