Projected: French Quarter Fest Weekend Hotel Occupancy to Exceed 2025 Levels
April 15, 2026
NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans & Company projects hotel occupancy for French Quarter Festival 2026 weekend will be above 90 percent Friday and Saturday nights, and will exceed 2025 levels across every night of the event, signaling continued strength in spring tourism demand. Several conventions and meetings in town this weekend also are contributing to the strong projections.
French Quarter Festival**
2025 Hotel Occupancy FINAL
2026 Hotel Occupancy PROJECTED
Thursday
76%
76%
Friday
89%
93%
Saturday
92%
94%
Sunday
69%
72%
**It is important to note that projected hotel occupancy is one measure of overall success. Along with French Quarter Festival, 28 percent of business over this weekend is comprised of convention and group business. For example, New Orleans & Company is hosting the American Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, a meeting that begins April 18 with 2,000 people.
The organization highlighted how the city continue to build momentum with a diverse layering of spring business including the American College of Cardiology citywide convention, a sold-out Crescent City Classic, Easter parades and festivities, multiple galas and special events, Hogs for the Cause and the inaugural Hondo Rodeo. Hondo Rodeo Fest CEO James Trawick confirmed the event would return to New Orleans for 2027. Hogs for the Cause welcomed huge crowds to the UNO Lakefront Festival Grounds this weekend and raised a record-breaking $6.65 million for pediatric cancer.
