The Who, Stevie Nicks among 2020 New Orleans Jazz Fest headliners

Event takes place April 23-26 and April 30-May 3

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell has announced the music lineup for the 2020 Festival scheduled for April 23-26th and April 30-May 3rd. The Who, Dead & Company, Stevie Nicks, Foo Fighters, Lizzo, Lionel Richie, The Lumineers, The Black Crowes, Lenny Kravitz, Brandi Carlile, The Avett Brothers, Norah Jones, Trombone Shorty, Erykah Badu, H.E.R., The Beach Boys, The Revivalists, Elvis Costello, Irma Thomas are set to headline this year’s edition.

Jazz Fest annually celebrates the unique culture and heritage of New Orleans and Louisiana, alongside unforgettable performances by nationally and internationally renowned guest artists. With 14 stages and over 650 bands performing virtually every kind of American music, Jazz Fest presents one of the world’s most diverse music festival lineups. Almost half a million fans annually flock to the Fair Grounds Race Course for the eight-day event, which has been called America’s best festival.

The 2020 Cultural Exchange Pavilion will showcase Puerto Rico’s vibrant music and culture. Puerto Rican bomba, plena, salsa and reggaeton rhythms will echo across the Festival with parades and live performances on various stages. Over 150 Puerto Rican artists, including 18 bands will be featured, ranging from salsa legends El Gran Combo to cuatro guitar virtuoso Christian Nieves and reggaeton superstar Nicky Jam. Inside the Pavilion, a dozen Puerto Rican visual artists and master artisans will share their traditions and creative processes throughout the eight days of the Festival. In keeping with the Pavilion’s eclectic world music programming, stage performances by international artists from Gambia, Niger and Cuba, in addition to Puerto Rico, will be included in the Pavilion.

Tickets are available now through nojazzfest.com. New ticketing options are available for Jazz Fest 2020, including fourday weekend passes. Single day general admission tickets can be purchased in-person at the Smoothie King Center Box Office starting on Tuesday, January 21st.

Children’s tickets (ages 2 – 10) are still only $5 and are available at the gate only. The “Locals Thursday” tradition will continue on both April 23rd and April 30th when Louisiana residents who present valid identification at the gate can purchase up to two admissions for $50 each.

All of the Festival’s popular VIP packages are on sale now while very limited supplies last. VIP packages are weekend-specific and are valid for all four days of the weekend purchased. Jazz Fest offers three distinct VIP opportunities to experience the event in a very special way: the Festival’s popular Big Chief VIP Experience ticket package provides special viewing access at most of the Festival’s stages; the Grand Marshal VIP Pass allows for up-close access at the three major stages; and the Krewe of Jazz Fest VIP Pass entitles patrons to special covered seating at the Acura Stage audience area.

The Jazz & Heritage Foundation Gala kicks off the Jazz Fest season with an elegant soirée of fine dining, dancing and fun. The Gala, which supports the Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s signature education program, the Don “Moose” Jamison Heritage School of Music, will take place Wednesday, April 22nd. This year’s Gala will celebrate our rich musical heritage with special performances by some of New Orleans favorite artists. Purchasing a Gala ticket also gets you a Gala Pass to Jazz Fest, which is a ticket to all eight days of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell, with unlimited re-entry. The Gala always sells out, so please visit jazzandheritage.org or call 504-558-6100 to inquire about tickets and sponsorship opportunities. Plus, don’t miss the Johnny Jackson Jr. Gospel Is Alive Celebration, a free event that is part of the Jazz Fest Educational Workshops series as well as an outreach to the senior citizen community. The 2020 Gospel Is Alive Celebration takes place Monday, April 27th, at the Franklin Ave. Baptist Church and features a performance by gospel star Dottie Peoples.

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell is a co-production of Festival Productions Louisiana, LLC. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Festival Productions, Inc.-New Orleans) and AEG Louisiana Production, LLC. (a subsidiary of AEG Presents).

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com