By evening the French Quarter is loud and full of movement. Music spills out of doorways along Bourbon Street, people drift between bars and restaurants with drinks in hand, and the crowds on the sidewalks keep going well past midnight.
New Orleans is a city that stays up late, and its nightlife is spread across distinct districts rather than concentrated in one strip. It suits visitors who want live music, food and drink in close range, and who are comfortable with crowds and noise. Much of the going out is done on foot, so pick an area and stay in it rather than trying to cover the whole city in one night.
Where to go out in New Orleans
1. Bourbon Street and the French Quarter
Bourbon Street is the city's best-known nightlife strip, running through the French Quarter, which is known for its French and Spanish Creole architecture. Expect a dense, boisterous scene with bars, music and crowds on the street itself. It suits a big, loud night out, and it is the easiest place to start if you are staying nearby.
The wider French Quarter also holds quieter streets, restaurants and live music venues, so you can move between the busy strip and calmer blocks on foot. The Quarter is also where several festivals and events take place, including French Quarter Festival in spring and the San Fermin in Nueva Orleans event in July.
2. Faubourg Marigny and Bywater
These neighborhoods sit downriver from the French Quarter and are known for a more local, relaxed night out. They are the main area for drag and burlesque performances, which take place every night of the week, and the community-run NOLA Drag and Burlesque Instagram page is a current source for what is on.
This suits visitors who want performance and music in a less frantic setting than Bourbon Street. You can walk or take a short ride from the Quarter, and the two neighborhoods are close enough to combine in one evening.
3. Faubourg Tremé and Esplanade Ridge
Tremé and Esplanade Ridge are historic neighborhoods worth strolling in the evening for architecture, local businesses and people-watching. They are quieter than the Quarter and better suited to an early drink or dinner followed by a walk than to a late, high-volume night.
Because these are residential areas, plan your evening around a specific destination rather than expecting a continuous strip of bars.
4. Uptown and Carrollton
Uptown and Carrollton are reached by the St. Charles Avenue streetcar, the oldest continuously operating streetcar in the United States. The ride itself is part of the evening, and the area suits a calmer night of dining and strolling away from the Quarter crowds.
Magazine Street Uptown is known for antique shopping, and the Garden District, which you pass through, is a common setting for walking tours. Allow time for the streetcar journey in both directions.
5. Central Business District
The Central Business District, next to the Quarter, holds the casino and is easy to reach on foot from the French Quarter. It suits a night that mixes gambling, dining and a walk back into the Quarter.
If you are combining the casino with the Quarter, the two are close enough that you do not need to plan transport between them.
6. Algiers Point
Algiers Point sits across the Mississippi and is reached by the pedestrian ferry from the foot of Canal Street. The crossing gives a view of the river, downtown and the Quarter, and the neighborhood itself is a quiet, historic place to walk.
This suits an early evening or a change of pace rather than a full night out. Check the ferry times before you cross, since you will need it to return.
7. Live music and performance venues
Live music is central to a New Orleans night, from jazz to Cajun, blues, R&B and gospel. Riverboat cruises sometimes carry jazz bands on board, and the Steamboat Natchez runs an evening cruise with boarding before departure, while the Creole Queen runs an evening cruise with a jazz band.
Drag and burlesque shows run nightly, mainly in the Marigny and Bywater but also elsewhere in the city. This suits anyone who wants a seated, ticketed performance as the centerpiece of the evening.
8. Walking tours and carriage rides
Evening walking tours cover Voodoo, jazz history, the French Quarter and the Garden District, and mule-drawn carriage rides pass landmarks including Bourbon Street, Jackson Square and the Mississippi. These suit a first night, when you want orientation and stories rather than a long stint in one bar.
Carriage tours are also available in the Garden District. Book ahead if you have a specific time in mind.
How a night out unfolds
New Orleans evenings tend to start with dinner and build from there, with the French Quarter busy late into the night. The sources describe nightlife as vibrant along Bourbon Street and note performances every night of the week, so you can go out on any day rather than saving it for a weekend. Riverboat evening cruises generally depart around 7PM with boarding beforehand, which makes them an early-evening option rather than a late one. Beyond that, the sources do not give fixed closing times, so treat the night as open-ended and plan around the district you have chosen.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Mardi Gras - the two weeks leading up to Ash Wednesday, with parades and parties throughout the city.
- French Quarter Festival - spring, usually the week before Jazz Fest, with free music at locations around the French Quarter.
- New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (Jazz Fest) - the last weekend in April and the first weekend in May, at the New Orleans Fairgrounds.
- Essence Festival - early July, at the Superdome and Convention Center.
- San Fermin in Nueva Orleans - July, in the French Quarter and CBD.
- Satchmo Summer Festival - August, held on and around the grounds of the Old U.S. Mint.
Frequently asked questions
Which area should I choose for my first night out?
The French Quarter is the simplest starting point, since Bourbon Street and much of the city's nightlife are there and it is walkable. If you want something calmer, the Marigny and Bywater are a short distance away.
Can I go out on a weeknight?
Yes. Drag and burlesque performances take place every night of the week, and the sources describe nightlife in the French Quarter as vibrant rather than limited to weekends.
Do I need to book riverboat cruises in advance?
Boarding begins before departure, and the sources advise arriving early, so it is worth booking ahead if you want a particular evening. The Steamboat Natchez and the Creole Queen both run evening cruises.
How do I get to Algiers Point at night?
Take the pedestrian ferry from the foot of Canal Street. It runs across the Mississippi to Algiers Point and back, and a day pass covers a round trip.
Decide which district fits the evening you want, check the ferry or cruise times if you are using them, and plan your night around one area rather than trying to see them all.