Announcing NOLA Jazz Fest

The 40th anniversary of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival will feature another star-studded lineup April 24-26 and April 30 through May 3.

Among the hundreds of top-notch performers on the schedule at Fair Grounds Race Course are Wynton Marsalis, Aretha Franklin, Dave Matthews Band, James Taylor, Sugarland, Joe Cocker, Ben Harper, Tony Bennett, Kings Of Leon, Neville Brothers, Wilco, Bonnie Raitt, Allen Toussaint, The O’Jays, Erykah Badu, Dr. John and Earth, Wind & Fire.

The festival, produced by AEG Live, is celebrating 40 years of Louisiana musical and cultural history and continues to showcase top artists in gospel, blues, traditional and contemporary jazz, rock, pop, R&B, Cajun, zydeco and more.

Even the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 couldn’t stop the noted event from rising again.

“From day one in 1970, the goal of the festival has remained unchanged as Jazz Fest continues to celebrate the living, breathing culture of New Orleans and Louisiana,” Quint Davis, Jazz Fest director and producer, said in a statement. “While the size and impact of the festival have dramatically increased, we have never lost sight of the original goal of presenting this unique culture to the world through music, the finest in local cuisine and the sheer celebration of life.”

A full list of performers and ticket information is available at Nojazzfest.com.