JUST five weeks ago, horror filled the streets of New Orleans.
A sickening terrorist attack just hours into 2025 killed 14 people who were celebrating the New Year on the iconic Bourbon Street.
It was an abhorrent act of needless violence that stunned the Big Easy.
In a shocking New Year's bloodbath, a 42-year-old Texas man who claimed allegiance to ISIS unleashed terror in the heart of New Orleans.
Investigators say Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar planted two deadly explosive devices in coolers on the streets of the French Quarter before plowing a rented pickup truck into a crowd at 3:15 AM on New Year's morning.
The chaos ended in a dramatic shootout with police, leaving Jabbar dead and two officers injured.
But, just like when Hurricane Katrina ripped New Orleans apart in 2023, this city which made of the sternest stuff has been able to recover.
As over 125,000 people arrive ahead of Sunday's Super Bowl showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia, The U.S. Sun spoke to security experts and people on the street in New Orleans to gauge the mood.
Spirits are high considering the nightmare of the Bourbon Street attack.
"The city is the safest it's ever been," said David Hedges, and experienced tour guide and owner of a company called The NOLA Tour Guy.
The Super Bowl is classified as a Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) Level 1 event, the highest classification level of public safety risk.
It means the strictest level of security is in operation—the upcoming Mardi Gras in New Orleans also recently received the same grading the first time.
Ahead of the Chiefs' push for a historic three-peat, the New Orleans PD has joined forces with the Louisiana State Police, the FBI, and other federal agencies.
Preparations for President Donald Trump's arrival at the Superdome on Sunday went up considerably amid reports of multiple "threats" to the event.
But even without the POTUS creating his waves, a steel ring was always the plan following the events of January 1.
Ty Richmond, of security service specialists Allied Universal, has seen it all during his decades of safeguarding huge, global events at packed stadiums full of thousands of fans.
He has worked to protect everything from soccer to high profile concerts, ensuring thousands of fans enjoy themselves in safety.
There is, he claims to The U.S. Sun, danger lurking at every corner and says that following the terror attack, security levels have been "amplified."
He says more agencies, more federal resources, and enhanced protocols and processes have been put into place.
"Everything has been intensified: training, intelligence sharing, and coordination," he said.
The National Guard has been out in force, although one person on the ground in NOLA said that although the armed presence is noticeable, plenty of fun is still on offer.
The mood had been darkened with the shocking death of TV reporter Adan Manzano who was found dead in New Orleans, cops say on Thursday.
A woman whose arrest record includes allegations of drugging men was detained the following day.
Additional TSA checks on flights from San Francisco to New Orleans were also taking place.
Hopes are high, however, of stopping any further disturbances over the weekend.
"There is lots of security, but somehow it's not overbearing, " said a reporter covering the build-up. "People are enjoying themselves."
The parameters have been expanded in the wake of what happened, with security zones extended to ensure safety around the stadium —which is only a short walk from popular areas like the French Quarter and Bourbon Street.
Bag checkpoints and restrictions on people bringing coolers have also been implemented.
Security is beefed up and visually present as expected, but it's all being done with the usual welcoming New Orleans spirit.
New Orleans local on how the city has recovered from the New Years Day terror attack to host the Super Bowl
"This is because of what happened," continued Richmond. "You can’t enter the French Quarter without going through checkpoints, which is not natural for that environment under normal circumstances."
For tour guide Hedges, it's been business as usual despite the nightmare that struck the city in January.
He says the rare, "once in a century" snowstorm that hit last month helped " shut down the city for a while."
"It was weirdly helpful," he admitted. " People were on edge, upset, and just—you know, I think the city was responsible. People were asking many questions: How could this happen?"
In a bold move to boost security, tough new steel barriers have been installed to block potential vehicle attacks. Officials feared an earlier bollard system in the works wouldn’t be strong enough to stop speeding trucks.
No bollards were in place on Bourbon Street when the attack happened.
With the Eagles' notoriously boisterous, football-loving fans already flooding the streets ahead of the big game, the vibe will certainly be different from that of a previous huge event in New Orleans last year, which had the NOLA tour guide rushed off his feet.
"The Taylor Swift concert here in November was huge," Chicago native Hedges recalled, "I was worried about that many people coming in, especially with how bad the streets and infrastructure have been. But actually, they were some of the best people ever."
"With sports fans, it's a mixed bag. They aren't here to learn history, but the city is way more prepared now than it was on New Year’s Eve."
Nevertheless, experts like Austin-based Richmond will prepare for anything and everything.
In a detailed dossier seen by The U.S Sun, Allied Universal's Super Bowl security plan leaves nothing to chance.
It reveals the "significant concern" of the possibility of "large-scale disruptions or attacks" despite the noticeable increase in street security.
"The gathering of high-profile fans and attendees further emphasizes the critical need for ongoing vigilance and the ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances," states the report.
"Security professionals must stay constantly alert and prepared to respond to spontaneous threats, coordinating seamlessly to address any emerging situations with precision and speed."
The Big Easy is a place for massive events, and none are bigger than the NFL's showpiece event.
New Orleans and the Super Bowl go way back—almost as far as the game itself.
The city hosted the big showdown in 1970 when the Kansas City Chiefs crushed the Minnesota Vikings 23-7 at Tulane Stadium. Since then, the Super Bowl has touched down in the Big Easy nine more times between 1972 and 2013.
Now, as the Chiefs gear up to battle the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday, New Orleans is set to make history—tying Miami for the most Super Bowl hostings ever at 11.
The city's preparations for Super Bowl LIX have been fraught with anxiety, yet the great times will continue to roll.
"Everyone is in a good mood here," said a local who asked not to be named. "Security is beefed up and visually present as expected, but it's all being done with southern hospitality and the usual welcoming New Orleans spirit. I can feel the excitement building."
SUPER BOWL 59: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CHIEFS VS EAGLES
