The Meters Announce New Year’s Eve 2026 Concert In New Orleans

By Scott Bernstein Sep 8, 2026 • 1:11 pm PDT

The Meters will ring in 2027 in their hometown of New Orleans. The legendary funk band will headline the Orpheum Theater on December 31 for a New Year’s Eve concert featuring a 50th anniversary set of New Directions.

The Meters released New Directions, their eighth and final studio album, in 1977. The eight-track LP includes “No More Okey Doke,” “Be My Lady,” “Funkify Your Life” and a cover of Bob Marley & The Wailers’ “Stop That Train.” The album was the group’s lone studio effort recorded outside New Orleans and featured the Tower of Power horn section.

Dumpstaphunk will serve as special guests on New Year’s Eve with their Dumpsta Plays Sly program. The Ivan Neville-led group will perform the music of Sly & The Family Stone. Dumpstaphunk has presented the tribute at select concerts and festivals throughout 2026.

The New Year’s Eve show follows The Meters’ return to the stage earlier this year. Surviving founding members George Porter Jr., Zigaboo Modeliste and Leo Nocentelli reunited for a pair of hometown concerts surrounding New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, marking the band’s first shows since founding keyboardist Art Neville died in 2019. Art’s nephew and Dumpstaphunk keyboardist Ivan Neville filled his uncle’s role.

The second concert, held May 2 at the Saenger Theatre on the newly proclaimed “Meters Day” in New Orleans, saw The Meters welcome Cyril Neville, Oteil Burbridge, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi. Read JamBase’s recap of the guest-filled performance.

Tickets for The Meters’ New Year’s Eve concert go on sale to the general public on Friday, September 11 at 10 a.m. CT. An artist presale begins Wednesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. CT. Follow the link below for tickets.