Celebrating their 50th anniversary, the world-famous Jazz Fest will return to the Fair Grounds Race Course from Thursday, April 25th through Sunday, the 28th, and Thursday, May 2nd to Sunday, May 5th. That’s right, both weekends will start on a Thursday and end on a Sunday, alleviating some of the crowded atmospheres that the first weekend is traditionally known for.
Event organizers rolled out the lineup at a press conference this afternoon, which was kicked off by performances from Jazz Fest veterans—Germaine Bazzle, Ellis Marsalis, James Rivers, Little Freddie King, Johnny Vidacovich, George French and more, followed by speeches from event organizers, the foundation, the city’s Mayor Cantrell, Vice President of Shell, and more.
On the second Thursday, May 2nd, The Rolling Stones will headline the event. There will be a separate ticket for the second Thursday event that will be limited to a comfortable amount. Tickets for the Rolling Stones day go on sale to Louisiana residents on Thursday at 9 am at the Superdome, then to the general public on Friday.
The rest of the lineup will feature Dave Matthews Band, Katy Perry, Jimmy Buffet & The Coral Reefer Band, Chris Stapleton, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Santana, Pitbull, Van Morrison, Al Green, Logic, Earth, Wind & Fire, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue with Nevilles, Gladys Knight, John Fogerty, The Revivalists, Leon Bridges, Chaka Khan, Herbie Hancock, Tank and the Bangas, Tom Jones, Bonnie Raitt, Alanis Morissette, Gary Clark Jr., Irma Thomas, Doobie Brothers, The O’Jays, Ziggy Marley, Mavis Staples, The Head and The Heart, Jimmy Cliff, Ellis Marsalis Family Tribute, Boz Scaggs, Aaron Neville, Galactic, Jerry Lee Lewis, Rebirth Brass Band, Indigo Girls, Los Lobos, Big Freedia, Kamasi Washington, Rita Coolidge, Buddy Guy, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Better Than Ezra, Lauren Daigle, Dumpstaphunk, Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues BAnd, Ani DiFranco, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Gregory Porter, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Shirley Caesar, The Radiators, The Robert Cray BAnd, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Jonathan Butler and Gerald Albright, North Mississippi Allstars, The subdudes, The Mavericks, Anders Osborne, Little Feat, Samantha Fish, Naturally 7, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Kermir Ruffins & The Barbecue Swingers, Sweet Crude, Boyfriend, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Rance Allen Group, Sonny Landreth, Cyril Nevill’s Swamp Funk, Bonerama, Foundation of Funk, George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, Bobby Jones & The Nashville Super Choir, Little Freddie King, The Soul Rebels, Steve Earle & The Dukes, and hundreds more.
During the press conference, they also announced that there will be over 20 tributes to the city’s ancestors, including legends like Louis Armstrong, Professor Longhair, Aretha Franklin, Fats Domino, Jelly Roll Morton, Mahalia Jackson, James Booker, Allen Toussaint, and more.
All ticketing information, as well as daily lineups, for the 2019 Jazz Fest can be found via the festival’s website.
