Weekend Picks

Tipitina’s continues their free summer Fridays concert series this week. This Friday features Soul Brass Band + The Next Level Band. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 9 p.m.

The X Games Championship is coming to New Orleans for the first time, bringing a high-energy weekend of elite action sports and entertainment this July 24-26. As the final event of the inaugural MoonPay X Games League Summer Season, the championship will feature more than 100 of the world’s top athletes competing in 18 competitions across skateboarding, BMX and Moto X, along with live music and fan experiences throughout the weekend. On Friday, July 24, catch Metro Boomin' and J.I.D. and on Saturday, July 25, see Subtronics with BUNT. Nightly tickets start at $80 each. Packages are available if you’d like to purchase one ticket to see both the concerts and the sports.

Enjoy a week-long celebration of cocktails and mixology at the 24th annual Tales of the Cocktail® (TOTC) event, taking place from July 19-25. This global cocktail conference, organized by the nonprofit organization Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, aims to educate, advance, and support cocktail professionals and enthusiasts alike. New this year is Tales Passport, aimed at consumers rather than industry experts. With Tales Passport, enjoy special events like Tales House: The Immersive Cocktail Journey, The Cocktail Studio Series, and The Hidden Omakase Experience. Tickets vary in price by event; read our Ultimate Guide to Tales of the Cocktail here for more information.

Passion blazes hotter than the Louisiana sun in “The Rose Tattoo,” Tennessee Williams’s most joyful and life-affirming love story. In a tight-knit Gulf Coast community bursting with laughter, music, and desire, a grieving widow rediscovers the power of love when a wild, big-hearted truck driver crashes unexpectedly into her world. See this classic on the stage at Marquette Theatre this July 23 – August 9. Tickets are $57+.

The Americas selection of the Pastry World Cup and Bocuse d’Or returns to New Orleans and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center July 25-26 following a historic and highly successful debut in New Orleans in 2024. No other U.S. city has ever hosted this prestigious international culinary competition. A new twist is that Bocuse d’Or and Pastry World Cup will be held in conjunction with the Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) Showcase, the largest restaurant and hospitality industry tradeshow in the U.S. Gulf Region. Please note, the general public cannot buy tickets.

After five nights of intense musical competition, this weekend marks the final round of the 30th New Orleans International Piano Competition (NOIPC). The competition features 12 of the world’s best pianists hailing from six different countries. Tickets can still be purchased to the semifinal round performances each weeknight to enjoy the finalists as they each play the world premiere of Ancestor Tree, an original piece by New Orleanian and former MASNO alum Courtney Bryan. Be sure to catch the weekend performances of the final round beginning Friday, July 24. Just three finalists will battle it out on the stage with a full orchestra for the chance to win cash, performance, and recording prizes totaling over $100,000. Click here for more information and come find out why the NOIPC is “Where the World Comes to Play.”