WrestleMania 42
| WrestleMania 42 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Promotion | WWE | ||
| Brand(s) | Raw SmackDown | ||
| Date | April 11–12, 2026 | ||
| City | New Orleans, Louisiana | ||
| Venue | Caesars Superdome | ||
| WrestleMania chronology | |||
| |||
WrestleMania 42 is an upcoming 2026 professional wrestling event produced by WWE. It will be the 42nd annual WrestleMania and will take place as a two-night event on Saturday, April 11, and Sunday, April 12, 2026, at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. This will be the third WrestleMania to take place in New Orleans and at this venue, following WrestleMania XXX in 2014 and WrestleMania 34 in 2018, both of which were held when the stadium was still known as the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The event will air via pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming and will feature wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions.
Production
[edit]Background
[edit]WrestleMania is WWE's flagship pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, having first been held in 1985. It was the company's first PPV produced and was also WWE's first major event available via livestreaming when the company launched the WWE Network in February 2014. It is the longest-running professional wrestling event in history and is held annually between mid-March to mid-April, featuring wrestlers from WWE's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions.[1] Along with Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and Money in the Bank, it is one of the company's five biggest events of the year, referred to as the "Big Five".[2][3][4] WrestleMania was ranked the sixth-most valuable sports brand in the world by Forbes,[5] and has been described as the Super Bowl of sports entertainment.[6] Much like the Super Bowl, cities bid for the right to host WrestleMania.[7]
In mid-February 2025, reports emerged that WrestleMania 42 would be taking place at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, the same venue that hosted WrestleMania XXX in 2014 and WrestleMania 34 in 2018, both of which were held at the stadium when it was still known as the Mercedes-Benz Superdome (renamed in 2021).[8] Subsequently, during the February 21 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, which was in New Orleans, TKO board of directors member Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson announced that WrestleMania 42 would in fact emanate from the Caesars Superdome on April 11 and 12, 2026, marking the third WrestleMania in New Orleans and at this stadium.[9]
Storylines
[edit]The event will include matches that result from scripted storylines. Results are predetermined by WWE's writers on the Raw and SmackDown brands,[10][11] while storylines are produced on WWE's weekly television shows, Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ Benigno, Anthony; Clapp, John (April 3, 2013). "WrestleMania 29 press conference brings WWE to Radio City Music Hall". WWE. Archived from the original on April 7, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
... WWE's flagship event lights up MetLife Stadium ... WrestleMania
- ^ Ian Hamilton. Wrestling's Sinking Ship: What Happens to an Industry Without Competition (p. 160)
- ^ "Las Vegas to host WWE's Money in the Bank in 2022". KSNV. August 22, 2021. Archived from the original on August 23, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ^ Lambert, Jeremy (July 27, 2022). "WWE Announces Dates And Location For WrestleMania 40". Fightful. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
- ^ Ozanian, Mike (October 16, 2019). "The Forbes Fab 40: Puma Debuts On 2019 List Of The World's Most Valuable Sports Brands". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
- ^ Gelston, Dan (April 4, 2013). "WrestleMania is Super Bowl of sports entertainment". Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
- ^ Graser, Marc (March 28, 2010). "WrestleMania sets off bidding frenzy". Variety. Archived from the original on April 26, 2012. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
- ^ Alba, Jon (February 13, 2025). "WWE WrestleMania 42 Reportedly Heading To Caesars Superdome In New Orleans". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ Renner, Ethan (February 21, 2025). "The Rock reveals WWE WrestleMania 42 dates and location". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ Grabianowski, Ed (January 13, 2006). "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 29, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
- ^ "Live & Televised Entertainment". WWE. Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
- ^ Steinberg, Brian (May 25, 2016). "WWE's 'Smackdown' Will Move To Live Broadcast On USA (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2016.