WrestleMania is coming back to New Orleans for The Showcase of the Immortals at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. But even though the main event isn’t scheduled until Sunday April 8th, there’s so much more going on in town before that. The WWE is bringing a lot of events to NOLA.
From April 5th to April 8th (and a few days after), New Orleans will be packed with tens of thousands of wrestling fans there to see more matchups, meet with the pros, get autographs, and check out all the other events… with some boozing on Bourbon Street thrown in for good measure, we assume. If you’re heading to the Big Easy, here are just some of the things you may want to add to your schedule.
WrestleMania Axxess
From Thursday through Sunday at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in downtown New Orleans, fans can come out to meet WWE Superstars, get autographs, take photos, check out wrestling memorabilia, and attend Q&As. There will also be a few matches and contests in the main ring.
Check out the list of appearances if you want to get a particular Superstar’s autograph or snap a pic with them. Different wrestlers are scheduled on different days and some sessions with the really big guys – like Goldberg, AJ Styles, Asuka, and Shinsuke Nakamura – are designated as “Premium VIP.”
You can get tickets here. Special VIP entry even comes with a glossy 8×10 photo.
The 2018 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Goldberg is getting inducted into the Hall of Fame, you guys! And you can go watch at 6PM on Friday, April 6th at the Smoothie King Center. You’ll see other Superstars like Ivory, Hillbilly Jim, Bubba Ray Dudley, and D-Von Dudley too. Get your tickets here.
NXT TakeOver
On Saturday April 7th, this WWE brand’s event takes place at the Smoothie King Center. These NXT TakeOvers are specials that happen periodically throughout the year, often featuring long-awaiting, hyped-up bouts. The last one was in February in Atlanta, but Wrestlemania weekend seemed like the perfect opportunity for some more exciting matchups.
So far, they’ve got the schedule set with the following contests: Aleister Black vs. Andrade Almas, the last round of the The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, and Ember Moon vs. Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship. But there’s still plenty of room for surprises. You can buy tickets here.
Explore NOLA!
Visiting New Orleans is basically a vacation in itself, and the fact that Wrestlemania caps off the weekend is just extra convenient. So while you’re not watching the WWE Superstars battle it out, you should definitely check off some must-do activities around town.
Take advantage of those fun (ie, non-existent) open-container laws and stroll around Bourbon Street with a hurricane cocktail in your hand. Explore the old historical homes of the French Quarter. Eat all the beignets, gumbo, jambalaya and po’boys your cholesterol levels can handle. Listen to some live jazz music around town. Take a swamp tour!
There’s other stuff going on besides the tons of events planned by the WWE. If you want to catch some NBA action while you’re in town, the New Orleans Pelicans are taking on the Memphis Grizzlies on April 4th. On Saturday April 7th, you can also attend the Freret Street Festival which features tons of Cajun and Creole food, music from several bands, and over 200 vendors. There are parades, children’s activities, and arts and crafts that span six vibrant city blocks.
This year also marks 300 years since the founding of New Orleans and the city is celebrating all of 2018. So if you’re into history, you can check out the Tricentennial Exhibit, take tours, visit galleries, and check out concerts and lectures around town.
Wrestlemania 34
This is what you came for. The main event takes place at 4:30PM on Sunday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. So what exactly are fans getting excited about?
For one, Ronda Rousey is just jumping from the MMA world of UFC to WWE Superstar and she’ll team up with Kurt Angle to take on Steph McMahon and Triple H in a mixed tag-team match.
There’s also the major potential for a few belts to change hands. The Intercontinental Championship is on the line in a three-way matchup between current champion The Miz, Seth Rollins, and Finn Balor. We’ll also see the WWE Championship between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura. And finally, the Universal Championship between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns that’s been a long time coming.
There are lots of other matchups being predicted, including ones involving our favorite female Superstars as well as the much-speculated battle between The Undertaker and John Cena. Get your tickets here.
Monday Night Raw and Smackdown LIVE
If you’re super hardcore and plan to stick around past the weekend, you can head to the Smoothie King Center for more WWE action, matchups, and the tapings of Monday Night Raw and Tuesday’s Smackdown LIVE. Expect to see wrestling stars like Charlotte Flair, The Shield, AJ Styles, Randy Orton, Alexa Bliss, The New Day, Bray Wyatt, and more!
Oh man, there are SO many other wrestling events going on from Thursday through Sunday that we haven’t even covered here. For a full list of weekend matchups, panels, podcasts, and more, check here.
We do not sell your information to third parties