New Orleans was the first scheduled port of the 2026 Operation Sail events for the United States Semiquincentennial.
Operation Sail, often called OpSail, planned a major gathering of tall ships for the 250th anniversary of American independence. The 2026 itinerary began in New Orleans, Louisiana, from May 28 to June 1.
The ships were then scheduled to visit Norfolk, Virginia; Baltimore, Maryland; New York City; and Boston, Massachusetts. The New York visit was scheduled around July 4, while Boston was the final listed port in the sequence. The planned gathering was described as the largest collection of tall ships since the 1976 Bicentennial celebrations.
Operation Sail is an international maritime event rather than a single city festival. Participating and invited vessels included ships representing countries such as Italy, Indonesia, Canada, Uruguay, Brazil, Mexico, Denmark, and Poland. The itinerary connects waterfront cities with naval history, international maritime culture, and the earlier American Bicentennial.