Entry No. 74 — the New Orleans file — filed under: after-dark
LUNA Fête
LUNA Fête is Arts New Orleans' free annual festival of light, art and technology that turns downtown into an after-dark canvas. From Gallier Hall to the Piazza d'Italia, facades and public spaces are washed in LED installations, lasers and large-scale projection-mapped artworks by local and visiting artists. The 12th edition is set for November 13-15, 2026.
The story
Once a year—when grant funding and local hustle line up—Arts New Orleans takes the downtown skyline and treats it like raw projection material. Neoclassical porticos, historic brick facades, and concrete plazas stretching from Gallier Hall on St. Charles Avenue down to the postmodern archways of the Piazza d'Italia get completely remapped in high-lumen lasers, custom LED arrays, and synchronized digital art.
Keeping a high-tech festival open to the public without charging admission is a delicate balancing act. When an $80,000 federal grant unexpectedly evaporated, organizers chose to hit pause on the 2025 edition and push the 12th festival to November 13–15, 2026, rather than throw up a paywall. That brief hiatus keeps the event's core promise intact: three nights where local video artists, software coders, and international sculptors hijack municipal architecture and turn quiet business blocks into a glowing open-air electronic gallery.
What it's like
Show up right after sunset. You will be following an informal walking trail through the Central Business District, drifting between full-scale building projections and smaller, interactive light installations tucked into plazas. The crowd is a mix of art students, neighborhood families, and evening walkers carrying drinks in plastic cups. Because the main projection loops run continuously, don't get bogged down in the dense crowd directly in front of Gallier Hall; hit the side-street installations first and circle back to the main facade during the final hour when the foot traffic thins out.
The move: Stroll the downtown light trail after sunset, finding each projection-mapped building and picking your favorite installation together.
📍 Before you go This is a three-night seasonal event (November 13-15, 2026), not a year-round venue; it is free and best experienced after dark.
- 📍 Downtown / CBD
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Gallier Hall to Piazza d'Italia, Downtown New Orleans, LA
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- The Sazerac House — Take a free cocktail history walkthrough three blocks away before stepping out into the nighttime light trail.
- Clue Carré — Swap projection-mapped buildings for local voodoo escape room puzzles just two blocks down in the CBD.
- Beachbum Berry's Latitude 29 — Warm up after your chilly November light walk with a tropical cocktail inside the lobby of the Bienville House.
Good to know
When is the next LUNA Fête happening?
The 12th edition is scheduled for November 13–15, 2026. The event was postponed in 2025 to secure replacement funding and maintain free admission.
Do I need tickets or a reservation?
No. LUNA Fête is entirely free and non-ticketed, set entirely in outdoor public spaces downtown.
Where does the light trail start and end?
The main footprint runs through Downtown / CBD, anchored by Gallier Hall on St. Charles Avenue at one end and the Piazza d'Italia near Poydras Street at the other.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: lunafete.org · artsneworleans.org · fox8live.com · wwltv.com · nola.com
last checked: 2026-06-23