New Orleans events & things to do in October 2026
Start with French Quarter and Jackson Square, Audubon Park, plus St. Louis Cathedral. October in New Orleans averages 27°C / 81°F highs, 18°C / 64°F nights, and about 7 rainy days.
Expect 27°C/81°F days and about 7 rainy ones in October. Start with these:
- French Quarter and Jackson Square★ 4.7 · 28.4k reviewsThe French Quarter is the 18th-century colonial core, and Jackson Square sits where the Place d'Armes faced the Mississippi River.
- Audubon Park★ 4.7 · 8.8k reviewsThe Uptown park sits beside the Mississippi River and Tulane University, with live oaks, lagoons, walking paths, golf, and the Audubon Zoo.
- PouyaOct 1The Fillmore - Atop Harrah's Casino · Source: SeatGeek
30% off a Going membership when you plan your trip.
By TripSapien Research · Updated June 3, 2026
New Orleans in October 2026
Weather
TempTemperature
81°F / 64°F
27°C / 17.9°C
RainPrecipitation
7d
3.7in · 95mm
LightDaylight
11.3h
October is one of the best months, with Voodoo-season events, Halloween crowds, and comfortable nights in the Marigny.
Events & festivals
Event calendar- Oct 1 – Oct 29
- Oct 2
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Show all 39 events for October
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$uicideboy$ Present Grey Day Tour 2026 W. Destroy Lonely & More
Music · Hip-Hop/Rap.
Source: Ticketmaster
- Oct 15
- Oct 16 – Oct 18
From Blues to Funk, this festival celebrates the past while fueling the future, all while supporting local talent.
Source: festival calendar
- Oct 17
- Oct 18
- Oct 19
- Oct 20
- Oct 21 – Nov 1
Arts & Theatre · Theatre.
Source: Ticketmaster
- Oct 22 – Oct 26
- Oct 24
- Oct 26
- Oct 27
Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds - Mutiny For The Masses 2026 Tour
Music · Country.
Source: Ticketmaster
- Oct 28
- Oct 29
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (minors must be accompanied by a guardian)
Arts & Theatre · Theatre.
Source: Ticketmaster
- Oct 30 – Oct 31
Voodoo Music + Art Experience 2026
Annual music and arts festival held in City Park featuring a diverse lineup of artists across multiple genres, along with art installations and food vendors.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Oct 31
Halloween in the French Quarter 2026
City-wide Halloween celebrations including costume parties, parades, and themed events throughout the historic French Quarter.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
Holidays, observances & long weekends
Holiday and observance schedules can affect services and venue hours; confirm each place directly.
- Oct 12Columbus DayPublic holiday
- Oct 10-Oct 12Long 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 October suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1St. Louis Cathedral
- 2National WWII Museum
- 3New Orleans Museum of Art and City Park
- 4Frenchmen Street
- 5Garden District and Lafayette Cemetery No. 1
- 6Steamboat Natchez and Mississippi riverfront
- 7Mardi Gras World
- 8St. Charles Avenue Streetcar
1St. Louis Cathedral
4.8★ · 5,019indoorOpen dailyThe cathedral on Jackson Square traces its parish to 1720, with the present triple-spired building completed in the 1850s after earlier fires and rebuilds. It anchors Chartres Street beside the Cabildo and Presbytere.
2National WWII Museum
4.8★ · 29,728indoorOpen dailyThe museum opened in 2000 in the Warehouse District and grew from the Higgins Boats built in New Orleans for Allied landings. Exhibits cover the European and Pacific theaters, aircraft, oral histories, and the U.S. Freedom Pavilion.
Wikipedia
3New 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.
Show 3 more sights
- 4Frenchmen Street
- 5Garden District and Lafayette Cemetery No. 1
- 6Steamboat Natchez and Mississippi riverfront
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 October.
Common questions about New Orleans in October
- What to pack for New Orleans in October
Pack for October's weather, not a generic New Orleans checklist.
- Layerable daytime clothes for average highs around 27°C / 81°F.
- A light evening layer because nights average 18°C / 64°F.
- A small umbrella or packable shell for scattered rain across about 7 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 October
- Yes. October in New Orleans averages 27°C / 81°F highs, 18°C / 64°F nights, and about 7 rainy days.
Ready to plan New Orleans?
You've seen what's on — now get a day-by-day New Orleans plan for October 2026, every place checked for your exact dates.