WWE Announces New Orleans As WrestleMania 42 Host City (WWE News)

The Rock appeared on Friday's edition of WWE SmackDown to confront reigning champ and top babyface Cody Rhodes, but he had another mission: Announce that WrestleMania 42 is coming to the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April 2026.

Later, WWE followed up on Rock's reveal with confirmation on social media. Flashy graphics have already been put together for the biggest show(s) of next year too. It's worth mentioning that, like 'Mania XL/40 and this year's 41 in Las Vegas, 42 is featured front and centre on the graphic; that officially ends Vince McMahon's long-held fascination with taglines and simple logos rather than numbers for WWE's tentpole event ("WrestleMania Goes Hollywood", for example).

During his lengthy promo, The Rock also teased that he'd be wrestling Cody on the card. Then, during a post-SmackDown press conference jointly designed for blue brand fallout and 'Mania 42 hype, 'The Great One' played that notion down by implying he might never wrestle Rhodes at all.

New Orleans Hosts WrestleMania For The Third Time

As the tagline states, this will be the third time New Orleans has hosted WrestleMania. Previously, the city welcomed 'Mania XXX in 2014 and then 'Mania 34 in 2018. Of course, the first one is memorable for being Daniel Bryan's coming out party as a bonafide main eventer. Bryan beat Triple H, Randy Orton and Batista on the same show to end the night as WWE Champion.

Elsewhere, Brock Lesnar thumped The Undertaker to shock the world and end the icon's lengthy winning streak on the biggest show of the calendar year.

Come 34, Ronda Rousey debuted in-ring to much fanfare, and Bryan returned from retirement to work a tag-team bout with Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. There was a lot to be excited about across both prior nights in New Orleans. Come 2026, WWE will spread that joy across multiple nights (as has become the 'Mania norm) for the first time.