As music lovers worldwide prepare for a pilgrimage to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, NOLA venue Café Istanbul has shared its full slate of 2025 Nightfest shows set to keep the music going each night after the Fair Grounds go dark. Among the most eye-catching listings on the Café Istanbul Nightfest schedule are Melvin Seals & JGB, the annual all-star AXIAL TILT Grateful Dead tribute featuring members of Dark Star Orchestra, the return of Robert Walter and Current Futures, and a slew of rare bands and tributes featuring members of The Disco Biscuits, The Nth Power, Billy & The Kids, The Dead, Phil Lesh & Friends, Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, and more [get tickets].
The 2025 Café Istanbul Nightfest lineup has a little something for everyone, kicking off on Thursday, April 24th at 9:00 p.m. with Current Futures. After a celebrated debut during last year’s Jazz Fest, organist Robert Walter (The Greyboy Allstars, Mike Gordon) presents another high-level adventure featuring drummer Stanton Moore (Galactic), Walter’s Greyboy Allstars bandmate Chris Stillwell on bass, saxophonist Cochemea Gastelum (Dap-Kings), and Grammy-nominated guitarist Will Bernard.
Café Istanbul will also host several high-profile tributes as part of Nightfest 2025, starting with a two-night stint by AXIAL TILT on Friday, April 25th and Saturday, April 26th at 10:00 p.m. The annual all-star Grateful Dead tribute event—this year celebrating the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary—includes Grammy-winning singer Joan Osborne (The Dead), guitarists Stu Allen (Phil Lesh & Friends) and Rob Eaton (Dark Star Orchestra), keyboardist Mitch Stein (Cryptical, GATORATORS), bassist Skip Vangelas (Dark Star Orchestra), drummer Pate Lavezzoli (Jazz Is Dead), and drummer Wally Ingram (David Lindley, David Nelson), plus special guests.
Other favorites on the Nightfest calendar include a rare performance from jazz fusion favorites Garaj Mahal (bassist Kai Eckhardt, keyboardist Oz Ezzeldin, guitarist Fareed Haque, and drummer Hassan Hurd) on Sunday, April 27th at 9:00 p.m.; and NOLATET on Wednesday, April 30th at 8:00 p.m. featuring legendary drummer Johnny Vidacovich, bassist James Singleton, pianist Brian Haas (Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Punkadelick), and percussionist Mike Dillon (Les Claypool, Punkadelick).
NOLATET – New Orleans, LA – 5/7/22
AXIAL TILT – Highwood, IL – 10/19/18
Week two of the Café Istanbul Nightfest opens with a one-night-only funk dance party with locally sourced collective Pimps Of Joytime on Thursday, May 1st at 9:00 p.m. for their only show during the second weekend of Jazz Fest. Immediately following the Pimps Of Joytime show, the Café Istanbul Nightfest welcomes a stunning late-night performance of jazz, funk, and other favorites from Hammond B3 master Wil Blades & Friends featuring saxophonist Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band, Béla Fleck & The Flecktones), drummer Mike Clark (The Headhunters), and percussionist Bill Summers (The Headhunters) beginning at midnight.
Former Jerry Garcia Band organist Melvin Seals will bring his latter-day JGB lineup of guitarist John Kadlecik (Furthur), bassist John-Paul McLean (Chuck Prophet) and drummer Jeremy Hoenig (Phil Lesh & Friends), plus special guest violinist Mads Tolling (Bob Weir & Wolf Bros ft. The Wolfpack) to Café Istanbul for a two-night run on Friday, May 2nd (9:30 p.m.) and Saturday, May 3rd (9:00 p.m.). Immediately following JGB’s Saturday night show as one of only two late-night shows on the calendar, The Abbey Roads will honor The Beatles on Saturday, May 3rd at 1:00 a.m. (technically early May 4th) with bassist/guitarist Reed Mathis (Billy & The Kids), drummer Nikki Glaspie (The Nth Power), keyboardist Aron Magner (The Disco Biscuits), and drummer Jason Fraticelli (SPAGA).
Melvin Seals & JGB — Café Istanbul Nightfest — 5/5/23
Finally, Crescent City native and two-time Grammy Award-winner Nicholas Payton will have the honor of closing out Nightfest at Café Istanbul on Sunday, May 4th at 8:00 p.m. with a decorated world-class trio lineup featuring fellow Grammy-winning bassist Esperanza Spalding and celebrated drummer Karriem Riggins.
Check out the detailed lineup below and find tickets on the Café Istanbul Nightfest website.
