“You can’t always get what you want,” Mick Jagger sings in the Rolling Stones classic. That may be true Thursday after tickets sold out for the special day featuring the Stones at the Fair Grounds. It’s a milestone a longtime coming for the festival.
Bringing the biggest rock band in the world to Jazz Fest is no small feat. The Rolling Stones shot to the top of the rock world in the 1960s and never came down, selling more than a quarter of a billion albums and remaining a top touring draw for decades. They don’t come through Louisiana often, and there were a few misstarts in making this date happen, with the band originally scheduled to headline the festival’s 50th anniversary.
The Stones’ appearance on Thursday changes the festival for that sold-out day. All stages except the main Festival Stage will close their final sets by 4 p.m., so no other bands will play during the Stones’ two-hour time slot. The rules for audience space are slightly different as well, with tarps prohibited and other modifications (See Jazz Fest Dos and Don’ts).
But as the song also says, “You get what you need,” and there’s plenty of music, food, culture and more at a packed festival May 2-5.
There are also lots more rock stars, with Foo Fighters, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Bonnie Raitt, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Wallflowers and more. The lineup also includes Hozier, Samara Joy, Queen Latifah, Irma Thomas, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Terence Blanchard, Rhiannon Giddens and many more.
There’s more of everything this year: more music, more food vendors and items, and more art vendors. The festival’s 12 music stages and tents host all sorts of music from Louisiana and beyond, and there also are a kids tent, an interview stage, parades on the grounds and performances in the Folklife Village.
The festival’s Cultural Exchange Pavilion highlights Colombian music and culture, and there are more bands playing everything from traditional cumbia and salsa to contemporary hip-hop and Latin grooves, with some groups participating in parades on the grounds. There also are Colombian artists, crafts and food.
Tickets and VIP packages for the final weekend are available online. For the second weekend, advance single day tickets are $95 plus fees through May 1, and admission at the gate is $105. Children ages 2-10 get in for $5 with an adult. Visit nojazzfest.com for tickets and other information.
The festival went cashless last year. The box office and food and other vendors accept credit and debit cards, Apple, Google and Samsung pay and prepaid cards. Attendees with cash can purchase prepaid cards on the grounds. Visit the festival website for details.
Gambit has previews for each day of the festival and there are daily recaps and more at bestofneworleans.com and on our social media. Enjoy!
The Rolling Stones headline Thursday at Jazz Fest, and there's plenty of other acts leading up to their show.
Gambit's picks for Jazz Fest's second Friday.
Gambit's picks for the second Saturday out at Jazz Fest.
Gambit's picks for the final day of Jazz Fest 2024.
Here is a map of the Jazz Fest grounds and daily schedules for both weekends.
Information about going cashless, transportation, the Food Heritage Stage and more.
Keep up with the latest at calendar.gambitweekly.com.
