r/jazzfest

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Just an fyi to people walking to Jazz Fest - if you're walking on the streets between Esplanade and Fortin and encounter a car creeping along with a neighborhood pass in it's front window you're encountering someone who actually lives there. As a general rule we'd rather shove fiery twigs under our fingernails than attempt to navigate the hood in a car so if we're driving it's more than likely absolutely necessary and it's often get to work.

With this in mind, please don't slam your fist into our doors, flip us off, yell at us, name call, throw drinks, or punch our windows as we crawl by. This is a relatively new phenomenon but it's been out of control this year.

If you could name just one act that absolutely blew your mind this fest, who would it be?

I came to New Orleans to meet up with my girlfriend and she discovered Jazz Fest was going on. We decided to go on Sunday, May 3rd. I usually get anxiety when dealing with unfamiliar crowds. I was also concerned after seeing a lot of the posts on here about people and their chairs, tarps, blankets, etc. and also long lines to get in, food, bathrooms, etc. I could not have been more wrong. I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly the lines moved and how friendly the concert-goers were. The staff and volunteers could not have been more efficient moving people through lines. My girlfriend even had trouble pulling up her ticket on her phone and the ladies at the Ticket Help tent were so accommodating and were able to locate it and print her out a hard copy. Even with all sorts of alcohol and a hot sun, the people were so cool around us. We even saw workers picking recyclables out of the regular trash. I can’t wait to come back again!

I am looking for some advice/information. I am from the Netherlands and am heavily into New Orleans music. I have visited the city 5 times and during 4 visits I attended Jazz Fest (4 out of the last 6 editions, around 15 days total). So I know my way around town and on the Fairgrounds. This year I didn’t go but I was following some of the events mainly on Reddit. The new ticketing system (dedicated daytickets), raising prices vs more risk of losing your money (due to the new ticketing system + rained out days) and the big crowds (even 1 day selling out) made me think a bit.

I want to visit New Orleans again next year. Probably for the first time with a friend, the other times I was by myself. So I want to make the right decision as it will be his first visit and has been hearing me rave about the city for lots of years. As I am mainly interested in attending concerts by the local musicians it probably makes sense to try French Quarter Fest next year. It is free and when I check the recent line ups it seems just about everybody I want to see is playing, think the likes of: Irma Thomas, Little Freddie King, living members of The Meters, Cha Wa, The Rumble, Rebirth, Dirty Dozen and other Brass Bands Monk Boudreaux, Mardi Gras Indian bands, and a shitload of Zydeco.

Few questions:

• How are the crowds typically? Is it getting too crowded to enter a certain area during concerts by let’s say Irma Thomas of George Porter Jr? Or are there typically no worries about that?

• I’ll probably be hopping all over the French Quarter to see the concerts of my choosing and not stick with 1 or 2 stages, is the FQ easy navigatably during the fest, or can it be so busy it’s difficult to get around?

• Are the evening shows in the theaters (Take Me to the River, or Meters/Dr John themed tributes for example), on Frenchmen and the venues (I love Broadside for example) around town comparable to the ones during Jazz Fest?

• Are the prices of beer and food comparable to Jazz Fest?

• Generally I like the vibe in Jazz Fest, but I mainly go to Fais Do Do, Jazz Heritage Stage and only go to the mainstages early in the day sometimes for some of the local legends. I read that there will be more locals during French Quarter Fest. How is the vibe compared to JF?

• I saw that this year FQF was just a week before JF, other years there was a week in between them. Anyone knows the dates for 2027? I still possibly could visit weekend 1 of JF if they keep it like this, I typically plan to stay 12-14 days.

• How is the chair situation? Can everyone bring chairs and sit anywhere, or are there dedicated areas for them? (I am not a chair person but am aware it is a thing in the US, in Netherlands it is not allowed at all)

• Are there other things that are worth mentioning when you compare both festivals?

It’s my first year of college here in the US. Flew all the way from NC to watch the jazz fest and it was a BLAST!!! It’s my first music fest as well, was here for the eagles to watch them live for once before they stopped touring.
Went solo since all my friends are having finals and not really into older musics (Shame on them!), spent lots of money getting an U21 hotels and everything but it’s worth every penny! Y’all really made me feel welcomed and I enjoyed every moments here (other than that massive rain on Friday got me caught in the Greenway tryna cycle back lol). The people I met are all super friendly, the foods are awesome, and the musics are fantastic. That eagles show’s the best show I’ve ever seen and all the other artists are super fun to watch as well.
Would love to stay longer since the rain kinda stopped me from going through all the places on my checklist but got a final in two days and didn’t study a thing😅 definitely coming back tho and hopefully I’ll be old enough by then to vibe in one of the bars in French Quarter.
I didn’t use Reddit a whole bunch but I’m just writing here to give a shout out to NOLA, the Jazz Fest and everyone of y’all to give me a wonderful time after LDOC to clear my minds before the finals(really just looking for any justification here lol). An experience of a lifetime for sure!

Zigaboo canceled so Widespread Panic can move up three hours. That's it. If you agree with this move then you are of an ilk I, and many others who respect the origination of this festival, will likely never relate to.

Just trying to narrow down the causes of the violent vomiting and diarrhea I experienced last night. Completely drained every ounce of liquid from my body

Had Crawfish Monica & Crawfish enchilada around 2pm. Just wondering if anyone else had the same food and a similar reaction.

Hoping I was just hit with severe dehydration instead of food poisoning.

Between Mardis Gras celebrations back at home, in season crawfish boils and closing it out with a trip to Jazz Fest, even living back in NC Festival Season is my favorite time of the year. Between New Orleans festivities, March Madness, and the weather I just seem to be in my best mood this time of year.

Anyone else feel like festival season is their "happy time"?

My roommate and I have been feeling awful since we came back.

He got sick two days ago and I woke up like this yesterday. I was vomiting all night and I've had loose stools ever since.

Anyone else with something like this?

This is my first JF since 2019 and I am blown away at how many people will pay good money to see a late nite show then spend the whole time blah blah blahing. It’s not like people are greeting each other or commenting on the show, it’s full on banal conversations that could happen anywhere, and then get salty when asked to shhh.

If the band is playing, STFU or take it outside. Jesus!

Anybody been able to find a good recording of their set from Sunday? I know its still a bit early but was wondering if anyone has stumbled upon something better than some short YouTube crowd videos. I really wanted to see this show but got kinda locked in to the Tedeschi Trucks show at Gentilly. I don't regret my decision at all, that TTB set was one of the better Fest closers I've ever seen, but would really like to hear some of what I missed.

If not a recordings what about some reviews from somebody that was there?

Disappointed in today’s JazzFest.

Weather caused rescheduling of performances and then an early (4pm) closure of the event. Understandable.

But why no communication? The app still shows the original lineups and there was zero communication that the event was closing at 4:00. The way we learned was by going to an empty stage and seeing a powerpoint slide where the performers should have been. And then checking with vendors who were packing up their things. Why not send an alert on the app we’re all using? Why not update the lineup grid?

Also, the shuttles. No one told the shuttle drivers that the event was closing early, so thousands of people who paid good $$ for transportation tickets stood in lines in the rain with no buses in sight. We all left early due to closures but couldn’t really get out because there were no buses to transport us.

I’ve been impressed by JazzFest organization in the past. I hope these early examples are not portending a downgrade in how it’s run.