Photo by Noe Cugny.

Jazz Fest Attendance Still Strong Despite Rain

Considering the torrential downpour that swept through the city on Saturday and Sunday, it should come as no surprise that the 2016 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival racked up its lowest attendance number since 2013.

The festival revealed today that this year’s event attracted 425,000 music fans. All told, that’s not too much lower than last year’s 460,000 attendees or 2014’s 435,000.

Who knows how many would have showed up if Saturday’s festivities–which were to feature sets from superstars Stevie Wonder, Beck, Snoop Dogg and more–had not been cut short by dangerous weather? Without the wind and rain, the Acura Stage may have ended up more packed than last year’s Elton John fiasco.

As previously reported, Jazz Fest wrapped up on Sunday with performances by Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt and more, plus guest-filled tributes to Allent Toussaint and B.B. King.

You can check out OffBeat’s day-by-day coverage of Jazz Fest 2016 in the News section of our site. Our 2016 Jazz Fest Bible can be found here.

The next Jazz Fest will take place April 28 – May 7, 2017.