Freaky Deaky expands to New Orleans for 2-day Halloween festival

Freaky Deaky NOLA aims to fill the festival void in New Orleans this upcoming Halloween.

New Orleans is America’s number one Halloween destination, so it only feels natural that Freaky Deaky brings its leading Halloween electronic music festival to the city on October 30th and 31st. The costume-driven, theatrical rave environment is expected to thrive in the mysterious, eerie atmosphere New Orleans becomes after dark.

Encore Entertainment, Amps Events (Metro NOLA), and Disco Presents are joining forces to bring the festival to life at Mardi Gras World. Freaky Deaky NOLA arrives at a time when the city’s electronic music community has been searching for another large-scale festival experience following the loss of BUKU and Voodoo Music + Arts Experience.

Founder of Disco Presents, James “Disco Donnie” Estopinal Jr., threw his first underground events in New Orleans nearly 30 years ago. Reflecting on the expansion, he said, “This city will always be my first love.” Estopinal viewed the partnership with Hell’s Gala as a natural fit due to the event’s deep roots in the city and its understanding of what makes New Orleans unique. Together, the organizers aim to deliver a festival experience that honors the city’s culture while providing the high-energy dance music experience Freaky Deaky has become known for.

Hell’s Gala was one of the longest-running Halloween electronic music festivals in New Orleans and grew into one of the largest Halloween dance music events on the Gulf Coast. Notable past headliners included John Summit, Chris Lake, and Mau P. After a successful 16-year run, Hell’s Gala announced it would not be returning in 2026.

“Hell’s Gala had an incredible run. We’ve spent the last several years building Halloween weekend into something fans travel for, and worked with some amazing people who helped bring our vision to life. When the opportunity arose to join forces with Amps Events, Metro NOLA, and Disco Presents, it was clear we had a chance to dream even bigger, and we can’t wait to show everyone what we’ve been working on,” said Ryan Roach, Founder of Encore Entertainment and Boys of the Boot Inc.

Freaky Deaky NOLA will feature two stages and, over two nights, attendees will experience immersive décor, themed activations, local vendors, and world-class performances. The lineup has not yet been announced. “There’s no place quite like New Orleans, especially on Halloween,” said Disco Donnie.

Featured image courtesy of Freaky Deaky media team

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