The Big Top Gallery

I’ve been to the Big Top a few times, mainly for Burlesque shows. In all honesty, I usually forget about it because it’s tucked into a street right off of St. Charles Ave away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
This is a cool little place. It is pretty small and tends to get really packed whenever there is any kind of show. The cash bar is tucked away in a corner, making it somewhat difficult to get a drink if there is a big crowd. I have always enjoyed looking at the art here (when it is bright enough to see it) and for the most part this is a cool little place. I really wish the bathrooms weren’t combined, but I guess that’s the only option when a place is super small.

All of my encounters with The Big Top Gallery have been as a venue for events put on by The Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus. As a venue I’ve been really impressed with The Big Top. The stage is a decent size and there’s room for people who want to dance and those that don’t want to as well. Art adorns the walls, good art at that. The bar is small but amazingly efficient and the prices were fantastic. And even during the Chewbacchanal (that’s the afterparty for the parade) with over 500 people the (unisex) bathroom was clean and well taken care of.

Awesome little venue with a great open dance floor. The ambiance is super cool with different styles of artwork with a very elaborately decorated stage.
The staff was super friendly!
Very open to host new events!
Parking is a bit of a pain though.

funky little place. I can’t speak on their events. The family music thing they do sounds cool, but not worth me crossing the river to keep my kids out late for. Anyway, I went there last year after Mardi Gras. They had an arts and crafts type thing where you bring an item (s) to decorate with beads. You bring your unwanted beads and make a community pile to work from. Then they take your extras to recycle. It was fun to socialize and see what other people created. Neat idea I thought.

Cute venue that I have been to a few times for various events (burlesque, mardi gras meetups). The bar is a cash bar, and the stage is small but right in the middle. The art hanging up last time I went was awesome, but way out of my price range ($ 1K and up for bigger pieces!).
The staff moves quickly and silently, like really well-​dressed ninjas. The line to get to the bar was HUGE, but the bartender used her kung-​fu powers and got us all served within 3 minutes. So awesome. Especially for New Orleans.
If there is an event here, just worry about parking a bit. Don’t even bother on Clio. Just head down St Charles a few more blocks, and then head up Carondalet. You’ll find a spot no problem.
Get to the event early, because the last event I went to was PACKED, and I was lucky to get a seat, but only because one of my companions was limping with a cane, and I got seats out of pity.