LUNA Fête Returns to the Arts District
Photo courtesy of the Arts Council of New Orleans on Facebook
How would you like to add a free multi-block party that also happens to be a walkable art and technology experience to your fall roster of things to do? Not to mention, it’s interactive, kid-friendly, and full of light-based art.
LUNA Fête started as just one installation in 2014 on Lafayette Square (602 Camp St.) in downtown New Orleans. (It was a light and video projection illuminating Gallier Hall.) Since then, the celebration has spread from Gallier Hall to Piazza d’Italia (377 Poydras St.). This year, the Fête will be held for three nights, on Friday, November 13, through Sunday, November 15, 2026, from 6-10 p.m. nightly.
An annual presentation by the Arts Council of New Orleans, LUNA Fête marries art and technology in unprecedented ways, with emphasis on projection mapping, digital sculpture, and light installations. LUNA Fête was originally envisioned as a five-year initiative intended to culminate in New Orleans’ 2018 tricentennial, but it continued, now in its 12th year. Each year, the Arts Council grew the scope of its international partnerships with video-mapping artists and expanded the number of installations it commissioned and produced in New Orleans.
The idea of LUNA Fête hails from Europe. Take a visit to Lyon, France, in the winter, and you may see buildings crumble before your eyes, and then reassemble. What you are witnessing is a trick of art and illusion born partly from a digital process called “image mapping” at the Fête des Lumières, an annual illumination festival that lights up Lyon each winter.
The process is different from just projecting an image onto a building. Instead, a 3D model of the building is used to create an optical illusion that gives the impression the building is moving and changing.
Projection mapping, as an art form and as part of the free public festival, has been around in Europe but is relatively new to the U.S. It’s becoming more popular, though, especially because it’s interactive, kid-friendly, and pretty incredible to see in person.
But projection mapping isn’t the entirety of LUNA Fête. Past installations include huge snow globes that transformed light into a paintbrush. The spheres were sensitive to light, so the audience could interact with them, creating shapes and even their own portraits on the surface using flashlights, glow sticks, smartphones, or any other light-emitting device.
Other previously showcased pieces included audio and video installations with sonic lollipops, robot cave drawings, and a giant whale spouting techno music. As you might guess, all of the above goes over great with children, as do the street stands selling hot chocolate. This year, also expect a puppetry parade as well. This year, the event continues to explore the artistic focus of “Melody & Mythology.”
Come see how Luna Fête brings technology, film, and contemporary art together while using local iconic architecture in a unique, contemporary way!
Coming to New Orleans in the fall? Be sure to check out our resource for French Quarter Hotels!
