Gambit - BY JAKE CLAPP
Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Luke Combs and Lil Wayne & The Roots are among the big acts set to headline the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival when it returns to the New Orleans Fair Grounds April 24 through May 4.
Also playing the 2025 festival are Lenny Kravitz, Kacey Musgraves, Santana, Burna Boy, My Morning Jacket and HAIM. Look below for the announced lineup.
Jazz Fest last year added an eighth day to accommodate The Rolling Stones and moved Locals Thursday to the beginning of the festival. That additional Thursday returns for 2025, but this year, both April 24 and May 1 will be considered Locals Thursday with discounted $50 tickets for Louisiana residents. For the first time, the festival also is offering weekend passes and single-day tickets to Louisiana residents at a discount. Click here for more information about tickets.
The Cultural Exchange Pavilion this year will highlight Mexican music and culture. Santana, Banda MS and Lila Downs are among the bigger Mexican acts at the festival, alongside another 19 bands from Mexico and the U.S., from mariachi bands to musicians playing son jarocho, marimba and norteño music. There also will be vendors selling Mexican dishes and beverages near the pavilion.
This year's lineup will also include John Fogerty, Cage the Elephant, Laufey, Bryson Tiller, Harry Connick Jr., Patti LaBelle, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Gladys Knight, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Cheap Trick, Baby Face, Diana Krall, Goose, The Revivalists, Banda MS, Irma Thomas, Tank and the Bangas, Branford Marsalis, Kamasi Washington, The Wailers Feat. Julian Marley, Big Freedia, Ledisi sings Nina, PJ Morton, Youssou N'Dour and more.
The 2025 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival runs Thursday, April 24, through Sunday, April 27, and Thursday, May 1, through Sunday, May 4, at the New Orleans Fair Grounds. The festival's website is nojazzfest.com.