Skip to content
List your business

Best Nightlife in New Orleans (2026)

Nightlife in New Orleans revolves around live music. Preservation Hall in the French Quarter has protected and promoted traditional jazz since 1961, with performances every night, and tickets are best bought in advance. On Frenchmen Street in the Marigny, Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro runs two ticketed sets nightly, and other small clubs line the same few blocks. Uptown, Tipitina's, named after a Professor Longhair song, books R&B, funk, rock and jazz for audiences aged 18 and over.

For drinks with history, the Carousel Bar in Hotel Monteleone has been revolving since 1949, Napoleon House serves its Pimm's Cup in a building dating from the 1790s, and Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar occupies one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city. Many venues are 21 and over in the evening, so carry ID. Music often starts late, and Friday and Saturday nights are busiest. Use a taxi or ride-share when travelling between neighbourhoods late at night, and keep an eye on your belongings in crowded areas.

6 places · Updated October 27, 2026

Our top 3 nightlife in New Orleans

  1. Preservation Hall Traditional jazz hall, French QuarterA small French Quarter music hall founded in 1961 to protect and promote traditional New Orleans jazz, with live performances every night.
  2. Carousel Bar and Lounge Revolving hotel bar, French QuarterThe revolving, carousel-themed bar inside Hotel Monteleone, turning since 1949, with craft cocktails and live music seven nights a week.
  3. Tipitina’s Live music venue, UptownAn Uptown music club opened in 1977 and named after a Professor Longhair song, hosting R&B, funk, rock and jazz shows for audiences aged 18 and up.

Bar

3. Tipitina’s

Live music venue$$Uptown

An Uptown music club opened in 1977 and named after a Professor Longhair song, hosting R&B, funk, rock and jazz shows for audiences aged 18 and up.

View details — Tipitina’s