WWE Moves WrestleMania 42 Out Of New Orleans; Reportedly Eyes Las Vegas For Second Straight Year

New Orleans will no longer host WrestleMania 42 next year.

Earlier this year, WWE legend and TKO board member Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson announced the event would take place at Caesars Superdome on April 11 and 12, 2026. However, the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation announced Thursday in a joint statement with TKO that plans had changed.

Walt Leger, head of New Orleans & Co. says WWE informed sports and tourism officials of the decision this week and "wants to build on other events scheduled for New Orleans and might bring WrestleMania to the city in some future year."

For now, New Orleans will host WWE's Money in the Bank premium live event in 2026.

LAS VEGAS - Cody Rhodes makes his entrance during WrestleMania 41 Sunday at Allegiant Stadium on April 20, 2025. (Photo by Craig Melvin/WWE via Getty Images)

NOLA.com reports that WWE parent company TKO Holdings made the change after deciding it wanted to hold the event in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium for the second straight year.

"After the success of this year's event, the new leadership running WWE decided that they would rather hold next year's event in Las Vegas and see what response they get from fans, according to an industry official who wasn't authorized to be quoted by name," the report details.

Neither WWE nor local Vegas officials have confirmed the news.

The news is quite the departure from the norm. Not since 1989 has the same city hosted the event in back-to-back years. WWE ran both WrestleMania IV and WrestleMania V at the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Then again, WWE is not the same company as it was. Vince McMahon is no longer in charge. Endeavor Group Holdings, which also owns the UFC, is. Thus, business now trumps tradition. 

And last year's WrestleMania was the most successful and highest-grossing in company history. WWE also reportedly received $4.2 million in tax credits from the state of Nevada.

LAS VEGAS - Roman Reigns gestures in the ring before his Triple Threat match against CM Punk and Seth Rollins during WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium on April 19, 2025. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Still, WrestleMania 41 was met with widespread criticism. 

The storyline on television led fans to believe that The Rock, though never advertised, would appear in the main event of night two, during John Cena's match with Cody Rhodes. He never did. And the match itself was one of the weaker main events in recent memory.

Even if the negativity doesn't hurt business, WWE owes Las Vegas travelers a better main event next year. The three biggest matches the company can make are, as follows, in order: Roman Reigns vs. The Rock, Cody Rhodes vs. The Rock, Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes III.

Actually, scratch the last one.

The Rock needs to be in the main event to make up for this year.