WrestleMania 42 Shake-Up: New Orleans Out, Las Vegas Likely In For 2026!
Big Easy’s Loss is Reportedly Sin City’s Gain as WWE Shifts Plans for its Grandest Spectacle
In a stunning development rocking the wrestling world today, May 23, 2025, WWE’s WrestleMania 42, originally slated for New Orleans in April 2026, will be relocating. Reports strongly indicate that Las Vegas is poised to host the global phenomenon for a second consecutive year.
The news broke on Thursday, May 22, 2025, with confirmations from both WWE and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation. While New Orleans will no longer host the 42nd edition of “The Showcase of the Immortals,” the city isn’t being left out in the cold. As part of a broader multi-event agreement with WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, New Orleans will now host the popular Money in the Bank premium live event in 2026 and is slated for a future WrestleMania in an unspecified year. This partnership also includes UFC 318, which will take place in New Orleans in July 2025.
Why the Sudden Change? All Signs Point to Vegas’ Success.
Multiple wrestling news outlets, citing industry sources, are pointing to the resounding success of WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas (held in April 2025) as the primary driver for this decision. It’s understood that WWE leadership, under the TKO umbrella, is keen to capitalize on the incredible momentum and revenue generated in Nevada and is reportedly more open to making significant changes if a substantial financial upside is anticipated.
Should Las Vegas be confirmed, it would mark a historic first since WrestleMania IV and V were held back-to-back in Atlantic City in the late 1980s. The original dates for WrestleMania 42 in New Orleans were April 11-12, 2026, though it remains unclear if these will be affected by the potential venue shift.
Shockwaves and Speculation
The late change has reportedly sent ripples of frustration through the independent wrestling scene, with promotions and conventions like WrestleCon believed to have already secured venue contracts in New Orleans for April 2026.
While WWE has yet to make an official announcement regarding Las Vegas as the new host city, the volume of reports suggests a strong likelihood. This has led to a later-than-usual period of uncertainty surrounding the location of WWE’s biggest event of the year.
As for what fans might see in the ring, it’s still very early days. Prior to this location upheaval, dream matches like Roman Reigns vs. The Rock and Cody Rhodes vs. CM Punk were being widely speculated. However, with nearly a year to go and a major logistical shift underway, long-term booking plans could certainly be impacted.
One thing is for sure: the road to WrestleMania 42 just took an unexpected and exciting detour. Stay tuned for official announcements from WWE as they emerge.
