In 2024, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival elevated its experience to another level, drawing in a staggering crowd of half a million ardent music lovers. The organizers reveled in the festival’s tremendous success, which was spiked by the addition of an extra day and most notably, a captivating performance by the time-honored Rolling Stones.
The memorable event marked the festival’s second greatest crowd magnet in its rich history. The top rung proudly boasts an impressive 600,000 attendees back in 2001. Comparatively, the festival’s turnstile count in the previous year was slightly more than 460,000 passionate spectators.
The festival’s producer, Quint Davis, brimming with pride, spoke of the spectacular show put up this year. He put into words the magnificent allure that is the Jazz Fest, alluding to the festival’s spellbinding power to bring together diverse cultural elements and celebrate them through the universal language of music.
The scene-stealing highlight of the event, however, was the riveting performance by the Rolling Stones who played along with prominent New Orleans and Louisiana natives such as Irma Thomas and Dwayne Dopsie. The Stones’ much-anticipated appearance was the literal “rock star” finale that marked the triumphant culmination of a relentless, multi-year effort to rope in the band for the event. Past attempts in 2019 and 2021 unfortunately resulted in cancellations.
Few experiences in the festival’s grand history were more eagerly awaited, and the performance was met with tumultuous admiration by the passionate crowd, gushing Quint Davis.
The 2024 festival was far from a one-act wonder, with an eclectic mix of performances peppering the musical extravaganza. Jon Batiste delivered an exclusive New Orleans style performance that paid rich tribute to the city’s legendary piano maestros such as Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, and Allen Toussaint.
Moreover, the event marked the electrifying return of the Foo Fighters, along with brilliant performances by Chris Stapleton, the Killers, Queen Latifah, Fantasia, and Vampire Weekend. In essence, the festival served as a gleaming canvas for an unforgettable symphony of sounds, solidifying its esteemed place in the sphere of music festivals.
