NEW ORLEANS – Everyone has heard the good news about Super Bowl LIX and the fact that it shattered records in New Orleans, but Carnival season was also an enormous success, with Mardi Gras 2025 welcoming close to 1 million revelers between Feb. 28 and Mar. 5 according to the Downtown Development District.
Visitation peaked on Mar. 1 when over 327,400 parade-goers gathered for carnival parades including Iris, Tucks, and Endymion. Ticket sales for the parade viewing stands along the St. Charles Avenue route increased by 12%, with sales evenly split between tourists and locals.
Mardi Gras 2025 was significantly larger than last year’s turnout. According to the New Orleans Downtown Development District, festive activities extended beyond the parade route to popular destinations like Riverwalk Outlets, Caesars New Orleans, and Canal Place, driving local spending and regional economic growth.
And the influx of visitors nearly filled every hotel room in the area, with occupancy rates reflecting levels seen before the pandemic
Downtown and French Quarter hotels, totaling 26,000 rooms, averaged nearly 87% occupancy from Feb. 28 through Mar. 4—peaking at 95% on Mar. 1—even before accounting for approximately 6,000 short-term rental units reported Stephanie Riegel of Nola.com.
In comparison, Mardi Gras 2024 averaged 81% occupancy and never surpassed 90%.
Boutique and French Quarter hotels performed particularly well; the six properties owned by the Valentino family—Place d’Armes Hotel, Prince Conti Hotel, Hotel St. Marie, French Market Inn, The Brakeman Hotel, and Alder Hotel Uptown—averaged 95% occupancy.
Jayson Seidman, owner of The Columns, The Drifter, The Frenchmen, and Hotel Saint Vincent, reported a 20% revenue increase over last year, with Hotel St. Vincent fully booked.
With more than 50 parades traveling along major routes such as St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street, restaurants and bars thrived. “Friday Gras” was particularly active with brunches and lunches kicking off the weekend before Mardi Gras. New Orleans bars and music venues also experience maxed-out attendance for days in advance.
The festivities generate nearly $900 million in revenue, according to a study commissioned by New Orleans & Company, and accounts for approximately 4% of the city’s annual income.
By comparison, Super Bowl LIX had 65,719 spectators and is projected to have an economic impact of around $1 billion, roughly the same amount as Mardi Gras 2025.
When it comes to food and drink during the game, Sodexo Live! served 5,000 orders of nachos, 1,500 gallons of gumbo, and over 1,000 pounds of lobster, while more than 1,000,000 ounces of beer and over 100 pounds of local oysters were consumed.
While precise figures aren’t available for the amount of food and beer consumed during Mardi Gras 2025, New Orleans saw King Cakes flying off the shelves as early as Twelfth Night or Epiphany on Jan. 6th with sales continuing throughout Carnival season.
