February 21, 2025 | From City of New Orleans
The City of New Orleans Announces Public Safety and Coordination Preparations for Mardi Gras 2025
With the arrival of Mardi Gras 2025, the City of New Orleans, in partnership with local, state, and federal public safety agencies, has announced comprehensive public safety and event coordination measures. With a major focus on security, community engagement, and accessibility, this year's festivities will be supported by a broad network of law enforcement, emergency services, and agency partners.
The New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (NOHSEP) will activate the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) throughout the parades, with coordinating partners from local, state, and federal agencies. Due to the federal government’s update of Mardi Gras 2025 to SEAR 1 status, from February 21 to March 4, there will be an increased level of activation with enhanced coordination and prioritization of federal resources and personnel.
As part of the City's ongoing commitment to honoring the lives lost during the January 1st incident, the memorial is being relocated to the Presbyterian Museum. Signage will be prominently displayed to ensure the community continues to remember and pay tribute to those we have lost. This effort underscores the City's dedication to both remembrance and healing, ensuring that these individuals are not forgotten during the festivities.
Public Safety and Law Enforcement Reminders
Per Municipal Ordinance Section 34:33 (M.C.S. Ord. No. 30002), no items are to be placed on the public neutral ground and along the parade route more than four hours before the start of a parade.
The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) and other coordinating agencies will ensure that this ordinance is strictly enforced along parade routes, including bans on ladders taller than 6 feet, enclosures, open flames of any kind, gas or diesel generators, upholstered furniture, all portable toilets, scaffolding, confetti guns, mylar balloons, and unattended coolers. If you see an unattended cooler or anything else that may look out of place or suspicious, report it to local authorities or call 1-800-434-8007.
Always call 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency. If you call 9-1-1 and are on hold, please don’t hang up. Your call is in the queue, and it will be answered in the order it is received. If you hang up and call back, you will lose your place in the queue and start at the back of the line.
New Orleans Police Department (NOPD)
To ensure safety during Mardi Gras 2025, the City of New Orleans will have a robust law enforcement presence, with 600 NOPD officers dedicated to Mardi Gras operations, supported by the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, Louisiana State Police, and other state and federal public safety partners. Federal resources will include counterterrorism, rapid response teams, and over 100 plainclothes officers for public safety.
Key security measures include:
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Traffic Plans and Closures: Updated traffic plans will include interior and exterior closures of the French Quarter, implemented at the discretion of the 8th District Commander based on pedestrian traffic flow. Residents, guests, employees, and individuals with business in the closure areas will be allowed entry after verification.
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Vehicle Mitigation: Concrete barriers, wedge barriers, and a serpentine course on Saint Charles Avenue will be used to prevent threats.
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Federal Support: 11 federal agencies will provide tactical, air, maritime, and K9 support, along with specialized teams for explosives, intelligence, and field operations.
These coordinated efforts will help ensure the safety of all attendees during the Mardi Gras season.
New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD)
The New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) will inspect each Mobile Food Vendor Vehicle on parade routes. Fire Prevention will have an Inspector on call to respond to all Life and Safety complaints during the carnival season. NOFD will provide support for the placement of barricades and vehicle barrier placement as needed.
New Orleans Health Department (NOHD)
The New Orleans Health Department (NOHD) is once again ensuring the health and safety of parade-goers with its Mardi Gras First Aid Stations. Operated in partnership with New Orleans Emergency Medical Services (NOEMS), NOLA Ready Volunteers, the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), the American Red Cross, and official sponsor LCMC Health, these stations provide immediate medical assistance for minor injuries such as dehydration, heat exhaustion, and other non-life-threatening conditions. By offering on-site care, the NOHD First Aid Stations help alleviate strain on local hospitals and emergency services while keeping festivalgoers safe.
New for 2025: Nursing Nest & Sensory Bags
This year, NOHD is introducing two new initiatives aimed at making Mardi Gras more inclusive and family-friendly:
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LCMC Health Nursing Nest: For the first time, breastfeeding mothers and nursing parents will have access to private, clean, and quiet spaces at every First Aid Station. These individual nursing tents offer a comfortable and sanitary environment for parents to feed their babies away from the crowds.
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KultureCity Sensory Bags: Recognizing that Mardi Gras can be overwhelming for individuals with sensory sensitivities, NOLA Ready has partnered with KultureCity to provide free sensory bags at First Aid Stations. These bags, available from February 27 to March 4, contain specialized tools designed to help individuals of all ages remain calm and comfortable in high-stimulation environments.
For more information, visit nola.gov/health.
For health precautions, flu and COVID vaccinations are encouraged as part of ongoing respiratory virus season efforts. Major pharmacies will be available for vaccinations and other health services, and parade-goers are encouraged to get vaccinated ahead of parade attendance.
Recycle Dat
The 3rd annual Recycle Dat!, a Mardi Gras Recycling Initiative aimed at creating a more environmentally sustainable Mardi Gras, provides on-route Recycling Stations where parade-goers can drop off beads, aluminum cans, plastic bottles, and glass at any of the 8 recycling hubs open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the day parades of Feb. 22-23 and March 1-2.
Parade-goers who turn in full bags of cans, bottles, or throws at recycling stations during the route recycling program are eligible to win prizes as part of a sweepstakes from local sponsors as part of the Recycling Rewards Program.
For more information, visit https://recycledat.org.
Regional Transit Authority (RTA)
The Regional Transit Authority (RTA) is fully prepared for the influx of parade-goers, with additional ferry services and adjustments to streetcar schedules to accommodate the expected crowds. Bus detours will begin two hours before the parade start time and remain in effect until the parade route is cleared. The streetcar will continue operating up to two hours before the parade start time, if conditions allow, through the first weekend of parades. Tentatively starting Thursday, February 27th, or as conditions warrant, streetcar service will be suspended until after Mardi Gras Day. An additional ferry will be placed into service on parade days, with extended operating hours.
RTA reminds residents and visitors to avoid camping out or parking on streetcar tracks to ensure safe, timely, and uninterrupted operations. Text RTAUPDATES to 41411 to receive notifications directly on your mobile.
For up-to-the-minute info, visit NORTA.com/mardi-gras-2025, download the LePass app, or call the RTA Rideline at 504-248-3900 to speak to a customer experience agent.
Department of Sanitation
There will be no trash/recycling collection outside of the French Quarter (FQ) and Downtown Development District (DDD) on Tuesday, March 4. Collections for the rest of the week will be delayed by one day, running through Saturday, March 8.
The NOMTOC cleanup, followed by Krewe of Thoth and Bacchus parades, will take place on Sunday, March 2.
N. Claiborne Ave. clean-up from Orleans Ave. to St. Bernard Ave. will be conducted on Wednesday, March 5.
To stay updated during Mardi Gras in New Orleans, visit ready.nola.gov/mardi-gras for information on parade routes, first aid stations, lost child stations, recycling hubs, public toilets, and more. For real-time alerts on parade delays, weather impacts, and more, register by texting "MARDI GRAS" to 77295.