What to do in New Orleans in December 2026

162 events from Tuesday, December 1 to Thursday, December 31, 2026. Free: 1. Busiest venues: The Howlin' Wolf, Le Bon Temps Roule, The Fillmore New Orleans.

Tuesday, December 1, 2026

Visual arts
until Mar 31

Jim Hodges: Craig's closet

Jim Hodges

New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) · City Park
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Dec 28

Carlo Saraceni's Our Lady of Loreto and Peruvian Viceregal Statue Paintings

New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) · City Park
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Mar 31

Hanaq Pachap: Art of the Indigenous Guilds of Viceregal Peru

New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) · City Park
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until May 16

New Orleans Musicians in Art: Selections from the Permanent Collection

The Historic New Orleans Collection · French Quarter
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Dec 4

The Moss Mystique: Southern Women and Newcomb Pottery

Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane University · Uptown
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Jan 3

Sèvres Magnifique: French Porcelain from the Collection of Thomas B. Lemann

New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) · City Park
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Jan 17

American Revolution: The Augmented Exhibition

The Historic New Orleans Collection · French Quarter
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Feb 14

Come Back Fighting: USS New Orleans at War

The National WWII Museum · Warehouse District
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Apr 18

Drawn to Combat: Bill Mauldin and the Art of War

The National WWII Museum · Warehouse District
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Jan 10

The Dream is the Truth

Ogden Museum of Southern Art · Warehouse District
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Dec 4

Quiet Reserve: Stitching an Ambitious New Woman

Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane University · Uptown
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Mar 14

In the Eyes and Mind of the Feral Child: The Art of Tom McNease

Tom McNease

Ogden Museum of Southern Art · Warehouse District
- Visual arts
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Visual arts
until May 9

Bunny Matthews: His Life, Art, and Obsessions

Bunny Matthews

The Historic New Orleans Collection · French Quarter
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Feb 14

Second Nature: Japanese Rinpa Paintings from the Gitter-Yelen Collection

New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) · City Park
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Mar 9

Great Scott! The Life/Work of Carol Scott

Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans · Warehouse District
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Feb 14

Nic[o] Brierre Aziz: Sweet Surrender

Nic[o] Brierre Aziz

Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans · Warehouse District
- Visual arts
Music
4:30 PM

Blake Amos

Audubon Clubhouse
- Music
Music
8 PM

John R. Miller

Chickie Wah Wah · Mid-City
- Music
Tickets
Music
10 PM

Rebirth Brass Band

The Rabbit Hole
- Music

Wednesday, December 2, 2026

Music
5 PM

Mikayla Braun

Picnic Provisions & Whiskey
- Music
Music
6 PM

Gizinti Trio

Cafe Degas
- Music
Music
6 PM

Raphael Bas

Lobby Lounge at the JW Marriott · Central Business District
- Music
Music
8 PM

American Aquarium

Chickie Wah Wah · Mid-City
- Music
Tickets
Music
8 PM

Shakey Graves

Shakey Graves · Jobi Riccio

Tipitina's · Uptown
- Music
Tickets
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Music
Time not announced

Jodeci (35th Anniversary Tour of Forever My Lady)

Jodeci

Saenger Theatre · Central Business District
- Music
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

Outlander in Concert

Mahalia Jackson Theater of the Performing Arts · Tremé
- Music
Tickets

Thursday, December 3, 2026

Music
7 PM

Maria Bamford @ The Howlin' Wolf

Maria Bamford

The Howlin' Wolf · Warehouse District
- Music
Tickets
Cabaret
7 PM

Sausage Fest

The AllWays Lounge & Cabaret
- Cabaret
$10.84 Tickets
Music
7:30 PM

LPO: Classical Christmas - The Messiah

Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

Orpheum Theater · Central Business District
- Music
- Classical
Tickets
Music
8 PM

Da Lovebirds: Robin Barnes & Pat Casey

The Peacock Room
- Music
Music
10:30 PM

Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet

Vaughan's Lounge · Bywater
- Music
Music
11 PM

The Soul Rebels

Le Bon Temps Roule
- Music
- Soul
Comedy
Time not announced

Maria Bamford

The Howlin' Wolf · Warehouse District
- Comedy
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

The Casualties

Gasa Gasa · Freret
- Music
- Punk
Tickets

Friday, December 4, 2026

Music
6 PM

Raphael Bas

Lobby Lounge at the JW Marriott · Central Business District
- Music
Music
6:30 PM

Free Agents Brass Band

Blue Crawfish
- Music
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Music
8 PM

Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham

Chickie Wah Wah · Mid-City
- Music
Tickets
Music
8 PM

NEW ORLEANS PUNK WEEKEND #2 featuring LA CHAT 2026 @ Santos Bar

Santos · French Quarter / Marigny
- Music
- Punk
Tickets
Nights out
10 PM

SIDEQUEST- Live at the Metropolitan

The Metropolitan
- Nights out
$22.30 Tickets
Cabaret
10:30 PM

Venusian Nights: A Drag & Burlesque Spectacle

The AllWays Lounge & Cabaret
- Cabaret
$25.14 Tickets
Music
11 PM

65 North Pickers

Gasa Gasa · Freret
- Music
Music
11 PM

Hash Cabbage

Le Bon Temps Roule
- Music
Music
11:30 PM

Larry Keel & Jon Stickley (Late Show)

Larry Keel · Jon Stickley

Chickie Wah Wah · Mid-City
- Music
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

Billy Strings

Saenger Theatre · Central Business District
- Music
Music
Time not announced

Boney James

The Fillmore New Orleans · Central Business District
- Music
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

Boyfriend

Siberia · Bywater
- Music
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

Kitchen Dwellers (Billy Strings After-Party)

Kitchen Dwellers

The Joy Theater · Central Business District
- Music
Tickets

Saturday, December 5, 2026

Music
2 PM

Holiday Concert: Christmas Classics

New Orleans Opera Association (Opera Guild Home) · Lower Garden District
- Music
Tickets
Music
7 PM

Improvisations Gala 2026: The Coolest Night in New Orleans

New Orleans Jazz Museum · French Quarter / Frenchmen Street
- Music
Tickets
Music
7 PM

Will Kimbrough with Alex McMurray

Marigny Studios
- Music
Music
7:30 PM

Classical Christmas: Messiah

Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra · Central Business District
- Music
- Classical
Tickets
Music
11 PM

Basch Jernigan

Le Bon Temps Roule
- Music
Music
Time not announced

Boyfriend

Siberia · Bywater
- Music
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

Kitchen Dwellers (Billy Strings After-Party)

Kitchen Dwellers

The Joy Theater · Central Business District
- Music
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

Lauren Daigle: Behold Christmas Tour

Lauren Daigle · The Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Saenger Theatre · Central Business District
- Music
- Jazz
Tickets

Sunday, December 6, 2026

Music
7 PM

From a Cub, to a Tiger

Good Measure · Central Business District
- Music
$12.51 Tickets
Music
10:30 PM

Hot 8 Brass Band

The Howlin' Wolf · Warehouse District
- Music
Music
Time not announced

Lauren Daigle: Behold Christmas Tour (second show)

Lauren Daigle · The Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Saenger Theatre · Central Business District
- Music
- Jazz
Tickets

Monday, December 7, 2026

Music
7 PM

Don Broco

The Fillmore New Orleans · Central Business District
- Music
Tickets
Music
7 PM

Magnolia Park

The Fillmore New Orleans · Central Business District
- Music
Tickets

Everything on in New Orleans