Upcoming New Orleans Jazz Fest dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
What Jazz Fest is
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, known to almost everyone as Jazz Fest, is a daytime festival of Louisiana music, food and crafts held over two consecutive Thursday-to-Sunday weekends at the Fair Grounds Race Course, the city's horse track in the Gentilly neighborhood. The festival's own description puts attendance at about 400,000 visitors a year across multiple stages, two large food areas and craft markets.
Despite the name, jazz is only part of it. The festival lists blues, R&B, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, Afro-Caribbean, folk, Latin, rock, rap, country and bluegrass alongside traditional and contemporary jazz, and it says roughly 85 to 90 percent of the bands it presents are active members of the Louisiana music community. A few national headliners close the biggest stages each day; the rest of the schedule is the deep bench of local brass bands, Mardi Gras Indian groups, gospel choirs and zydeco outfits that make the event different from a touring rock festival.
The food is a draw in its own right. The festival enforces a long-standing "no carnival food" rule, its vendors must be full-time Louisiana residents, and the menu runs to more than 200 items, from crawfish dishes to po' boys to vegetarian plates. Craft areas include the Congo Square African Marketplace, Contemporary Crafts and the Louisiana Marketplace, plus the Louisiana Folklife Village and the Native American Village.
Dates, hours and the Fair Grounds site
Jazz Fest is generally held the last weekend of April and the first weekend of May. The festival has published the 2027 dates as Thursday, April 22 through Sunday, April 25, and Thursday, April 29 through Sunday, May 2. Gates open at 11 a.m. and music ends at 7 p.m.; last admission is 6:30 p.m. It is strictly a daytime event, which leaves evenings free for the club shows that fill New Orleans during festival season.
The Fair Grounds sits at 1751 Gentilly Boulevard, about 10 minutes from the French Quarter. The track opened in 1837 and is described as the oldest horse racing site in America still in operation. For the festival, the infield becomes a field of open-air stages, while the Grandstand building houses exhibits, air conditioning and cold water.
Which weekend to choose
The festival's own answer is that you cannot go wrong with either, because it spreads the music evenly across both weekends. In practice the choice usually comes down to which specific headliners and local favorites land on which day. The full day-by-day grid, known as "the cubes," usually comes out about a month before the festival, and that release is when many buyers lock in their days.
From 350 fans to a two-weekend institution
Jazz Fest was founded in 1970 under producer and pianist George Wein, the founder of the Newport Jazz and Newport Folk festivals, with Quint Davis and Allison Miner among the founders. The first edition drew about 350 people to a park on the former site of Congo Square, where enslaved people gathered on Sundays to trade, dance and play music. In 1972 the festival moved to the Fair Grounds infield, expanded to two weekends from 1976 to 1978, and stretched to three weekends in 1979 for its tenth anniversary before settling into today's two-weekend format.
The festival is presented by the nonprofit New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, which uses proceeds for year-round programs including radio station WWOZ 90.7 FM, a music school and community grants. Attendance reached about 425,000 over seven days in 2017. The 2020 and 2021 festivals were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the event returned in 2022.
Notable performers
- Local pillars: the Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Ellis Marsalis and the Radiators played the festival annually for long stretches.
- Legends: Fats Domino, Ray Charles, Tina Turner and James Brown are among the names in its history.
- Arena-scale headliners: by 2010 the closing slots included acts such as the Eagles, Foo Fighters and Christina Aguilera.
- 2026: the festival's billing led with the Eagles, Stevie Nicks, Rod Stewart and Kings of Leon.
How Jazz Fest tickets work
Jazz Fest is sold mainly by the day. A general admission ticket covers one festival day on the grounds, with no assigned seats or stage reservations; you move freely among stages. Above general admission, the festival offers VIP packages under the names Big Chief, Grand Marshal and Krewe of Jazz Fest. Those VIP packages are the only way to pre-purchase on-site parking at the Fair Grounds, which is a meaningful perk given how tight parking is in the surrounding neighborhood. Package contents change from year to year, so read the current descriptions before you compare them.
Tickets go on sale when the lineup is announced. As of October 2026, the festival listed 2027 tickets as not yet on sale.
How resale demand behaves
- Headliner days move first. The days with the biggest closing acts, especially Saturdays, draw the most out-of-town demand.
- The cubes release shifts prices. Once fans can see exactly who plays when, demand concentrates on specific days.
- Thursdays fall on a workday, which tends to make them the calmer days on the grounds.
- VIP tiers sell on access, parking and shade rather than on any one act, so they hold value across both weekends.
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Stage strategy: sun, shade and claiming space
The infield is mostly wide open to the sun, with a few scattered trees. That single fact shapes the best approach to the day. The largest field stages, including the Shell Gentilly Stage, draw the headliner crowds, and fans who want a good spot for the closing set often settle in hours early with a blanket or chair. Several smaller stages sit under tents, which give shade and a closer, seated feel for jazz, gospel and traditional sets.
- For a headliner: arrive early and pick a spot within sight of the video screens rather than fighting toward the front late in the day.
- For variety: rotate between the tents in the heat of the afternoon and the field stages later, when the sun drops.
- For a break: the Grandstand offers shade, air conditioning, cold water and exhibits, and the festival points to it as a cool-down spot.
Space-saving has rules. As of the 2026 guidelines, blankets must be 6 by 8 feet or smaller and used only in designated areas, stakes and poles are not allowed in the ground, and reserving space with rope, cord or tape is prohibited. Leave room between blankets for people to pass.
Getting to the Fair Grounds
The Fair Grounds is in a residential neighborhood, and the city restricts traffic around it during the festival. Plan transportation before you plan your day.
- Jazz Fest Express shuttle: the festival describes it as the only shuttle that drops off and picks up inside the gates. It runs all eight festival days from about 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. from four departure points: the Steamboat Natchez dock in the French Quarter, the Sheraton New Orleans on Canal Street, the Hyatt Regency on Loyola Avenue and a City Park lot on Wisner Boulevard where parking is included.
- Parking: on-site parking is limited to VIP package holders and a small number of disability spaces sold at the Horseman's Gate on Gentilly Boulevard. Neighborhood street parking is restricted to residents, and there is no on-site space for RVs or charter buses.
- Rideshare: the city excludes rideshare pickups and drop-offs within a perimeter around the venue, so expect a walk to the designated zone.
- Bikes and walking: free bike parking is near the Gentilly Boulevard and Sauvage Street gates. Pedestrians can use the Gentilly Boulevard, Trafalgar Street and Sauvage Street gates.
- Taxis: stands are at Stallings Playground on Gentilly Boulevard and on Esplanade Avenue at Mystery Street.
Hotel rooms are the other pressure point. The festival advises booking as early as possible and notes that many regulars book the fall before.
What to bring and the festival rules
The rules below come from the festival's 2026 guidelines; check the current list on the official Jazz Fest FAQ before you go, because they can change each year.
- Security: metal detectors at all gates, and all bags are searched.
- Bags: small bags, totes, backpacks and cinch bags up to 17 by 12 by 10 inches. No rolling suitcases or duffels.
- Chairs: single collapsible chairs and stools only. No double chairs, rockers, footrests or inflatable furniture.
- Coolers: soft coolers of 12-pack size or smaller. No hard-sided or rolling coolers.
- Drinks and food: one factory-sealed water bottle, empty reusable bottles, an empty hydration pack, ice, empty cups and snacks are allowed. Other outside beverages and all glass are not.
- Shade: handheld umbrellas up to 63 inches. No canopies, tents, sportsbrellas or hammocks.
- Kids: standard strollers are fine; wagons and pull-carts are not.
Jazz Fest is cashless; booths take cards and mobile payments. Dress for heat: lightweight clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and comfortable shoes for a lot of walking.
Frequently asked questions
When is Jazz Fest 2027?
The festival has announced Thursday, April 22 through Sunday, April 25, and Thursday, April 29 through Sunday, May 2, 2027, at the Fair Grounds Race Course. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Is Jazz Fest only jazz?
No. The lineup covers blues, R&B, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, Afro-Caribbean, rock, rap, country and more, along with traditional and contemporary jazz. Most bands are from Louisiana, and national headliners close the largest stages.
Can I bring a chair and a blanket to Jazz Fest?
As of the 2026 rules, single collapsible chairs and stools are allowed, and blankets up to 6 by 8 feet may be used in designated areas. Reserving space with rope or tape is not allowed.
Is there parking at the Fair Grounds?
Only for VIP package holders and a limited number of disability spaces. Most fans use the Jazz Fest Express shuttle, a bike, a taxi or rideshare to a designated zone outside the restricted perimeter.
Which Jazz Fest weekend is better?
The festival says it spreads the music evenly across both weekends. Choose by the daily schedule, which is usually released about a month before the festival.
Does Jazz Fest accept cash?
No. Jazz Fest is cashless, and food, drink, craft and merchandise booths accept credit, debit and prepaid cards and mobile payments.
