The New Orleans Giant Puppet Festival will welcome 2026 with its Twelfth Annual New Year’s Eve Masquerade and Benefit Ball, taking place Wednesday, December 31, 2025, beginning at 8:00 p.m. and continuing into the early hours of Thursday, January 1, 2026, through 12:15 a.m. The celebration will be held at New Marigny Theatre, located at 2301 Marais Street.

This festive evening promises a magical blend of live puppetry, music, and theatrical surprises, along with a costume showcase, an artisanal bar, and plenty of unexpected delights. Doors open at 8:00 p.m., with festivities officially beginning at 8:30 p.m. and carrying guests through midnight as the new year is welcomed together.

Performances throughout the night will feature Leroy’s Place, The Mudlark Puppeteers, Velvet Effigy, Playdoh Puppet Productions, Poose the Puppet, Sierra Kay, and Bixby Boss. Musical performances will include Drugstore Lipstick with Bimbo Yaga, Henhouse Hotbox, and DJ Paco. Food will be available for purchase from Wukong Ramen.

General admission tickets are $25, with children’s tickets available for $10. Guests are encouraged to secure tickets in advance by clicking here.

The Twelfth Annual New Orleans Giant Puppet Festival will take place April 9–13, 2026. The festival supports excellence in the puppetry arts by presenting local, national, and international artists—selected for their diversity and ingenuity—to the New Orleans community and audiences beyond. Through performance, education, and collaboration, the festival imagines hope in the form of new stories and extends this invitation to the world.