New Orleans Jazzfest 2026

Dates, schedule, and your guide to nighttime music during the festival

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is back for 2026, running across two weekends in late April and early May. While the festival itself, based at the New Orleans Fair Grounds, winds up each evening around 7pm, the music keeps going all night at clubs across the city. That's where NOLA.show comes in — we track hundreds of nighttime shows so you don't miss a thing.

Get the NOLA.show App

Browse shows on your phone, filter by date and venue, and never miss a set. Totally free (as in beer), no ads, no account required. It's a public service from a real New Orleans Music Lover

Jazzfest 2026 Dates & Schedule

When is Jazzfest 2026?

View all Jazzfest nighttime shows →

What time does Jazzfest end each day?

The Fair Grounds typically close around 7pm each day. Some late-night shows don't start until 11pm or after midnight, which can lead to confusion about which day the show is on! Other shows begin right after the Fair Grounds close at 7, and can be hard to get to in time if you stay until the end of the fest day. It's always a good idea to verify with the venue before heading out.

Who is playing Jazzfest 2026?

First Weekend Highlights: Stevie Nicks, Rod Stewart, Kings of Leon, Lorde, Jon Batiste, Tyler Childers, David Byrne, Raye, Nas, Sean Paul, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, St. Vincent, Irma Thomas, The Isley Brothers, The Revivalists, Carlos Vives, Blind Boys of Alabama, Cyril Neville, Rhiannon Giddens, Big Freedia, Samantha Fish, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers, Ani DiFranco, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Ron Carter Quartet, Dave Koz & Friends Summer Horns, Burning Spear, Stephen Marley, Cowboy Mouth, Protoje, Davell Crawford, Hiromi's Sonicwonder, Rockin' Dopsie, Jr. & the Zydeco Twisters, Sonny Landreth. Full Weekend 1 Artist List

Second Weekend Highlights: Eagles, Lainey Wilson, Teddy Swims, The Black Keys, T-Pain, Widespread Panic, Earth, Wind & Fire, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Alabama Shakes, Herbie Hancock, Ziggy Marley, Lake Street Dive, Mavis Staples, The Gospel Soul of Irma Thomas, Dianne Reeves, Big Freedia, Little Feat, Galactic featuring Jelly Joseph, Terence Blanchard + Ravi Coltrane: Miles Davis & John Coltrane Centennial, Dumpstaphunk, Tab Benoit, The Radiators, Sue Foley, Alejandro Escovedo, Steve Earle, Anders Osborne, Sierra Hull, Rickie Lee Jones, Leo Nocentelli of The Meters, Zigaboo Modeliste Funk Revue, George Porter Jr & Runnin' Pardners, The California Honeydrops, The Soul Rebels, Dragon Smoke, Leela James, Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Big Sam's Funky Nation, J & The Causeways, Deacon John, Rebirth Brass Band, Wayne Toups, Lettuce, Leyla McCalla, Jackie Venson, Larry McCray, Fred Wesley and his New JBs. Full Weekend 2 Artist List

When will the full Jazzfest 2026 schedule with set times be released?

The full schedule - a.k.a. "The Cubes" - generally come out in March. Once they're out, we'll have them in the NOLA.Show app and you can save sets so you can plan your day!

Nighttime Shows

Why do nighttime shows matter?

Jazzfest's official programming is just part of the experience. Every night during the festival, New Orleans venues book special performances — headliners playing intimate club sets, local legends doing late-night shows, and collaborations you won't see anywhere else. Big theatres like The Orpheum, Saenger Theatre, and The Fillmore, famous local venues like Tipitina's, Chickie Wah Wah, and the Maple Leaf, and dozens of other venues fill their calendars with can't-miss performances.

These shows often sell out or pack the room, especially for artists who performed at the festival earlier that day. Knowing what's happening and where gives you a real advantage.

Where can I find live music at night during Jazzfest?

These neighborhoods and venues reliably book special programming during Jazzfest. All are included in our listings by venue. Hot tip: The NOLA.Show app has a handy "Nearby" feature, so when you're out and about at night, you can find shows that are within a 10-15 minute walk (or drive)! Download for iOS or Android.

Frenchmen Street: This stretch in the Marigny has gotten more touristy over the years, but has a very lively scene, and venues there have killer shows during Jazzfest. Snug Harbor is the old-school intimate club for straight jazz performances (like a smaller version of the Blue Note in NYC). The Blue Nile, d.b.a., and Maison all tend to have special shows during Jazzfest.

Uptown: Tipitina's hosts marquee shows every night of the festival, and on weekends will sometimes do a late-late show with national acts starting at 2am. Maple Leaf Bar is a local institution with a packed Jazzfest calendar. Le Bon Temps Roule has live music late every night, including the standing 11pm Thursday night "house party" with the Soul Rebels Brass Band (it gets really crowded!) Carrollton Station hosts great local acts, and Gasa Gasa books indie and experimental acts.

French Quarter: Preservation Hall for traditional jazz (advance tickets ABSOLUTELY MANDATORY). Preservation Hall's "Midnite Preserves" series runs during Jazzfest - these intimate shows start at midnight and often feature national acts in a tiny, tiny room, but they don't reveal who's playing until you get there. Toulouse Theater has great shows during jazzfest, and so does the House of Blues (including its smaller, more intimate room, The Parish). The clubs on Bourbon Street are more tourist-oriented and we generally do not include them in our listings, although Mayfield's 208 is an exception to that rule.

Marigny/Bywater: Siberia, Saturn Bar, and No Dice are all on the St Claude Arts Corridor and book local and national acts during Jazzfest. Cafe Istanbul tends to cater to the Dead Head crowd during fest. BJ's Lounge and Vaughn's Lounge feature top-shelf local acts that you are not likely to see elsewhere. And look out for smaller bars that have regular live music, like Okay Bar.

Mid-City: Chickie Wah Wah is known for bringing in national acts during Jazzfest and is a small and intimate setting to see them. The Broadside is a new venue that has an outdoor stage and an indoor 'Pavilion' - it hosts daytime festivals between the two Jazzfest weekends and a combination of local and national touring acts at night.

Do I need tickets for nighttime shows during Jazzfest?

During Jazzfest, even venues that are usually free will charge cover. Popular spots on Frenchmen Street can have lines out the door. Arrive early for shows you care about, or buy tickets in advance when possible. Most of our listings have links to the venue website so you can buy tickets online.

Should I tip the band?

Yes! Many Jazzfest nighttime shows are at small venues where musicians depend on tips. Jazzfest is their rent party! If you're enjoying "free" music, or even if you paid a cover and are having a great time, put something in the tip jar. And a lot of tip jars have Venmo QR codes nowadays!

Planning Your Trip

Where should I stay during Jazzfest?

Jazzfest is one of New Orleans' biggest events, and hotels fill up months in advance. Most hotels are concentrated in the French Quarter, Central Business District, and Warehouse District, which put you close to the action on Frenchmen Street; Uptown hotels are convenient for Tipitina's and the Maple Leaf.

What else should I know about planning for Jazzfest?

Swag knows all! Swag's Jazzfest FAQ is the definitive guide to Jazzfest from a fest veteran who's been going since 1996 and generously shares everything he's learned. Anything and everything you need to know is in there, in intimate detail. I cannot recommend this enough.

Other Jazzfest Planning Resources: Check out the Jazzfest Forums where you can find detailed fest info, ask questions of other fest-goers, and get answers you might not find elsewhere. Reddit's r/Jazzfest is another place to ask questions and get good answers from experienced festers.

Stay Updated

We update our listings daily as venues announce shows. Bookmark our recently added page to see what's new, or check the main calendar filtered to your dates.

Jazzfest 2026 is shaping up to be another great year. See you out there — and remember to tip the band.