New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, 'Jazz Fest', is the springtime cultural showcase of Louisiana, held over two long weekends at the Fair Grounds Race Course in mid-city New Orleans. Far broader than its name, it spreads jazz, blues, gospel, zydeco, funk, rock and hip-hop across multiple stages while celebrating the state's food and craft heritage through its renowned local-vendor food area and cultural marketplaces. The pairing of deep musical range with genuinely celebrated regional cooking is the heart of its identity.

Jazz Fest runs over two weekends, Thursday to Sunday, April 22 to 25 and April 29 to May 2, 2027, at the Fair Grounds Race Course on Gentilly Boulevard. Gates open at 11am and the festival closes at 7pm, with last admission at 6:30pm. Tickets go on sale with the talent announcement, and the festival is cashless. On-site parking is limited to VIP packages and a few disability spaces, so most visitors take the Jazz Fest Express shuttle from the French Quarter, Canal Street, South Market District or City Park.

It suits music lovers who want jazz, blues, gospel, zydeco, rock and hip-hop on many stages in one day, and food fans drawn to Louisiana cooking and regional crafts. The festival says it welcomes about 400,000 visitors a year and has a kids area, an access program for patrons with disabilities and cultural villages, so it works for families, though expect big crowds.

The music and the food are what attendees rave about most: the breadth of the programming is described as a stunning array where any music lover will find something, and the food is repeatedly called the best of any festival, with lines that are long but move quickly. Organization and the overall experience draw praise, and VIP shuttle service earns specific mention for short waits. The main complaints are cost, several call admission, food and merch overpriced, along with basic porta-potty facilities and, on the busiest days, an oversold, crowded feel far back from the main stage.

The most recent completed edition ran across late April and early May 2026 and drew about 475,000 fans to the Fair Grounds, up from the prior year. Weather was mostly kind, breezy and mild rather than the oppressive heat the site can bring, but two afternoons of rain and thunderstorms cut short Thursday and Friday performances, with Tyler Childers among those playing on through steady rain. Lighter Thursday crowds made for easy navigation, and the food and cultural programming again drew the strongest praise.