This year’s line-up for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is phenomenal to say the least, featuring no shortage of classic rock acts as headliners. The New Orleans Jazz Fest 2016 lineup includes Stevie Wonder, Pearl Jam, Neil Young, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Van Morrison, Beck, Gary Clark, Jr., and The Red Hot Chili Peppers, among others. The 47th edition of the fest is set to take place April 2nd through May 1st, showcasing rock, pop, jazz, R&B and gospel artists, old and new.
Other familiar names include Los Lobos, Boz Scaggs, Elvis Costello, Michael McDonald, Bonnie Raitt, Arlo Guthrie, Dr. John and Aaron Neville.
Many of the big names at this year’s fest aren’t newbies to Jazz Fest or New Orleans. Stevie Wonder was in town just last year for his “Songs in the Key of Life” tour and he appeared at the actual fest in 2008. Pearl Jam played Jazz Fest in 2010 and Voodoo Fest in 2013. (The latter appearance coincided almost to the day with the 20th anniversary of Vedder’s arrest for an early morning brawl in the French Quarter.) Gary Clark, Jr. showed up two years in a row in 2012 and 2013, on the strength of his much-lauded debut album, Blak and Blu.
Many popular local artists will also make appearances, from Galactic and Mystikal to Stay Human, a band fronted by Jon Batiste of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. “When people used to come to the fest, one of the high points was you walk around and go, ‘I don’t know who these people are but they’re fantastic,’” festival producer and director Quint Davis told The Advocate. “Not now. Now people all over the world know who these people are. That’s a different dynamic. As the years go by, there has been a constant rising up of the next generation of great artists.”
Detailed daily lineups are available here. Last year, Jazz Fest saw its highest numbers of attendees since Hurricane Katrina, with around 460,000 fans showing up to see Elton John, The Who, No Doubt and others. Tickets are currently on sale here, with slight upticks in price from years past. Early-bird single-day tickets are $60 through February 2nd, bumping up to $65 on February 3rd. Gate price tickets will be $75.
