New Orleans events & things to do in December 2026
Start with St. Louis Cathedral, National WWII Museum, plus New Orleans Museum of Art and City Park. December in New Orleans averages 18°C / 65°F highs, 9°C / 48°F nights, and about 9 rainy days.
Expect 18°C/65°F days and about 9 rainy ones in December. Start with these:
- St. Louis Cathedral★ 4.8 · 5.0k reviewsThe cathedral on Jackson Square traces its parish to 1720, with the present triple-spired building completed in the 1850s after earlier fires and…
- National WWII Museum★ 4.8 · 29.7k reviewsThe museum opened in 2000 in the Warehouse District and grew from the Higgins Boats built in New Orleans for Allied landings.
- Outlander in ConcertDec 2Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts · Source: SeatGeek
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By TripSapien Research · Updated June 3, 2026
New Orleans in December 2026
Weather
TempTemperature
65°F / 48°F
18.2°C / 9.1°C
RainPrecipitation
9d
4.7in · 120mm
LightDaylight
10.1h
December is mild and damp, with Reveillon dinners, holiday bonfires upriver, and French Quarter lights drawing weekend demand.
Events & festivals
Event calendar- Dec 1 – Dec 31
Celebration in the Oaks
A beloved annual holiday light festival held in City Park featuring millions of lights, holiday displays, and festive activities for all ages.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 1 – Dec 31
Reveillon Dinners
Traditional Creole holiday dinners served at various New Orleans restaurants throughout December, celebrating the city's French heritage.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 2
Show all 39 events for December
- Dec 2
- Dec 3
- Dec 3
- Dec 4 – Dec 27
New Orleans ChristmasFest
A family-friendly holiday event with ice skating, holiday-themed rides, live entertainment, and visits with Santa Claus at the Ernest N.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 4
- Dec 4
- Dec 5
- Dec 5
- Dec 5
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- Dec 6
- Dec 7
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- Dec 11
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- Dec 12
- Dec 13
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- Dec 15
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- Dec 17
- Dec 17
- Dec 18 – Dec 20
Holiday New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
A special holiday edition of the famous Jazz Fest featuring local jazz, blues, and heritage music performances in various venues around the city.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 18
- Dec 19
- Dec 19
- Dec 20 – Dec 24
Caroling in Jackson Square
Evening holiday caroling sessions in the historic Jackson Square, featuring local choirs and musicians celebrating the season.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 20
Scott Bradlees Postmodern Jukebox - The Future Is Vintage World Tour
Music · Jazz.
Source: Ticketmaster
- Dec 27
- Dec 30
Holidays, observances & long weekends
Holiday and observance schedules can affect services and venue hours; confirm each place directly.
- Dec 25Christmas DayPublic holiday
- Dec 25-Dec 27Long weekend
About New Orleans
City overview
New Orleans sits on a bend of the Mississippi River, where the French Quarter, Tremé, Marigny, Bywater, Garden District, and Uptown turn Creole architecture, brass-band music, Catholic parade calendars, and river commerce into one city. The French and Spanish colonial grid, St. Charles Avenue streetcar, above-ground cemeteries, and festival schedule make the visitor map unlike any other U.S. city.
Food & drink
New Orleans food is specific: gumbo, jambalaya, red beans and rice, crawfish etouffee, po'boys, muffulettas from the Central Grocery orbit, oysters, pralines, and beignets at Cafe du Monde. Use the French Quarter for old Creole dining, Magazine Street for neighborhood restaurants, and the Tremé-Marigny-Bywater corridor for music plus late meals.
Top sights
Ranked for December suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1New Orleans Museum of Art and City Park
- 2Steamboat Natchez and Mississippi riverfront
- 3Mardi Gras World
- 4Frenchmen Street
- 5St. Charles Avenue Streetcar
- 6French Quarter and Jackson Square
- 7Audubon Park
- 8Garden District and Lafayette Cemetery No. 1
1New Orleans Museum of Art and City Park
4.7★ · 5,307indoorClosed MonNOMA opened in City Park in 1911 and holds French, American, African, Japanese, and decorative arts collections. The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden sits beside bayous and live oaks in the same park.
2Steamboat Natchez and Mississippi riverfront
4.4★ · 5,048indoorOpen dailyThe Natchez paddlewheeler docks near the Toulouse Street wharf and runs jazz cruises on the Mississippi River. The Moonwalk and Woldenberg Riverfront Park give free views of ships, bridges, and the French Quarter levee edge.
3Mardi Gras World
4.4★ · 5,338indoorOpen dailyBlaine Kern's warehouse on the riverfront shows parade floats, sculpted props, costumes, and workshop processes used by Carnival krewes. It is near the Convention Center and Warehouse District.
Wikipedia
Show 3 more sights
- 4Frenchmen Street
- 5St. Charles Avenue Streetcar
- 6French Quarter and Jackson Square
Neighborhoods
1French Quarter (Vieux Carré)
The Quarter is dense and old, with Jackson Square, Royal Street galleries, Bourbon Street bars, hidden courtyards, Creole townhouses, and the riverfront within a tight grid.
2Marigny and Bywater
Marigny and Bywater are downriver and music-heavy, with Frenchmen Street clubs, Crescent Park, colorful cottages, St. Claude Avenue venues, and neighborhood restaurants.
3Tremé
Tremé is tied to Black New Orleans culture, with Congo Square, Backstreet Cultural Museum, brass-band history, Creole cottages, and second-line routes near North Rampart Street.
Day trips
85km / 1-1.5h by car from the French Quarter
Oak Alley and River Road plantations
River Road sites such as Oak Alley, Whitney Plantation, and Laura Plantation interpret sugar estates, architecture, and enslaved labor along the Mississippi.
30km / 35-45min by car from the French Quarter
Barataria Preserve
The Jean Lafitte National Historical Park preserve has boardwalks through swamp, bayou, marsh, alligator habitat, and birding areas close to the city.
70km / 1h by car across Lake Pontchartrain Causeway
Abita Springs and the Northshore
The northshore route adds Abita Brewery, the Abita Mystery House, small towns, and the long bridge crossing over Lake Pontchartrain.
Getting around
RTA streetcars and buses cover the French Quarter edge, St. Charles Avenue, Canal Street, Rampart Street, cemeteries, City Park, and parts of Uptown using Le Pass fares. Walking works in the Quarter and Marigny, the St. Charles streetcar works for Garden District days, and rideshare is practical for late-night Bywater or airport trips.
Planning a New Orleans trip?
Add your dates and we'll check every place for closures, limited hours, and booking needs in December.
Common questions about New Orleans in December
- What to pack for New Orleans in December
Pack for December's weather, not a generic New Orleans checklist.
- Layerable daytime clothes for average highs around 18°C / 65°F.
- A light evening layer because nights average 9°C / 48°F.
- Compact rain gear and shoes that handle wet pavement across about 9 rainy days.
- How many days do you need in New Orleans
- 4 days covers the main New Orleans highlights at a realistic pace. Add 3 extra days if you want the listed day trips.
- Is New Orleans worth visiting in December
- Yes. December in New Orleans averages 18°C / 65°F highs, 9°C / 48°F nights, and about 9 rainy days.
Ready to plan New Orleans?
You've seen what's on — now get a day-by-day New Orleans plan for December 2026, every place checked for your exact dates.