The opening hours of the new year were hard on the Crescent City when a homegrown radicalized Islamic terrorist struck at the soft underbelly of New Orleans as Shamsud Din-Jabbar went on a murderous rampage in the French Quarter until he was thankfully taken out by police and thus saving the lives of many more potential victims.

In the aftermath, officials on the federal, state, and city levels came together quickly to ensure that the Sugar Bowl was played after a brief delay, the most watched Super Bowl in television history was flawlessly staged, and Carnival rolled out on to the streets though with additional security measures to protect the public.

New Orleans has rebounded in quick order from tragedy and is basking in the afterglow of a successful Super Bowl that has influencers talking about the need to return to the Big Easy sooner than later.  Only days after the big game, it was announced that music icons Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks will share a stage in the Caesars Superdome in October.

And that news was followed with an even bigger score: World Wrestling Entertainment’s Wrestlemania would be held in New Orleans in April 2026.  Though not on the scale of a Super Bowl, the WWE’s marquee annual event is not just a wrestling show.

Lasting five days the professional wrestling extravaganza utilizes both the host city’s primary large stadium for the two-evening main event and the nearby smaller arena for two supporting televised programs.  Supporting events are held at an area convention facility and that’s not including unaffiliated “piggyback” events held at smaller venues that draw crowds and commerce.

In a press release issued by the WWE, it was estimated that Wrestlemania 34, which was held in New Orleans in 2018, had an estimated $175 economic impact in the New Orleans area, attracting fans from all 50 states and 67 countries.  International tourists are the most coveted as they tend to stay in the city longer and spend more money.  Of that $175 million economic impact figure, it was projected that area hotels received $22 million and local restaurants reaped almost $10 million in spending.

By comparison, Taylor Swift’s three-night Era’s Tour stop in New Orleans in October had an estimated $200 million economic impact.

And judging by the promotional takeover of Las Vegas (site of Wrestlemania 41) by the WWE, the Crescent City should expect to have a Super Bowl-esque atmosphere in April 2026 and with the expansion of WWE programing and its increased reach to foreign markets, Wrestlemania 42’s economic impact should approach the quarter of a billion mark in New Orleans.

Beyond the dollars and cents, the WWE seemed to have a genuine interest in returning to New Orleans for its third Wrestlemania in 12 years.

At a press conference held shortly after the announcement on WWE programing, Dwayne Johnson- popularly known as The Rock from his wrestling “era” and now board member and part owner of TKO Group Holdings that is the parent company of the WWE- shared his long history with the city while accompanying family members who were in the business during the Mid-South days of the 1980s.

Johnson talked about the legacy of pro wrestling in New Orleans that was anchored by regional stars such as the late Junkyard Dog (Sylvester Ritter) and the southern bad boy group The Fabulous Freebirds and the profound impact New Orleans music had on him.  Johnson also shared his personal connection with former LSU Tigers football head coach Ed Orgeron.

Johnson also mentioned that the success of previous Wrestlemanias in New Orleans and the recent over half-billion of renovations invested in the Caesars Superdome- now entering its sixth decade of life- were major factors in the decision to bring one of the top entertainment events in the world back to south Louisiana.

Beyond what happens in the ring, the hope is that the tens of thousands of pro wrestling fans traveling from across the globe will return home fans of New Orleans and anxious to return.

After scoring a string of major entertainment announcements that will generate tens of millions for the region, New Orleans convention and state tourism officials are in a strong position to parlay the success of these past few weeks to land additional major sporting events- specifically future Men’s and Women’s Final Four, which have been awarded to other cities through 2031.