Southern Decadence
New Orleans's big LGBTQ+ celebration, over Labor Day weekend, with a walking parade through the French Quarter on the Sunday afternoon.
- When
- Labor Day weekend (the first Monday of September and the days before), with the grand marshals' walking parade on the Sunday afternoon. (source, checked 2026-10-26)
- Where
- French Quarter and Marigny; the parade starts at the Golden Lantern bar on Royal Street
- First held
- 1972
- Admission
- Street events free; parties ticketed
- Official site
- southerndecadence.com/
Usual pattern, not announced · 305 days away
About Southern Decadence
Southern Decadence traces its beginnings to a costume party among friends in August 1972. It has grown into a five-day weekend of street parties, dances and a costumed walking parade led by grand marshals, centred on the bars of lower Bourbon Street and the Marigny.
There is no single organiser: the parade has its own committee, and bars and promoters run the parties. It was cancelled in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina and in 2020 and 2021.
Tips
- Labor Day weekend is the peak of hurricane season. Keep an eye on the National Hurricane Center's outlook in the week before you travel.
Dates, 2026–2035
| Year | Dates | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Thu–Mon 3–7 Sep | Usual pattern, not announced |
| 2027 | Thu–Mon 2–6 Sep | Usual pattern, not announced |
| 2028 | Thu–Mon 31 Aug – 4 Sep | Usual pattern, not announced |
| 2029 | Thu–Mon 30 Aug – 3 Sep | Usual pattern, not announced |
| 2030 | Thu–Mon 29 Aug – 2 Sep | Usual pattern, not announced |
| 2031 | Thu–Mon 28 Aug – 1 Sep | Usual pattern, not announced |
| 2032 | Thu–Mon 2–6 Sep | Usual pattern, not announced |
| 2033 | Thu–Mon 1–5 Sep | Usual pattern, not announced |
| 2034 | Thu–Mon 31 Aug – 4 Sep | Usual pattern, not announced |
| 2035 | Thu–Mon 30 Aug – 3 Sep | Usual pattern, not announced |
"Usual pattern" rows project the timing described above onto each year. They are not dates: organisers set them, and they sometimes break the pattern (see how often the patterns held).
Recent: 2024: 29 Aug – 2 Sep 2024; 2025: 28 Aug – 2 Sep 2025.
Sources
- southerndecadence.com/ (2025 dates; checked 2026-10-26)
- sdparade.com/ (2026 parade date and time; checked 2026-10-26)
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Decadence (1972 origin; cancelled 2005, 2020, 2021; checked 2026-10-26)