2026 Congo Square Rhythms Festival Music Lineup Announced

NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The 2026 Congo Square Rhythms Festival, powered by Cox Communications and presented by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, returns to Louis Armstrong Park and Congo Square on Saturday, March 28, and Sunday, March 29, from 10:45 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Congo Square Rhythms Festival is a free, community celebration of the legacy and culture of enslaved African people and their ancestral traditions. Festgoers and their families are invited to immerse themselves in a cultural experience with two live music stages, food & beverages that embody the African diaspora, and an arts market showcasing the hand-made works of local artisans. For more information, visit www.congosquarerhythms.com. 

Nestled in Armstrong Park, the Congo Square Stage will feature a drum circle each day, and will showcase an array of local talent, including Cha Wa, Zigaboo Modeliste, Kyle Roussel’s Church of New Orleans, and several African dance and drumming ensembles, and more! Simultaneously, the Tremé Stage will feature a variety of musical acts, including New Breed Brass Band, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Tonya Boyd-Cannon, Charmaine Neville Band, Preservation Brass, and several more! For the full music lineup, visit www.congosquarerhythms.com.

The festival also includes a roaring tribute to New Orleans’ brass band tradition. The Class Got Brass competition is presented by the Gia Maione Prima Foundation and takes place on Saturday, March 28, where middle and high schools in Louisiana have the opportunity to create a New Orleans-style brass band with up to 12 members. They’ll enter a competition in the form of a “second-line” parade with celebrity judges, and more than $50,000 worth of instruments and supplies are up for grabs for the schools’ music programs. Learn more at classgotbrass.org.

All events will be livestreamed courtesy of Jazz & Heritage radio station WWOZ 90.7FM.

LIVE MUSIC SCHEDULE 

SATURDAY, MARCH 28

CONGO SQUARE STAGE
10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Drum Circle 

11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Maroons

12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. Higher Heights Reggae

2 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. ADO SOUL & THE TRIBE

3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Kyle Roussel’s Church of New Orleans

5 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Jamal Batiste Band

6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Zigaboo Modeliste Funk Revue

TREMÉ STAGE
11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Preservation Brass

12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. Paulin Brothers Brass Band

2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Class Got Brass

3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Class Got Brass

4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Charmaine Neville Band

5:45 p.m. to 7 p.m. New Breed Brass Band

SUNDAY, MARCH 29

CONGO SQUARE STAGE
10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Drum Circle 

12 p.m. to 12:20 p.m. Nkiruka Dance

12:30 p.m. to 12:50 p.m. Kumbuka Dance Ensemble

1 p.m. to 1:20 p.m. N’Kafu Traditional Dance Company and Culu Children’s Traditional African   Dance Company

1:30 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. N’Fungola Sibo

1:55 p.m. to 2:20 p.m. Free Spirit Walkers

2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Bamboula 2000

3:45 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mardi Gras Indian Battle

4:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Cha Wa

TREMÉ STAGE
11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Big Six Brass Band

12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Jonté Mayon

2:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Juice

3:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Tonya Boyd-Cannon

5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Lil’ Glenn and Backatown

6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Big Sam’s Funky Nation