From April to May, New Orleans became a living stage. From April 25 to May 5, the Fair Grounds Race Course welcomed nearly half a million people for the 2025 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, a cultural cornerstone that continues to reflect the city’s heartbeat.
This year’s festival wasn’t just about who performed; it was about how they performed. Legendary names like Santana, Lenny Kravitz, Luke Combs, and Joan Jett packed the big stages. But it was the deeply rooted sounds of New Orleans that gave the event its soul. Zigaboo Modeliste, Trombone Shorty, Dumpstaphunk, and Jason Marsalis reminded everyone that the city doesn’t just host music, it creates it.
Across the 14 stages, each performance felt more like a conversation between past and present. The Gospel Tent stirred hearts with rich harmonies, while the Cultural Exchange Pavilion brought the vibrant spirit of Mexico alive through song and dance. The local flavor was everywhere, from spicy crawfish étouffée to street parades filled with costumed dancers and brass bands.
For drummers and rhythm lovers, this year’s fest was a dream. Santana’s percussion section, featuring Cindy Blackman and Karl Perazzo, delivered mesmerizing rhythms that blurred the lines between rock, Latin, and jazz. Meanwhile, Adam Deitch from Lettuce took late-night sets to another level with his experimental funk collective PYTHON, drawing in crowds from across the musical spectrum.
But it wasn’t just about the stars. A quiet yet powerful tribute to the late Shannon Powell, a beloved New Orleans drummer, was led by Herlin Riley and Jason Marsalis. Their set was more than music; it was memory, legacy, and love played through sticks and skins.
Every night, as the main stages went dark, the city lit up. Neighborhood clubs, century-old theaters, and back-alley bars kept the music alive long past midnight. It’s here that Jazz Fest becomes more than an event; it becomes a feeling, a movement, a reminder that in New Orleans, the party never ends, and the music never fades.
As festival-goers began heading home, the city released the dates for 2026: April 23 to May 3. Another promise that next year, once again, New Orleans will rise in rhythm, echo in harmony, and dance through time.
In a world that often feels out of tune, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival remains perfectly pitched. A reminder that music can still bring us together, and New Orleans, as always, leads the band.