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Free music and local bites along the riverfront
Four days of free stages, Louisiana food booths, and street energy across the French Quarter, with easy walks to Mississippi River views in New Orleans.
Event details
What Is the French Quarter Festival?
The French Quarter Festival is the largest free music festival in New Orleans, running April 16 through 19, 2026 across the historic French Quarter and along the Mississippi River. Founded in 1984 to revitalize the neighborhood, the festival has grown into a four-day celebration of Louisiana music, food, and culture that draws visitors from across the country without charging a single dollar at the gate. More than 300 local acts perform across multiple stages, and over 60 food vendors line the grounds, making it one of the most accessible and rewarding spring festivals in the American South.
2026 Headliners and Performers
PJ Morton headlines the 2026 festival in his first French Quarter Festival appearance since 2014, making this a genuine homecoming moment for the New Orleans-born soul and R&B artist. The broader lineup reflects the full range of Louisiana’s musical tradition: Irma Thomas, Cyril Neville, Big Freedia, Dawn Richard, Bobby Rush, Jon Cleary, Shamarr Allen, and Amanda Shaw are all on the bill. Across four days, the stages rotate through brass band, jazz, funk, gospel, and second line, so the sound changes completely depending on where you stand and when you arrive.
New for 2026: Expanded Footprint and the Riverfront
This year’s festival extends its footprint to the new Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park at Gov. Nicholls Wharf, adding stages and open space along the Mississippi that give the event more room to breathe. Due to ongoing construction, the Louisiana Fish Fry stage relocates to the riverfront in front of the Audubon Aquarium. A 5K run is also scheduled for Saturday, April 18, for visitors who want to move through the Quarter at a different pace before the afternoon sets begin.
Food, Crowds, and How to Plan Your Day
Arrive early on Saturday and Sunday if you want breathing room near the main stages. The festival draws large crowds by midday on peak days, and popular food vendors like Chicken’s Kitchen and Willie Mae’s Scotch House sell out before evening. Build breaks into your schedule: the Mississippi riverfront offers open sightlines and river breezes that make the heat manageable, and quieter side streets in the Quarter give you a natural reset between sets. VIP experiences are available for those who want dedicated viewing areas and lounge access, but the free general admission experience is genuinely excellent on its own.
Where to Stay and Extend the Trip
French Quarter hotels fill fast for festival weekend. Booking by early March is strongly advised. Visitors looking to pair the festival with quieter time on the water can look north toward Louisiana’s lakefront communities along Lake Pontchartrain, where waterfront rentals offer a calm counterpoint to the city’s April energy. Browse available lake properties on Lake.com to find a base that keeps New Orleans within reach while giving you open water and slower mornings to balance the weekend out.
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