New Years parties in New Orleans live up to the partying image of this fabled city on the Mississippi River. The city is such a popular tourist attraction and is known for so many things that the 2023 New Years events in New Orleans will be only one part of the year-round party schedule. This is not to diminish New Years Eve in bayou country. It is as fun and crazy as anywhere else in the world and has a decidedly Mardi Gras feel.

One of the biggest New Orleans New Years Eve events is the Street Party in the French Quarter. There is a fireworks display at midnight and all of the clubs and bars in the districts open early and stay open late. As you might imagine a throng of people descend upon the French Quarter to ring in the holiday and take New Years photos of the show. As such, be prepared for congestion. This is the meeting place for one of the largest New Years parties in New Orleans. Rather than attempting to take a car into the chaos, opt for public transport or a taxi. Besides the many New Years parties in New Orleans that take place in luxury hotels and restaurants, and inside bars and homes, several popular events open to the general public are a great option. The Street Party is one of the best in the city.

For another flavor of the city on the big night head down to Decatur Street in front of Jackson Square for the NOLA New Year’s Eve celebration. You can watch a ball (known as “Baby Bacchus”) drop from Jax Brewery as fireworks light the sky above the Mississippi River. New Orelans New Years Eve celebrations rival any other in the south including Miami, Atlanta, and Houston. At the NOLA celebration, the crowds line the streets and enjoy a number of bands and DJs, a midnight toast, and the company of like-minded partiers taking in the New Year festivities in one of the most exciting cities in the United States.

One of the most exclusive and elegant New Years events in New Orleans is the Ritz Carlton Black Tie Dinner. For a couple hundred dollars, you secure a reservation that includes dinner, hors d’oeuvres, top-shelf liquor, and entertainment. This is a fine way to spend the evening in a classy and intimate way. Other hotels and restaurants offer similar package deals for an all-inclusive New Years celebration. Make sure to book your reservations plenty of time in advance.

You could also choose to spend your 2023 New Orleans New Years Eve on one of the cruise ships. The Creole Queen, for instance, steams passengers up the Mississippi for an enchanting passage into the New Year from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. For about $100 for adults and $70 for children, you get a nice buffet and hors d’oeuvres, open bar, and entertainment with dancing. When you celebrate New Years on a cruise ship there is also the added benefit of having uninterrupted views of all of the midnight fireworks from the river.

There are so many New Years events in New Orleans that now it is just a matter of choosing which manner of celebration suits you. Whether you take in some of the legendary New Orleans nightlife at one of the general public celebrations downtown or ring in the New Year in the intimate setting of a private club or restaurant, you are sure to enjoy a charming evening in the Big Easy. Experiencing a New Orleans New Years Eve is something that you will not soon forget.