French Quarter Fest Brings 1,700 Musicians to the Quarter Next Week

The largest free music event in the United States sets up in the city's most famous neighborhood next week. French Quarter Festival runs April 16 through 19 with more than 1,700 musicians on 20+ stages scattered across the French Quarter, and the whole thing is free. The 2026 headliners include New Orleans native and Grammy-winner PJ Morton, soul legend Irma Thomas, bounce star Big Freedia, Kermit Ruffins, and The Soul Rebels.

The festival kicks off Thursday, April 16 with the annual Kickoff Parade at 10 a.m. from the 200 block of Bourbon Street, led by the Paulin Brothers Brass Band, and winds to Jackson Square for the opening ceremony. The food program is almost as legendary as the music — 70+ food and beverage booths operated by the city's finest restaurants set up across the festival footprint, turning the Quarter into a four-day walking buffet.

If you're going: the Quarter is walk-only during festival hours. Bring cash for food vendors (lines move faster), arrive early for the marquee stages, and take full advantage of the fact that admission is free. The side stages often have the most interesting music.

Sources: French Quarter Fest, WWL-TV