Broadway’s “The Lion King” Will Return to New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, La (press release) – Disney’s “The Lion King” will return to New Orleans at the Saenger Theatre for the first time since Nov. 2022. This three-week return engagement at the Saenger begins Wednesday, Oct. 21, and plays through Sunday, Nov. 8.

Opening night is set for Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7:30 p.m.

“We are thrilled to welcome ‘The Lion King’ back to New Orleans,” said David Skinner, general manager of the Saenger Theatre. “This standout production is a cornerstone of a dynamic and thoughtfully curated 2026-2027 Broadway season, and we cannot wait to share the full lineup with our audiences soon.”

Disney’s “The Lion King” is an exciting highlight of Broadway in New Orleans presented by Entergy’s upcoming 2026-2027 season, which will be announced later this winter.

How to Get Tickets

Individual tickets for the performance will go on sale to the general public in the coming months.

2026-2027 Broadway season subscribers will have the first opportunity to purchase tickets for this highly anticipated production. Current season ticket holders will have the opportunity to renew when the full season is announced on March 3, with a limited number of new subscriptions also on sale at this time.

“The Lion King” Awards

• Six 1998 Tony Awards
  • Best Musical
  • Best Scenic Design (Richard Hudson)
  • Best Costume Design (Julie Taymor)
  • Best Lighting Design (Donald Holder)
  • Best Choreography (Garth Fagan)
  • Best Direction of a Musical (Julie Taymor)
• More than 70 major arts awards, including:
  • 1998 NY Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical
  • 1999 Grammy for Best Musical Show Album
  • 1999 Evening Standard Award for Theatrical Event of the Year
  • 1999 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Choreography and Best Costume Design

Julie Taymor, who conceived and directed the production and is its costume designer and mask co-designer, was the first woman to win a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. She remains actively involved in the show, launching new productions and maintaining the flagship Broadway production.

History of “The Lion King”

“The Lion King” has been touring North America for more than 23 years. During this time, the show has welcomed over 25 million theatergoers with more than 10,000 performances in over 90 cities across North America, making it North America’s longest-running and most-attended Broadway tour.

Since its premiere on Nov. 13, 1997, 30 global productions have been seen by over 127 million people. Produced by Disney Theatrical Group, under the direction of Andrew Flatt and Anne Quart, “The Lion King” has made theatrical history with two productions worldwide running 20 or more years and three others running 25 or more years.

Performed over its lifetime in nine different languages (English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin and Portuguese), there are currently eight productions of “The Lion King” around the world: Broadway, London, Paris, Hamburg, Madrid, Tokyo, Mexico City and on tour across North America.

The performance has played over 100 cities in 24 countries on every continent except Antarctica; its worldwide gross exceeds that of any film, Broadway show or other entertainment title in box office history.

The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice’s songs from the animated film along with three new songs by John and Rice; additional musical material by South African Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor and Hans Zimmer; and music from “Rhythm of the Pride Lands,” an album inspired by the original music in the film, written by Lebo M, Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer.

The resulting sound is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, ranging from the Academy Award-winning song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” to Lebo M’s rich choral numbers.

The New Orleans engagement of Disney’s “The Lion King” is presented by arrangement with Broadway in New Orleans, presented by Entergy.