Transport
Arrive fresh in New Orleans.
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NEW ORLEANSJAZZ FEST
Two weekends of Louisiana music, from 22 April to 2 May 2027, on the Fair Grounds racecourse: more than 600 bands in 2026, Cajun food, parades and nearly half a million visitors.
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2027
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival festival.
In a nutshell.
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, known to everyone as Jazz Fest, is held on the Fair Grounds racecourse, ten minutes from the French Quarter. Over two weekends it brings together all of Louisiana's music: jazz, of course, but also blues, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, funk, rock and rap, on dozens of stages and tents. In 2026, 475,000 people came for more than 600 bands. The 2027 dates are set (22–25 April and 29 April–2 May), and the programme will be revealed in winter.
Here the music is as much in the streets and on the grass as on stage: brass bands, Mardi Gras Indians, second-line parades, and headline concerts from rock, rap or country alongside neighbourhood bands. The hours are those of a daytime festival: from 11 am to 7 pm, with last entry at 6:30 pm.
People also come for the food: over a hundred Louisiana dishes, craft markets and cultural villages telling the city's story. Everything is paid by card or mobile payment; there is no camping, most visitors stay in New Orleans and reach the site by the official shuttle.
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival · what's confirmed
What we know about New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2027.
- Dates
- 22 — 25 April and 29 April — 2 May 2027, announced by the organiser.
- Confirmed
- Tickets
- From €95, indicative price to reconfirm on the ticket shop.
- To reconfirm
- Line-up
- Not yet announced. Announcement expected around December 2026 (estimate).
- Upcoming
"Confirmed": read on the festival's official website. "To reconfirm": announced, but not yet rechecked by us. "Estimate" or "upcoming": not yet announced by the organiser. See the official website
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in practice
Profile of the festival.
Capacity, atmosphere, crowd, hours and on-site budget: the full profile of New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2027 before you get your tickets.
Programme
More than 600 bands in 2026
Jazz, blues, R&B, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, folk, Latin, rock, rap and country. The 2027 line-up is not yet announced; the detailed grid ("the cubes") comes out about a month before the festival.
The venue
A historic racecourse
The Fair Grounds Race Course, at 1751 Gentilly Boulevard, ten minutes from the French Quarter: open-air stages, tents, two large food areas, craft markets and cultural villages.
Attendance
475,000 visitors in 2026
According to the press; the festival talks of around 400,000 visitors a year. The weekends fill quickly: arrive early for the main stages.
Cashless
Cards and mobile payments
Tickets, food, drinks, crafts and shops accept bank cards and Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay; cash is not used.
What to bring
Heat, humidity and storms
Late April to early May in New Orleans it is around 27°C, with high humidity and possible storms. Hat, sunscreen, shoes that can take mud (estimate).
Good to know
No parking, official shuttle
On-site parking is reserved for VIP packages and people with disabilities, and the neighbourhood is residents-only. The Jazz Fest Express shuttle drops off and picks up inside the gates.
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2027 practical info
Practical info.
Dates, hours, transport and lodging: what you need to know before you go.
Dates and hours
Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 April and Thursday 29 April to Sunday 2 May 2027, at the Fair Grounds racecourse. Gates open at 11 am and the festival closes at 7 pm; last entry at 6:30 pm.
Tickets
2027 tickets are not on sale yet: they will open with the talent announcement, expected around December. 2026 reference (press): Thursday and Friday $109, Saturday $159, weekend pass $399 to $459 depending on the tier, reduced prices for Louisiana residents. Buy on the festival's official site.
Getting there and shuttle
The Jazz Fest Express shuttle links four departure points (French Quarter, Sheraton, Hyatt Regency, the Wisner Lot at City Park) to the Fair Grounds from 10:30 am to 7:30 pm on all eight days; round-trip tickets are sold at the departure points. Taxis, bicycles (free parking) and pedestrians are possible; rideshare is limited to a drop-off zone.
Payment
Cashless festival: bank cards, prepaid cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay are accepted everywhere (tickets, food, drinks, crafts, shops).
Accessibility
The festival has a dedicated page for patrons with disabilities, and a few parking spaces at the Horseman's Gate on Gentilly Boulevard, first come, first served. Details and facilities to be confirmed with the organisers before buying.
TransportThe festival is held in the city, about ten minutes from the French Quarter: you land at New Orleans airport then take the shuttle or a taxi.
- By plane
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), about twenty minutes from the centre (estimate); from Europe, one connection is almost always needed.
- Official shuttle
- Jazz Fest Express: four departure points (French Quarter, Sheraton, Hyatt Regency, Wisner Lot at City Park with parking included), from 10:30 am to 7:30 pm on all eight festival days, round-trip ticket sold on site.
- By car
- No on-site parking beyond VIP packages and spaces for people with disabilities; the neighbourhood is residents-only. Better leave the car.
- Taxi, bike, on foot
- Taxis at the Gentilly Boulevard and Esplanade Avenue stands, bicycles with free parking near the gates, three pedestrian gates (Gentilly, Trafalgar, Sauvage); drop-off zone for rideshare.
AccommodationNo camping: you stay in the city, and hotels book up very early.
- Official hotel
- The Sheraton New Orleans (500 Canal Street) is the festival's official hotel and a shuttle departure point.
- Book early
- The festival advises booking as soon as possible: some hotels open reservations a year in advance and many visitors book the autumn before.
- Neighbourhoods
- The French Quarter, downtown and the South Market District are linked to the site by shuttle; Mid-City and City Park are closer but have fewer hotels (estimate).
DestinationNew Orleans means music in the streets as much as in the venues.
- Around the site
- The Gentilly district and City Park, with its oaks and its museum, just to the north; the French Quarter ten minutes away.
- To do
- The clubs of Frenchmen Street and the French Quarter in the evening, Creole and Cajun food, streetcar rides along Saint Charles Avenue (estimate).
- Weather
- Late April to early May: around 27°C, humid, with possible storms; bring protection from rain and sun.
Information last updated on October 8, 2026
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival aftermovie
The vibe of the
festival.
The official video recap of the 2019 edition, published by the festival's official channel (jazzfest): the most recent one found.
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2027 line-up
The full line-up.
Day by day.
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2027 line-up hasn't been revealed yet. We'll update this page as soon as it's announced.
Line-up coming soon
The first names usually drop in autumn, several months before the festival. Come back then: the full day-by-day line-up will show up here.
Comfort, well positioned
Get organised for
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
At 6am, a ten-minute journey can feel very long. Pick the right home base now, and the route that leaves you enough energy for the rest.
Lodging
Places to stay around Fair Grounds Race Course, New Orleans.
Activities
Fill your days too.
Bars, restaurants, spots worth a visit between two shows: enough to fill the gaps in the schedule without improvising on the spot at the last minute.
A taste of it
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
like you were there.
Photos from the 2016 and 2017 editions: the crowd in front of the Jazz & Heritage stage, a concert, the site and the brass of a traditional band.
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01 — New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
02 — New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
03 — New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
04 — New Orleans Jazz & Heritage FestivalPhoto credits: TexasExplorer98 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0, David Kabot · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0.
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In the same style.
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