New Orleans is aiming to lasso a new kind of mega-event to plug one of the biggest holes in its 2026 tourism calendar. On Thursday, officials announced that Hondo Rodeo Fest — the fast-growing rodeo and country-music weekend that debuted in Phoenix in 2024 — will come to the Caesars Superdome in April, bringing three days of arena rodeo and nighttime stadium concerts.

The dates, April 10-12, were unveiled during the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation’s (GNOSF) Hall of Fame awards ceremony at the Superdome. State and city tourism leaders — still stung by the unexpected loss of WrestleMania , which had been slated for the same spring window — said the rodeo-and-music format is exactly the type of multi-day draw they need.

“We’ve got a lot of rodeo fans all over the state — I go to the

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