New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is an annual event that brings together music lovers from across the world. The festival, which will run from April 28 to May 7 at the Fair Grounds, is known for its incredible line-up and lively atmosphere. As always, the festival will feature around 580 bands, with more than 500 of them being locally based. The cubes have been released, showing performance schedules and stages for bands like Dead & Company, Lizzo, Ed Sheeran, Jon Batiste, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, and others.
A Cashless Jazz Fest
This year, the festival is going cashless. That means attendees need to bring a credit card or digital payment option to purchase food or drinks on-site. However, organizers have kept in mind that not everyone owns a credit card or has access to digital payment options. For that reason, there will be a nofee cash exchange location at the Fair Grounds where people without digital payment options can load money onto a prepaid card.
A Taste of NOLA
While attendees may not be able to pay cash when they want their favorite crawfish bread or muffuletta sandwich, they will still have options. Food vendors will be serving up new items like barbecue oysters, grilled shrimp, and guava hand pies. Panorama Foods and its crawfish bread will not be featured this year.
All About the Music
The Allison Miner Heritage Stage will return this year and feature interview sessions with musicians performing at the festival. In addition to the main stage acts mentioned earlier, other local acts include Alger “Papa” Fats with Zion Trinity and Ivan Neville & Friends. There’s always some concern about scheduling conflicts during events like these–and this year is no exception. On the first Friday, April 28, there is a dilemma with Lizzo, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, and WuTang Clan with the Soul Rebels all headlining at the same time.
Quint Davis, the Jazz Fest producer, loves to schedule complementary local acts ahead of likeminded headliners to build a cohesive multi-hour program and expose locals to headliners’ bigger audiences. Buddy Guy, a blues guitar hero, is moving back to the big stage after regularly closing out the festival’s main stage in the past.
Bringing Joy to Louisiana
Jazz Fest is more than just an event–it’s a tremendous economic engine for Louisiana. It has brought millions of visitors and billions of dollars in taxes left behind over the years. Jazz Fest is also a great tool in promoting tourism and excitement for Louisiana. It’s no surprise that people look forward to this annual event.
Get Your Tickets While You Can
General admission tickets for a three-day weekend pass start at $225 for early bird passes and $240 for advance weekend passes. Four-day weekend passes start at $275 for early bird specials and $290 for advanced weekend passes. There are also different pricing options for single-day tickets, locals Thursday tickets, and VIP packages. With Jazz Fest just around the corner, be sure to get your tickets while you can.
In summary, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is going cashless this year–which is great news for those who prefer digital payment options. Food vendors will be serving up new items like barbecue oysters, grilled shrimp, and guava hand pies. Meanwhile, attendees can enjoy performances by talented musicians such as Lizzo, Ed Sheeran, Mumford and Sons, the Lumineers, and New Orleans native Jon Batiste. This annual event will have its usual big impact on the economy of Louisiana while bringing joy to both locals and tourists alike.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
