In the musical heart of New Orleans, it was an extra day and the magnetic attraction of the legendary rock band, the Rolling Stones that skyrocketed the attendance at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival to half a million people, the organizers proudly announced.
This staggering number nests just behind the all-time attendance record set in 2001, when 600,000 people poured through the festival gates. The 2024 attendance revealed a symphony of growth, as the preceding year welcomed more than 460,000 music enthusiasts from around the globe.
Quint Davis, the festival producer, expressed his sentiments with evident pride. “This year’s Festival,” he declared, “revealed unambiguously the captivating allure of Jazz Fest.” He continued to paint a picture of the unforgettable scene: the Rolling Stones sharing the stage with local luminaries like soulful Irma Thomas and dynamic Dwayne Dopsie. The combined music reverberated through the city, powerfully demonstrating the inextricable ties between our culture and some of the most influential music of our time.
The Rolling Stones’ historic sold-out appearance—an eagerly-awaited event years in the making—happened last week. Plans to host the iconic band were dashed not once but twice, due to cancellations in 2019 and again in 2021. According to Davis, rarely has a festival performance been so feverishly anticipated, and even fewer have been more jubilantly embraced by ardent fans.
But the enchantment of the 2024 Jazz & Heritage Festival was not encapsulated only by the Stones’ thrilling performance. Festival-goers also bore witness to an astounding set by Jon Batiste, a veritable love letter to the city’s legendary piano virtuosos like Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, and Allen Toussaint.
Further electrifying the festival was the Foo Fighters’ rousing return, spicing up the event. The mesmerizing line up also consisted of celebrated artists Chris Stapleton and Queen Latifah, the electric Killers, soul-stirring Fantasia, and ingenious Vampire Weekend. Every act, every performance added a unique layer to the remarkable tapestry of music that is the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, etching the event profoundly into the annals of musical history.
