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. Because Easter can fall on any Sunday between March 23 and April 25, and Mardi Gras is always 47 days before Easter, Zulu and Rex can roll on any Tuesday between Feb. 3 through March 9. New Orleans weather on Mardi Gras Day can be unpredictable as well. It can be shorts weather in early February and you might very well need a coat in March. 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. 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 Dates New Orleans’ BIG annual event, Mardi Gras, is always the day before Ash Wednesday which itself is always forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays). But to simplify matters for carnival historians–and for those eager to partake in the revelries to come–here is a list of dates for Mardi Gras celebrations back to 1947 as well as for the years through 2050. Pass a good The Mardi Gras Carnival 2025 traditionally features large festivals and celebrations across the United States. The highlight being the Mardi Gras 2025 parade in New Orleans, in Louisiana, which typical consists of people wearing masquerades and dancing in the streets. 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! Mardi Gras is celebrated on Fat Tuesday, the last day of the Carnival season which always falls the day before Ash Wednesday, which is officially the first day of Lent. Our 2025 All-Inclusive Cruise and Mardi Gras in New Orleans package is now sold out, however we have 2026 and 2027 departures now on sale. This year Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans began on 6 January, the Epiphany, with a series of parades. 2026: 17 February: 2027: 9 Febraury: Tagged in:Carnival; Nueva Orleans; Luisiana; 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? 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. “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. Cruise the Caribbean onboard Norwegian Escape before spending 3 nights in New Orleans over Mardi Gras. 31 Jan 2026 . Fly from the UK . Day 1 . 31 Jan 2026 . New Most locals refer to Mardi Gras as the final two weekends of the celebration, when most of the parades and events take place. When to Visit for Mardi Gras in New Orleans. You can visit any time during Carnival (between January 6th and March 4th, 2025) to experience parades and festivities. When is Mardi Gras 2025? This year, Mardi Gras, which translates from French to "Fat Tuesday," is on March 4. Ash Wednesday is on March 5, the day marking the start of the 40-day Lenten season 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.
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