NEW ORLEANS — The Krewe of Nyx, once one of New Orleans’ largest Carnival krewes, could be booted out of parade season altogether after failing to meet the minimum standards for parade units, including bands the past two years.
Councilman J.P. Morrell said it was his intention to remove Nyx from the parade lineup.
“The (Mardi Gras) ordinance is clear,” he said at a committee meeting Wednesday. “In situations like this, it is in the council’s purview and authority to remove said krewes… and that is absolutely my intent.”
Nyx traditionally kicks off the second weekend of Carnival with a coveted Wednesday night prime-time spot. The city currently has its schedule chock full of parades and competition is fierce for those spots.
Nyx had nearly 3,500 members in 2020 and was close to the bare required minimum of 200 riders in recent years due to a mass exodus over racial issues and social media posts by Captain Julie Lea in the wake of the George Floyd killing.
The mass exodus has the krewe struggling each year to scratch together enough members to roll. Morrell contends they haven’t.
“If, as a krewe, you cannot retain the membership necessary to parade during Mardi Gras, it is your job to give up the spot for someone who can.”
As of 2023, more than 800 former Nyx members have formed three new krewes—Phoenix, Harmonia, and Themis—all of which have joined forces with existing krewes to parade.
If Nyx is forced to fold, Carnival Historian Errol Laborde believes one of those spin-off krewes would be first in line to take its place on the parade calendar.
The attorney for The Krewe of Nyx sent WWL a statement saying the group "fully intends to parade in 2025."
"It is confusing why the council president would leap to an immediate adverse conclusion of a violation based on supposition without eliciting the facts, mitigating factors while acting as judge and jury. There are no procedures for warnings, fines, or associated penalties for any alleged violations.
The threatened enforcement action against Nyx seems to be selective and arbitrary. There has been no due process and the immediate conclusion of an alleged violation in an authoritative manner. It appears that the council president is singling out the Krewe of Nyx based on perceived differences in the prior expressions of political views.
Such sets a dangerous precedent of requiring Krewes to have a monolithic political orientation that requires political obedience to a politician or lose your parade license. Mardi Gras is a celebration of diversity. However, it is becoming a celebration of thinking and believing my way or else. The Krewe of Nyx seeks to put aside any differences in worldview and political orientation and work together to celebrate Mardi Gras. The Krewe of Nyx fully intends to parade in 2025.
Revoking the parade license for the Krewe of Nyx would be asking to giving a life sentence for a parking ticket."
Late Wednesday evening, City Council Vice President J.P. Morrell replied to the krewe's statement saying:
"Anyone who watched today's meeting saw that the advisory committee didn't mention politics at all.
We discussed specific instances in which requirements were not met and where Nyx was deficient. Every instance was backed by documentation and supporting evidence.
Further, a letter was sent in advance to all Krewes to notify of any potential violations and invited them to attend today's meeting to provide context. Nyx had ample opportunity to offer extenuating circumstances to explain their issues (an opportunity that Krewes such as Oshun and King Arthur took)
To date, Nyx has not provided any explanation. The only group making this issue a political one is Nyx itself."