MEDIA ALERT - April 21, 2026
New Orleans & Company Data Projects 2026 Jazz & Heritage Festival First Weekend to Reach 95 Percent Occupancy Saturday and Exceed 2025 Results for Nearly all Nights
Meetings, conventions and conferences also contribute to demand
NEW ORLEANS – Following a highly successful French Quarter Fest, New Orleans & Company projects hotel occupancy for the first weekend (April 23 – 26) of The 2026 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell will exceed 2025 levels across nearly every night and is expected to reach 95 percent for Saturday night (April 25), signaling continued strength in spring tourism demand. Several conventions, conferences and meetings in town this weekend also are contributing to the strong projections.
| Jazz Festival Weekend One | 2025 Hotel Occupancy Final | 2026 Hotel Occupancy PROJECTED |
| Thursday | 78% | 82% |
| Friday | 85% | 92% |
| Saturday | 87% | 95% |
| Sunday | 73% | 69% |
The strong outlook reflects New Orleans’ continued momentum as a top destination for major cultural events. Meeting and convention demand is also contributing to performance, accounting for approximately 28 percent of occupied rooms during the first weekend’s peak nights.
New Orleans & Company will also host media from around the world during the festival to generate coverage that inspires future visitation.
For more on recent tourism developments, click here to view the latest “What’s New in New Orleans.”
Media Contacts: Kelly Schulz, kschulz@neworleans.com, 504-421-0962 or Rhonda Cook, rcook@neworleans.com, 504-616-6161