New Orleans Jazz Fest Tickets

This year the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival will boast some of the biggest names in not only jazz and soul music, but also features rock, country, hip hop and jam band greats as well.

The seven-day festival will be held over two weekends at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans starting April 24th - 26th and April 30 through May 3rd. The musical marathon features an eclectic group of talented musicians hailing locally from New Orleans and the surrounding parishes, from across the country, and from around the world. Some of the acts highlighting this year's event include The Neville Brothers, Dave Matthews Band, Wilco, Emmylou Harris, Bon Jovi, Tony Bennett, and Kings of Leon, with hundreds more.

The festival will kick off on Friday with performances from Wynton Marsalis, Tab Benoit, Joe Cocker and a tribute to Mahalia Jackson featuring Irma Thomas, Mavis Staples, and Pamela Landrum, plus dozens of others. Saturday boasts James Taylor, Erykah Badu, Third World, Pete Seeger, and the New Birth Brass Band, with many more guests. The first weekend will wrap up with performances from Earth Wind and Fire, Etta James and the Roots Band, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Terence Blanchard and Hugh Masekela, to name a few on Sunday.

The following Thursday will include performances from Ben Harper & Relentless7, Jakob Dylan, Solomon Burke, and the subdudes.. Friday includes shows from Sugarland, Bonnie Raitt, Common, Marcia Ball and Esperanza Spalding. Saturday brings Dr. John, The Whispers, John Mayall, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band; and the entire festival will end with an amazing day full of performances from The Neville Brothers, Allan Toussaint, Maze feat. Frankie Beverly, Buddy Guy, Chuck Brown, Los Lobos, and The Radiators.

In addition to hearing amazing performances from a wide variety of artists, the festival is also a cultural experience. At the Grandstand, guests can really examine the vibrant culture of Louisiana through exhibits and demonstrations. In the first weekend, guests will learn more about the Mardi Gras Indian crafts and traditions in the area, and the second week will focus on the artistic side of New Orleans, including jazz funeral photography and folk art. This year will also highlight the rich food culture in New Orleans with exhibits showcasing Louisiana Cooking.

The festival is so rooted in jazz thanks to gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, Duke Ellington and the Eureka Brass Band. When Jackson was handed the microphone while the band was marching though the Louisiana Heritage Fair in 1970, the jazz fest was born spontaneously, and has been celebrating the rich culture of New Orleans for over three decades.

The Louisiana Folklife Village will examine the heritage behind the great state, proudly displaying Mardi Gras floats and handcrafted musical instruments. The Native American Village highlights the traditions of the indigenous people of the state, including authentic dance and pow wow demonstrations, as well as woodcarving.

New this year and featured during both weekends is the exhibit, "Katrina Through the Eyes of Children: Art by Displaced Children at Renaissance Village." The collection of artwork was gathered from teams of art therapists and volunteers who had visited Renaissance Village, FEMA's largest trailer village, to assist the children with their trauma experienced in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The results show the loss, anger and depression as well as the survivors' hopes and dreams for the future gained from insights from the perspective of children.