New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Postponed To The Fall

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has responded to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic by pushing back its 2020 edition to the fall, with exact dates and additional details to come. Tickets will be honored for the new dates. 

The event presented by Shell was supposed to take place April 23 through May 3 with a massive, multi-genre lineup topped by The Who, Dead & Company, Stevie Nicks, Foo Fighters, Lizzo, Lionel Richie, The Lumineers, The Black Crowes, Lenny Kravitz, Brandi Carlile, The Avette Brothers, Norah Jones, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Erykah Badu and many more. Although the event features more than 600 acts. 

“The health and safety of the community, our musicians, festival fans, participants, sponsors and staff are paramount, and we urge everyone to follow the guidelines and protocols put forth by public health officials. … Thank you for your support and patience, and we look forward to seeing everyone this fall,” organizers said in a statement March 17. 

The announcement noted that the decision was made “at the direction of city of New Orleans authorities, in response to ongoing COVID-19 health concerns.” The city has reported 136 cases of COVID-19 with 4 deaths as of March 17, according to ready.nola.gov.

Jazz Fest producer and director Quint Davis spoke with Pollstar in January 2019 about putting together the lineup for the festival’s 50th anniversary. A few months later headliner Rolling Stones was forced to cancel its appearance because of Mick Jagger’s heart valve replacement surgery. The band’s slot was filled by Fleetwood Mac, which then ended up backing out because of Stevie Nicks’ illness and was ultimately replaced by Widespread Panic. 

Fans will have to stay tuned to see if Stevie Nicks is part of the confirmed lineup for the fall edition. Needless to say, just like Coachella and Stagecoach rescheduling for October, it may not be possible to ensure every previously announced Jazz Fest artist can make the new dates. 

One commenter on Jazz Fest’s Facebook page asked organizers to “please consider” postponing the event to September because “the event industry is already overloaded with [French Quarter Festival] moving to October!”

French Quarter Festival has been rescheduled from April 16-19 to Oct. 1-4. Fellow New Orleans event BUKU Music + Art Project has been moved from March 20-21 to Labor Day Weekend.