The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival spans two weekends in 2025: April 24-27 and May 1-4. The week in between gives you the perfect opportunity to explore all that New Orleans has to offer: great cuisine, historic neighborhoods, and lots of live music. Read below for our picks for the week, from neighborhood strolls to late night shows.

MONDAY, APRIL 28 

Rest easy on the Monday after the first weekend of Jazz Fest while still making the most of your time in the city. Many restaurants are closed on Mondays, but plenty are open for you to enjoy. Surrey’s Café and Juice Bar and Birdy’s Behind the Bower are both open on Mondays and located on Magazine Street, positioning you well for your day exploring the shopping corridor. Near the Fairgrounds in Mid-City, Neyow’s is the spot for delicious Creole cuisine, while Monday Restaurant + Bar has an all-day happy hour on—you guessed it—Mondays!  

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You can do it all on the six-mile-long Magazine Street: shop til you drop, get a massage, take a yoga class, or eat and drink to your heart’s content. Discover Magazine Street here and plan your day.

Stay Uptown until Shorty Fest, an annual event at Tipitina’s put on by local artist Trombone Shorty. This year’s event features Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave, Black Opry Revue, The Jersey Takeover with Dogs In A Pile, and special guests Robert Randolph and Jake Clemons (of the E Street Band Tour), as well as students from the Trombone Shorty Academy. The event also has a free block party featuring performances from brass bands, local high school marching bands, food trucks, and a silent auction. It’s a party you won’t want to miss. The fun kicks off at 5 p.m.

Also kicking off on Monday, April 28 is NOLA Crawfish Fest at the Broadside. From April 28-30, enjoy hot boiled crawfish and music from 3 p.m. on each day. Eric Krasno & Friends headline the fest on Monday. Get your tickets here.  

Jazz Fest After Dark: Head to the Maple Leaf for Miss Erica Falls at 8 p.m. Get tickets here.

TUESDAY, APRIL 29

Plan to explore City Park on this day. The Besthoff Sculpture Garden has free admission and is the perfect place to start your morning. Grab a coffee and pastry from Café NOMA and take a stroll around the garden, but you’ll want to save some energy for even more festin’ later. 

Daze Between New Orleans was created specifically for those “days between” Jazz Fest weekends. On April 29 and 30, head to the Mahalia Jackson Theater for this festival featuring lots of live music. Enjoy performances from Umphrey's McGee, moe., The Allman Betts Band, and more, with special tributes to Led Zeppelin and The Meters. 

If choosing to take a “rest day,” wind down from the busy day by tasting some of the city’s delicious Asian cuisine, at Café Minh, Phở Tầu Bay, or one of these spots in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. 

Jazz Fest After Dark: The fun at Daze Between just keeps going—head to Toulouse Theatre for Daze By Nite starting at 11 p.m. This after dark performance features members of moe. & Umphrey's McGee. Purchase tickets here. 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30 

Backatown Coffee Parlour is the perfect place to start your morning. Go for a hearty option like the crawfish quiche or banana nut coffee cake while sipping cold brew on the outdoor patio. Take a 15-minute stroll to enjoy the French Quarter in the quiet morning hours, exploring sights like Royal Street, Jackson Square, and St. Louis Cathedral.

Enjoy a muffaletta lunch from Napoleon House. You can get takeout and walk to Woldenberg Park to watch the ships pass on the Mississippi River. You’re in the perfect spot to visit a museum, perhaps the Historic New Orleans Collection or the New Orleans Jazz Museum. Take your pick and spend the afternoon exploring.

Head downtown at 5 p.m. for Wednesday at the Square, a free concert series held in Lafayette Square throughout spring. This Wednesday, Eric Lindell + Sunpie & Friends will take the stage. Food and drinks from various vendors are available as well.

For a more formal dinner, or post-concert cocktails, you have several options within walking distance: Seaworthy, Pluck Wine Bar, Meril, Pêche…the options are endless!

Jazz Fest After Dark: Head to Hotel Peter & Paul for a performance from Robin Barnes and the Fiyabirds at 8:30 p.m. Get tickets here.

THURSDAY, MAY 1 

Thursday, May 1, is Local’s Thursday, in which locals can buy tickets for $50, plus fees, in advance. Before going to the fest, explore more of New Orleans. Head to Bayou Road and historically Black Tremé, located not far from the Fairgrounds where Jazz Fest is held.

Dine at Dooky Chase, where presidents and dignitaries have tasted the late Chef Leah Chase’s gumbo and fried chicken. Shop along Bayou Road, take a walking tour of the area, or enjoy coffee (and a sno-ball) on Esplanade Avenue at the Flagpole. Louis Armstrong Park and Congo Square are not far from the area and are definitely worth checking out for a little New Orleans culture. Rest up for a night bursting with local live music.

Jazz Fest After Dark: Head to the Dew Drop Inn to catch local artist PJ Morton at 9:30 p.m. Purchase tickets here. 

For a different type of performance, head to Good Measure, the music venue located inside The Barnett, for Free Therapy with Cubs the Poet. Find more information here. 

FRIDAY, MAY 2 

It’s the second and last Jazz Fest Friday, with a lineup including Luke Combs, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Joshua Redman Group featuring Gabrielle Cavassa, and more. Gates open at 11 a.m. - get to the Fairgrounds at your leisure for a day full of food, music, and festing.

Jazz Fest After Dark: Head to the Orpheum Theatre for Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe: Exile on Bourbon St. II ” The Bobby Keys Cuts.” Purchase tickets here.