NEW ORLEANS – In a statement released today by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the festival – typically held the last weekend in April and first weekend in May – will be postponed until the fall. No official dates were set in the announcement, all acts and details we believe are still in the beginning stages of discussion.
The official announcement stated:
At the direction of the city of New Orleans authorities, in response to ongoing COVID-19 health concerns, the 2020 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell will not occur this April and May as scheduled. 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.
Jazz Fest 2020 will now take place in the fall. We will announce exact dates and additional details soon. All purchases for the original dates will be honored for the fall dates. Thank you for your support and patience, and we look forward to seeing everyone this fall.
The move to the fall was inevitable and ultimately everyone was waiting for the announcement, as each day the city and state officially shutdown or enact new laws pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Questions now circulate as to which, if any, of the top performers – Lizzo, The Beach Boys, Stevie Nicks, The Who, Lionel Richie and more among them – will be on the bill come fall or should we expect a completely new lineup as almost all touring bands have had to reschedule all spring shows for the fall.
One silver lining to take from all of the postponed events, is fall 2020 is looking to be an exciting time in the Big Easy.
More details to follow as additional information emerges.
