All eyes will be on the Caesars Superdome when the New Orleans Saints host the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football. It's the twentieth anniversary of the "Domecoming" game, when the Saints returned for their first home game after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city, the state, and the entire Gulf South. And the team is pulling out all the stops to celebrate the date.
The day's festivities will begin with a "second line" walking parade at 3 p.m. CT, beginning at Lafayette Square and ending at the Caesars Superdome. New Orleans mayor Helena Moreno has prepared remarks for the occasion and commemorative "Rebirth" handkerchiefs will be given to the first 500 attendees. The Times-Picayune | The Advocate's Jeff Duncan reports that Drew Brees
will be in attendance.
After that, Irma Thomas will again perform the national anthem, this time joined by River Eckert, a 16-year old pianist born and raised in New Orleans. The Grammy Award-winning singer is a native of Ponchatoula, La. and has earned a reputation as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans." Thomas, of course, sang the national anthem all those years ago when the Superdome reopened after Hurricane Katrina.
Irma Thomas will return to sing the National Anthem on Monday Night,
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 2, 2026
20 years after the Rebirth game ⚜️ pic.twitter.com/qWn3aCcrGK
And then it's on to halftime. Trombone Shorty headlines a star-studded group including Eric Church and Kirk Franklin as well as New Orleans legends Juvenile, Cyril Neville and Ivan Neville. That lineup could fill a big arena for a concert even if there wasn't a prime-time football game kicking off.
Performing at halftime of Monday Night Football:@TromboneShorty @EricChurch @KirkFranklin @JuvieTheGreat
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 1, 2026
Cyril Neville
Ivan Neville #Saints | @Meta pic.twitter.com/VZZKeQKO3M
All of this extra attention just puts more pressure on Saints coach Kellen Moore and his team. Every game with Atlanta is a must-win. But the stakes get higher when the whole country is tuning in.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints pull out all the stops for 'Domecoming' anniversary vs. Falcons
