With just days to go, French Quarter Festivals, Inc. is gearing up to launch one of the city’s most anticipated spring traditions. French Quarter Fest 2026 returns April 16–19, promising four days packed with local music, food, and culture across the historic Quarter and Mississippi Riverfront.
This year’s festival is shaping up to be one of the largest in its history, featuring more than 300 performances across 20 stages, alongside over 70 local culinary vendors. Headliner PJ Morton—returning to the festival for the first time in over a decade—will take the stage at the Abita Beer Stage, while a new riverfront expansion at Woldenberg Park’s Governor Nicholls Wharf offers additional space for crowds to take in live music along the Mississippi.
French Quarter Fest organizers are also bringing back fan favorites like the After Dark concert series and the annual kickoff parade, which steps off at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 16, winding through the French Quarter to Jackson Square. From brass bands and zydeco to jazz, funk, and contemporary acts, the lineup highlights the full spectrum of New Orleans sound, with performances by artists including Irma Thomas, Big Freedia, Rebirth Brass Band, and The Soul Rebels.
Attendees can also download the updated French Quarter Fest app to navigate stages, explore food vendors, and build a personalized schedule for the weekend.
As the countdown begins, French Quarter Fest once again positions itself as a celebration of the city’s musical heartbeat—free, open to the public, and unmistakably New Orleans. For more information, click here.
Day 1 – Thursday, April 16:
Preservation Brass
Mem Shannon & The Membership
R & R Smokin’ Foundation
T’Monde
Red Hot Brass Band
Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue
Seguenon Kone featuring Ivorie Spectacle
The Quickening
Banu Gibson
Sir Chantz Powell & The Sound Of Funk (S.O.F.)
Bon Bon Vivant
Gerard Delafose and The Zydeco Gators
504 Millz
J.A.M. Brass Band
The Tin Men
Jake Landry
Susan Cowsill
T-Ray & The Trendsetters
Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers
Mahogany Hall All Stars Band
Juice
Waylon Thibodeaux Band
Zeus
SOUL Brass Band
DJ Legatron Prime
Yusa & Mahmoud Chouki
Muévelo
Funky Lampshades
Big Chief Juan Pardo’s Tribal Gold
Leroy Jones & New Orleans’ Finest
Sierra Green and the Giants
Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas
Erica Falls & Vintage Soul
Royal Essence
John Mooney
Rebirth Brass Band
Amanda Shaw
The Lilli Lewis Project
New Orleans Nightcrawlers
Cary Hudson
Bag of Donuts
The New Orleans Klezmer All Stars
The Soul Rebels
Bobby Rush
Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes
Raj Smoove
Julian Primeaux
Day 2 – Friday, April 17:
John Boutté
Maji Melodies – Semaj & The Blues Experiment
Khris Royal and Dark Matter
T Marie and Bayou Juju
Kirkland Green
Magnetic Ear
Don Paul and Rivers Answer Moons
Lulu and the Broadsides
The Sam Lobley Band
Tyler “Twerk” Thomson
Shawan Rice Trio
Bo Dollis Jr. and the Wild Magnolias
Panorama Jazz Band
Tuller, Not Related, Liam Escame, and Surco
The RiverBenders
Lisbon Girls
Irvin Mayfield
Don Vappie and the Creole Jazz Serenaders
Joe Lastie’s Jazz to Brass feat. Dr. Pathorn
Cole Williams
T’Canaille
Tidal Wave Brass Band
Arsène DeLay & Charlie Wooton
Palmetto Bug Stompers
Joey Houck
Ashton Hines and the Big Easy Brawlers
Kelly Love Jones
Dusky Waters
Rickie Monie & the Traditional Jazz Ramblers
The Dixie Cups
Lawrence Cotton Legendary Experience
The Iguanas
B. Cam & The Zydeco Young Bucks
DJ ChiNola
Young Pinstripe Brass Band
Antoine Diel & New Orleans Misfit Power Band
The Pfister Sisters
Johnny Sansone
Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars
Pellow Talk & Alfred Banks
Amigos do Samba
Electric Ramble
Bonerama
Kyle Roussel’s Church of New Orleans
People Museum
Lost Bayou Ramblers
The New Orleans Flairs
New Orleans Classic Jazz Orchestra
Kidd Love
Treme Brass Band
DJ Polo504
Sporty’s Brass Band
Max Bien-Kahn
Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen
Deezle
New Orleans Legacy Coalition
Camile Baudoin and Friends
Robin Barnes & The Fiya Birds
LSD Clown System
Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots
Chucky C & Friends
Borders Trio
Cha Wa
Ingrid Lucia
Lisa Amos
Bill Summers & Jazalsa
PJ Morton
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Brass-A-Holics
Tanglers
Day 3 – Saturday, April 18:
Tim Laughlin
The Big Easy Boys
Christian Serpas & Ghost Town
Lily Unless and The If Onlys
Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band
Loyola University Commercial Ensemble
Red Wolf Brass Band
John Rankin
Legendary Barbara Shorts and Blue Jazz
Audrey Lecrone
Kid Simmons Jazz Band
Tiago Guy
Congo Square Preservation Society
Lycée Français Musicians
Garden District Jazz Band
Bad Penny Pleasuremakers
Gregg Martinez & the Delta Kings
Secret Six Jazz Band
Clive Wilson’s New Orleans Serenaders
The Beignet Orchestra
Beth Patterson
Jamil Sharif Quartet
Pierre A. Capdau Marching Jaguars
Ryan Batiste and Raw Revolution
Ovi-G presents “Xtra Cash!”
Paul Sanchez
Magnolia Sisters
Joy Clark
DJ Hollaback
Storyville Stompers Brass Band
Lynn Drury
Stephen Walker N’Em Swinging in New Orleans
Pocket Chocolate
Marlon Jordan Quartet
Washboard Chaz Blues Trio
Special Dance Performance by the NOLA Chorus Girls
Caleb Tokarska
Kyle Alexander
Vivaz
New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings
Shake Em Up Jazz Band
McMain Singing Mustangs
Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and the Golden Eagles
Wendell Brunious
Ronnie Lamarque Orchestra featuring Hot Rod Lincoln
Water Seed
Donna Angelle & the Zydeco Posse
Tay / Heavensworld / Ja Fierce & Azure Skye / Dizzy / Left Hook featuring Lizette
The Wolfe Johns Blues Band
Kevin Ray Clark and Bourbon Street All Stars
Louis Michot and Swamp Magic
Nanci Zhang
DJ Spin
Original Hurricane Brass Band
DJ RQ Away
Daphne Parker Powell
Young Tuxedo Brass Band
John Mahoney Little Band
Zach Wiggins Trio
Ever More Nest
Jamey St. Pierre
The Roots of Music
Dawn Richard
Charmaine Neville
Victor Campbell & Timba Swamp
Flagboy Giz & the Wild Tchoupitoulas
Iceman Special
Corey Ledet Zydeco & Black Magic
Mia Borders
Alicia Renee aka Blue Eyes Sextet
New Orleans Ragtime Orchestra ft. Lars Edegran
The Crybabies
Aurora Nealand & the Royal Roses
AdoSoul and the Tribe
Saskia Walker Big Band
Steve Pistorius & the Southern Syncopators
Troy Sawyer and the Elementz
Audubon Charter School R&B Choir
George Porter Jr & Runnin’ Pardners
James Andrews
The Original Pinettes Brass Band
Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers
Richard “Piano” Scott & The Twisty River Band
Eric Johanson
John “Papa” Gros
Big 6 Brass Band
The Jump Hounds
Higher Heights Reggae Band
Fermín Ceballos + Merengue4FOUR
Flow Tribe
Big Freedia
Sweet Crude
DJ Poppa
Sansone & John Fohl
Day 4 – Sunday, April 19:
Tuba Skinny
Professor Craig Adams & the Higher Dimensions Band
Roderick “Rev” Paulin and The Congregation
Les Femmes Farouches
Casme
Smokin’ on Some Brass
Andy J Forest Treeaux
Bamboula 2000
Jenna McSwain Jazz Band
Hot Club of New Orleans
Craig Klein’s New Orleans Allstars
Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestras
Jason Mingledorff
Capivaras Jazz Quartet
Sam Price & the True Believers
Smoking Time Jazz Club
Kid Merv & All That Jazz
Steamboat Willy
Across Phoenix / James Wyzten / Kissing Disease
Kristin Diable
Luke Allen
Matt Lemmler presents “New Orleans in Stride”
Chalmette High School Marching Band
Bucktown All-Stars
Lena Prima
Alex McMurray
Jason Neville Funky Soul Allstar Band
Cameron Dupuy & the Cajun Troubadours
New Birth Brass Band
Anaïs St. John
Mayumi Shara & New Orleans Jazz Letters
Sophia Parigi
Father Ron and Friends
The New Orleans Jazz Vipers
Miss Sophie Lee
Assata Renay
Justin Garner
Papo y Son Mandao
Charlie Halloran and the Tropicales
Crescent City Sisters
St. Mary’s Academy Gospel Choir
New Orleans Suspects
Jeremy Davenport
Gumbeaux Juice
Yvette Landry & the Jukes
DJ Vintage
Kings of Brass
Jeanne Marie Harris
Jade Perdue
Sweetie Pies of New Orleans
Seva Venet’s Traditional Line-Up
Bobbi Rae
Louis Ford
Mark Brooks
Steve Rohbock Trio
Wanda Rouzan and a Taste of New Orleans
Helen Gillet: ReBelle Musique
Los Güiros
Sean Riley
Don Jamison Heritage School of Music
Jelly Joseph
Judith Owen & Her Gentlemen Callers
The Rumble featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr.
Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. and The Legendary Ils Sont Partis Band
The New Orleans Swinging Gypsies
Tom Saunders and the Hotcats
Ecirb Müller’s Twisted Dixie
Harry Mayronne & Chloe Marie
DJ ODD Spinz
Hot 8 Brass Band
ANTWIGADEE!
New Breed
Cristina Kaminis
Arrowhead Jazz Band (featuring National Park Service Rangers and guests)
New Orleans High Society
Big Frank & Lil Frank & the Dirty Old Men
Creole String Beans
Stanton Moore featuring Joe Ashlar and Danny Abel
Walter L. Cohen High School Marching Band
Hasizzle with TBC Brass Band
Irma Thomas
Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band
Gerald French & The Original Tuxedo Jazz Band
Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra
Astral Project
Sullivan Dabney’s Muzik Jazz Band
Honey Island Swamp Band
Leyla McCalla
Cyril Neville
Cupid & the Dance Party Express Band
Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. & the Zydeco Twisters
