For the second year in a row, the queen of Carnival will move to a new spot to greet Rex as the king of Carnival’s procession winds through the streets of New Orleans on Mardi Gras.
Officials with the Rex Organization announced Tuesday that in 2026, the queen and her retinue will raise a glass to his majesty at The Josephine, the recently renovated Our Lady of Lourdes Church at the corner of Napoleon Avenue and Lasalle Street, on a reviewing stand fit for, well, a queen.
The stop is only six blocks from the beginning of the historic parade’s traditional route. The parade emerges from the krewe’s den on South Claiborne Avenue, mere blocks away, and rolls to Napoleon Avenue for the actual start of the street pageant.
The 2026 parade will roll Feb. 17 at 10:30 a.m…