There’s nothing better than being above the crowd on a Bourbon Street balcony watching all of it unfold below you. You’re in the mix of the madness without being trapped down on the street inside it. The crowd on the street is always ready to catch beads, and tossing beads from a balcony is an experience you can’t get anywhere else in the country. Add a confetti cannon at midnight, and there’s no better way to ring in the new year.

The Street Is Its Own Party

Bourbon Street on New Year’s Eve is a giant pub crawl that never stops moving. People are constantly coming and going from bars, drifting in and out of the crowd all night long. Many of our guests start the evening with dinner. New Orleans has more incredible restaurants than any one trip can cover. Our guests plan in advance for somewhere to actually celebrate and ring in the New Year. That’s where the balcony comes in. Revelry above, debauchery below.

Here’s something most people don’t know: the fireworks happen over the river, not over Bourbon Street. Depending on where the barge sits that night, you can sometimes see them from a balcony overlooking St. Peter Street — but we never advertise that, because we don’t control the barge. The Mississippi is a powerful river, and the tugs position it as best they can so the display is visible from Jackson Square. If our guests want a guaranteed view, they can grab a to-go drink and walk three short blocks to the square for the 15-minute show and then walk back to the party. Most don’t. Most would rather stay above the crowd, popping confetti and throwing beads, than watch the fireworks. Tossing beads from the balcony to the crowd is a bucket list experience, and people get carried away. It’s addictive.

The Mistake I Watch People Make Every Single Year

Book your dinner reservation in October. I’m not exaggerating. The good tables for New Year’s Eve in New Orleans go that early.

And ladies: bring a change of shoes. Nobody should be wearing heels while walking around the French Quarter, and I cringe every year as I watch women walk out barefoot because their feet gave out. Folding flats or flip-flops in a bag beats bare feet every time. People also drink more than they plan to, as the excitement of tossing beads to the crowd below has a way of doing that to you. Plan your footwear like you already know how the night’s going to go.

We offer early check-in around 4 pm specifically so guests can drop off a labeled bag with beads before the party even starts, then walk straight into it later without carrying anything extra. Drop a pair of shoes in the bags if you are wearing heels with your festive New Year’s Eve attire.

One more thing worth saying plainly: skip the beads from Amazon or Oriental Trading. That’s not what the street wants, and it shows. We started selling beads on-site because too many guests showed up with the wrong beads, and the truth is nobody ever brings enough anyway. You’ll throw more than you can carry. Even guests who drop off beads from local wholesalers run out of throws. We also refer our guests to a local wholesaler that delivers to us, so your beads are waiting for you.

Why Cornet Is the One I’d Send You To

If you’re asking me which balcony to book, it’s Cornet. It’s the biggest balcony on Bourbon Street, a covered gallery with ceiling fans and gas lanterns. A gallery balcony is a wide balcony with enough space for a few tables for guests to share, so they can actually set down a drink instead of holding it all night. We cap tickets at 150. This is the exact number the balcony comfortably holds.

Jackson Square sits just three short blocks behind it, and the St. Peter side of the balcony gets heavy foot traffic from people heading that direction.

Because Cornet is also a restaurant, children are technically allowed on the balcony — but they need a ticket just like everyone else. That’s not a technicality we throw in to sell more tickets. Balconies are all about real estate. Every person up there, kid or adult, takes up space that could go to another guest, and the reason our balconies feel like a true VIP experience is that we keep the guest count limited. We’re not going to let that slip just because a guest is small.

What You’d Be Missing Anywhere Else

Frenchmen Street gets called the “locals’ Bourbon” by New Orleans & Company’s marketing, and it’s just not true. More live musicians work Bourbon Street bars than Frenchmen can possibly support in the 3 short blocks, and Bourbon businesses have let that reputation get away from them for years. It’s a fight I can push back on, but I don’t control the tourism board’s messaging.

What I can tell you is this: Bourbon Street is the safest place in the city to be on New Year’s Eve. Security for our special events now includes an extensive camera system, local and state police, and National Guard presence, with the FBI working behind the scenes. The cross streets that stay open on a normal night get closed. Vehicle access into the Quarter is limited. It’s still a neighborhood, so residents need to get home and to work, but there’s no cruising through. Rideshares and taxis stage on the edges of the Quarter instead.

You’re not choosing between a party and a private event when you pick a Bourbon Street balcony for New Year’s Eve. You’re choosing to watch the biggest street party in the country from the best seat in the house, with a drink in your hand and a fistful of beads, while staying completely out of the crush below.