NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo has announced the daily lineup for its 2024 festival, taking place May 17 – 19 on the banks of Bayou St. John. Single day tickets good for any day of the festival are now available for $15.00 and will increase in price on April 22 and again on May 13. The $39.50 3-Day Weekend pass will increase on May 13. The festival is produced by Friends of Bayou St. John, the local nonprofit organization that promotes stewardship, cultural appreciation, responsible recreation and initiatives that support a clean, healthy Bayou St. John that is accessible to all.
“Our goal this year was to cast a wide net over the many musical genres that exist in New Orleans,” said festival producer Jared Zeller. “Of course we have the funk, the r&b, the horn-driven dance parties the Boogaloo is known for. But we’ve also introduced popular local performers from metal, hip hop, cabaret and even a little beach and yacht rock that we’re excited about,” he said. Preview some of this year’s acts on the Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo’s playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6vWcnu6gAptrMOwHbin9up
Friday, May 17 – Bass Players We Love
- Headlining Friday night will be former Prince bassist Nik West leading her own band
- New Orleans bass icon, former Meter and Funky Meter George Porter Jr. & his Runnin’ Pardners
- Plus: Quintron and Miss Pussycat, SaxKixAve and Dave Jordan & the NIA
- Acts at the Comedy & Cabaret tent on Friday include Stoned vs. Drunk vs. Sober hosted by Isaac Kozell and Lefty Lucy’s Burlesque Bingo. In Stoned vs. Drunk vs. Sober, audience members vote on who delivered the better comedy set: the stoned comedians, the drunk comedians or the sober comedians.
Saturday, May 18 – Outliers and Outlaws
- Founding member of the Wu Tang Clan GZA headlines with his band the Phunky Nomads.
- Morning 40 Federation, everyone’s favorite local outlaw party band
- Naughty Professor with Chali 2na of Jurassic 5
- Pollo Asado: A NOLA Tribute to Ween featuring members of Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes, Mike Doussan and more
- New Orleans newcomer and Tedeschi Trucks drummer Isaac Eady leading his band Isaac Eady & Third Moon
- Metal scene favorite Suplecs
- Raw Deal feat. Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph, the Galactic vocalist who will lead a supergroup featuring the Naughty Professor horn section through a tight set of 1970’s funky, pop hits sure to fill the dance floor
- Plus: beach and yacht rockers Marina Orchestra, Sierra Green & the Giants, and jam-band loving Hash Cabbage.
- Acts at the Comedy & Cabaret tent Saturday include LGBTLOL with Ryan Rogers and Shep Kelly, Matt Owens, Samantha Bednarz, Minx Burlesque and Bayou Roast Battle hosted by Pickle in which comedians skewer one another and the audience votes on the best roaster.
Sunday, May 19 – We Want To Take You Higher
- Lez Zeppelin will headline the main stage
- “Because I Got High” Afroman
- Big Sam’s Funky Nation will no doubt levitate the crowd with their big horns and high-energy set
- Rumpelsteelskin feat. Revivalist steel guitar player Ed Williams and other members of The Revivalists
- Plus: Eric Johanson, Buckwheat Zydeco Jr., ÌFÉ, Tiny Dinosaur, latin dance band Los Guiros, and The St. Claude Serenaders
- Acts at the Comedy & Cabaret tent on Sunday include Eureeka’s Drag Brunch presented by Ruby Slipper, Jason Leonard, Taj Washington, Amanda G., Allison Hotard, and Joshua Starkman’s Variety Hour.
In addition to two music stages and a Comedy & Cabaret tent, the Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo features a curated arts market, a Kid’s Cultural Pavilion, a VIP Crescent 9 Canopy Club, a Crawfish Eating Contest and food from numerous Mid-City and local vendors. This year, Louisiana Wildlife & Fisheries will be on-site with a baby alligator petting zoo.
Recycling and other ecological initiatives are a hallmark of Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo. In 2023, the festival’s eco-friendly efforts resulted in 8,184 cans, 405 lbs of plastic, 3,000 lbs of glass and a full superstack of cardboard recycled. Friends of Bayou St. John was recently awarded funding from Keep Louisiana Beautiful via its Greener Grounds Grant for Louisiana’s Large Outdoor Events, which will enable the organization to have an even stronger litter and waste reduction and recycling effort at this year’s Bayou Boogaloo.
Single day tickets, good for any day of the festival, are now available for $15.00 and will increase in price on April 22. Also available for purchase now are 3-day weekend GA passes for $39.50. This is ageneral admission weekend pass with in and out privileges. As always, kids 12 and under are granted free admission.
Additionally, 3-day Crescent 9 Canopy Club VIP passes are available for $220.00 each. These passes allow re-entry plus access to the Crescent 9 Canopy Club VIP area, which is a shaded oasis next to the stage with front stage access, elevated viewing deck, private restrooms with AC and a selection of complimentary beverages and local eats. All tickets and passes will increase in price once more on May 13, the Monday before the Boogaloo weekend kicks off.To purchase tickets, go to www.thebayouboogaloo.com.
Festival-goers who look forward to boating and floating on Boogaloo days will need a regular-priced ticket to the festival for entry, which includes a $2.00 environmental fee that goes to preserving and protecting Bayou St. John. Any person or group who desires to build and place a homemade barge in the water will be subject to a $100.00 removal fee if the barge is left in the bayou more than 24 hours after the festival ends.
