NEW ORLEANS, La., Nov. 9, 2026. The first North American tour of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is filling in its 2027 calendar, and New Orleans is on it. The play is listed at the Saenger Theatre, 1111 Canal Street, for eight performances from Tuesday, May 11, through Sunday, May 16, 2027.

The Gulf South stop comes as the tour adds cities across the country. In Nashville, the production is set to make its local debut at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center a few weeks earlier, from April 27 to May 9, according to Encore Magazine's report on the touring production. The Saenger's dates follow close behind.

Nineteen years later

The play picks up where the last Harry Potter book ends. Harry is now an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic and the father of three. His younger son, Albus, has a hard time living in his father's shadow, and his unlikely friendship with Scorpius Malfoy, son of Harry's old school rival Draco, drives most of the story. A stolen Time-Turner sends the two boys back into events that readers of the books will recognize.

Jack Thorne wrote the script from an original story by J.K. Rowling, Thorne and director John Tiffany. The production opened in London's West End in 2016 and on Broadway in 2018, where it won the Tony Award for Best Play. Much of its reputation rests on its stagecraft: quick-change illusions, wands that seem to work, and staging that makes magic happen in plain view without screens or projections doing the heavy lifting.

At its heart the play is about fathers and sons. Harry never had a parent to learn from, and it shows in the way he talks to Albus. That thread, more than the spells, is what has kept the production running for years in London and New York. Longtime readers will catch dozens of references, but the story is written to make sense to people who only know the films.

On Broadway, the show continues with a rotating cast. New members recently joined the company at the Lyric Theatre, where Tom Felton, the film series' Draco Malfoy, is playing the role through Jan. 3, and Rupert Grint joins the company on Feb. 2. The touring company has its own cast.

Every performance time for New Orleans is on the guide's page for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Saenger Theatre.

The New Orleans performances

Note the start times. Only opening night begins at 7:30 PM. The rest of the evening performances begin at 7:00 PM, a half hour earlier than many touring shows. The listing recommends arriving at least 30 minutes ahead. Weekend matinees are the natural choice for families with younger fans, though parents of very young children may want to read up on the story's darker turns first.

A 1927 palace on Canal Street

The Saenger opened in 1927 as a movie and stage palace for the Saenger Amusement Company. Architect Emile Weil designed the auditorium as an atmospheric theater, meant to feel like an open-air Italian courtyard under a night sky, with a ceiling of small lights set into deep blue plaster to suggest stars. Few audiences forget their first look up.

Hurricane Katrina flooded the theater in 2005, and it stayed dark for years. A full restoration returned it to use in 2013, and since then it has been the city's main house for touring Broadway shows and large concerts. Recent Google reviewers call it stunning and say there is not a bad seat in the house, with one fair warning: there are lots of stairs.

The spring schedule after Cursed Child includes FKJ on June 10 and the musical Just in Time from June 22 to 27, 2027. Nick Cave has also announced that his 2027 Conversations tour closes at the Saenger in New Orleans on May 21, just days after the wizards leave. The site also covers Saenger theaters in Hattiesburg, Mobile and Pensacola, all listed under Saenger Theatre tickets and events.

Getting downtown

The theater sits on Canal Street at Rampart, on the edge of the French Quarter. The Canal Street streetcar stops nearby, which makes it easy to come from Mid-City or from hotels downtown. Several garages are within walking distance and typically open hours before showtime. Valet parking is also available, and rideshare drop-off points are near the main entrance.

Mid-May in New Orleans is warm and often humid, with the occasional evening thunderstorm. A light layer helps, since a large air-conditioned auditorium can feel cool after a walk down Canal Street.

Canal Street traffic can be slow, especially on weekends and during conventions. Late arrivals may miss the start of the show, so build in time. Dinner in the French Quarter or the Central Business District before a 7:00 PM curtain means an early reservation.

About the Saenger Theatre

The Saenger Theatre, at 1111 Canal Street in New Orleans, opened in 1927 and was restored and reopened in 2013 after flood damage from Hurricane Katrina. It presents touring Broadway productions, concerts and comedy. The guide at thesaenger.com is an independent ticket and show guide, not the Saenger box office, and lists dates for Saenger theaters in four Gulf Coast cities with notes on seating, parking and nearby restaurants.