This year, 2025, has jumped between extremes in New Orleans, Louisiana. It began with horror, when on New Year’s Day, a terror attack saw a man drive a pickup truck into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street, killing 15 people and injuring a further 57. February flipped the script, with the city’s Caesars Superdome hosting Super Bowl LIX – and a Halftime Show performance for the ages by Kendrick Lamar.
It set the stage for an edition of Mardi Gras pre-tinged with an underlying hum of anxiety, which was compounded by early forecasts of extreme winds and weather, which led to the rescheduling and early kick off for the parades.
Dating right back to the birth of New Orleans’ establishment at the turn of the 18th century, Mardi Gras (which translates to Fat Tuesday, traditionally kicking off the retrenchment of Lent) is commonly understood to be the world’s largest free party, as well as the crowning jewel of the city’s calendar. Over one million people attend each year, taking part in oddball traditions, such as the throws – where trinket gifts ranging from beads to shoes to children’s toys, and even toilet plungers, are chucked at parades – while dressing up in outfits that range from the sublime to the bonkers.
The January 1 terror attack saw a hugely increased, and far more visible, security presence at this year’s Carnival. The New York Times reported that round 600 police officers, or two-thirds of the city’s force were assigned to the parades, along with an additional 100 plain clothes officers. In addition, a strong army presence was brought in.
Yet despite the pre-Carnival question marks, the day turned out to be a joyous celebration – floats moved without a hitch, attendees partied with jubilance, while a Tesla Cybertruck was forced to leave the parade early after receiving boos, while being bombarded with beads and trash.
Huck photographer Tom “TBow” Bowden was there to capture the Carnival carnage, and its colourful cast of attendees, in all of its vivid, joyous glory. Scroll through to hear what they had to say about the day, and click through the slider at the bottom of the page to the see full sized, uncropped images.
