The non-profit French Quarter Festivals, Inc. (FQFI) is excited to announce the return of French Quarter Festival presented by Chevron. Festival organizers didn’t want to let another calendar year pass without bringing back this celebrated tradition and critical economic driver back for fans, musicians, and local businesses. The one-time-only fall edition of French Quarter Festival takes place Thursday, September 30, through Saturday, October 2, across venues and stages in the city’s most celebrated neighborhood.
The lineup is stacked with a broad range of Louisiana artists from several genres. Organizers have prioritized the booking of many bands from the 2020 lineup to curate more than 200 acts across 19 stages throughout the city’s most celebrated neighborhood. Artists making their debut include Rickie Lee Jones, Big Chief Juan Pardo & The Golden Comanches, Fermín Ceballos + Merengue4FOUR, Sporty’s Brass Band, Chapel Hart Band, and Lilli Lewis.
Aerial view of the 2011 French Quarter Festival in Woldenberg Park.
Returning favorites include Tank and the Bangas, John Boutté, Amanda Shaw, and hundreds more. Attendees can experience Louisiana legends each night of the festival thanks to the Chevron Evening Concert Series, which returns in 2021 with Waterseed, Irma Thomas, and Big Chief Bo Dollis, Jr. & the Wild Magnolias. Fest fans visiting Jackson Square will find the GE Stage with a lineup of New Orleans’ most respected artists and culture-bearers including Preservation Brass, Robin Barnes, and James Andrews. The riverfront Abita Beer Stage brings three days of music including Tank and the Bangas, Rickie Lee Jones, Flow Tribe, Sweet Crude, Kermit Ruffins, and Dirty Dozen Brass Band. At the Tropical Isle Hand Grenade Stage, the lineup includes Little Freddie King, John Boutte, Deacon John, and Papa Gros. At the New Orleans Jazz Museum, brass bands will be featured Thursday-Saturday on the Louisiana Fish Fry Stage, and the WWL-TV Esplanade in the Shade Stage brings three days of music from crowd favorites like Tin Men, Sarah Quintana, Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes, Dash Rip Rock, Lynn Drury, and Astral Project. Street stages on Bourbon and Royal streets will also return with music on Friday and Saturday. The complete schedule will be released in August.
At the City’s request, FQFI organizers have consolidated festival activities into an action-packed three-days in order allow the city to focus its security and safety resources on the New Orleans Saints home game on Sunday, October 3. FQFI has shifted programming in order to maximize the concentrated schedule and present time-honored festival traditions, stages, and performances. The event will bring regional cuisine from more than 50 local restaurants, hundreds of Louisiana musicians on 19 stages, and special events that celebrate New Orleans’ diverse, unique culture. The festival will operate from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Thursday, September 30, through Saturday, October 2. The festival will return six months later in 2022 from April 21-24.
“Throughout the COVID crisis, we have strengthened our ability to remain flexible,” said Emily Madero, CEO of FQFI. “As one of the largest free music and food festivals in the United States, we always want to ensure our impact is in the best interest of the city and our French Quarter neighbors and businesses. For fans, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to enjoy both French Quarter Fest and a Saints game on the same weekend! We’re bringing together our favorite hometown festival and hometown team—we couldn’t script a better celebration to memorialize the resilience of New Orleans and the return to normal.”
FQFI is committed to a family friendly celebration and 2021. Families can enjoy youth performances at Ernie’s Schoolhouse Stage and kids-centric entertainment at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. Organizers are also thrilled to announce the return of the Chevron “STEM” Zone (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) to the Natchez Wharf at the foot of Toulouse Street at the River. Programming details will be released in July.
The Riverboat City of New Orleans is boarding FQF supporters for a celebratory dinner cruise with the Dukes of Dixieland, led by Grammy winner Kevin Clark, on the roof top viewing deck on Wednesday, September 29th. From its decks fans will receive a sneak peek at the festival production as Woldenberg Park is getting its finishing touches for opening day. A generous portion of every ticket goes toward supporting FQFI. Tickets including cruise, dinner, music and live narration are available here.
The NOLA.com Fest Family Experience will return this year. Members will experience French Quarter Festival like a true insider with a hospitality lounge, elevated viewing stand, private bars, air-conditioned restrooms, exclusive programming and more. Passes are sold as 3-day weekend passes (Thursday – Saturday) for $299, or daily passes for $129. The passes are now available online here.
For more information about the French Quarter Festival, visit here.
