NOLA Funk Fest
NOLA Funk Fest. Canal Street; concerts, Broadway and performances.performances.New Orleans & Company identifies Frenchmen Street as one of the city's major concentrations of live-music venues Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park / Spanish Plaza area by the Audubon Aquarium in New Orleans. Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park Lineup
Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park
1 Canal St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
October 16–18, 2026
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NOLA Funk Fest 2026 is a three-day celebration of New Orleans music, culture, food, and community. The festival is scheduled for October 16–18, 2026, at Audubon Aquarium Riverfront Park along the Mississippi River. With its focus on funk, soul, brass, jam, and zydeco, the event brings together the distinctive sounds and musical traditions that have made Louisiana famous around the world.
The 2026 festival features an extensive lineup of New Orleans and Louisiana musicians as well as nationally recognized performers. Artists listed for the festival include Galactic, Dumpstaphunk, George Porter Jr., Irma Thomas, Ivan Neville, Anders Osborne, Neal Francis, Cimafunk, C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band, and the Original Pinettes Brass Band, among many others. The variety of performers reflects the festival's emphasis on the deep musical connections between funk, soul, blues, brass, and other Louisiana traditions.
Beyond the concerts, NOLA Funk Fest is connected to the Louisiana Music & Heritage Experience, a planned museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating Louisiana's musical history. According to the festival organizers, performances, cultural programs, and other festival activities help support awareness and funding for this broader preservation mission. The festival therefore combines live entertainment with an effort to highlight and preserve the musical heritage of the state.
NOLA Funk Fest also emphasizes community participation. For 2026, organizers introduced the "Funk for All" community ticket program, which provides 600 complimentary tickets for Greater New Orleans residents who face financial barriers to attending. The initiative demonstrates an effort to make the festival accessible to a wider part of the local community.
Overall, NOLA Funk Fest 2026 offers more than a weekend of live music. It brings together performers, local culture, food, and community activities in a setting that celebrates the musical identity of New Orleans and Louisiana. With three days of performances and a lineup spanning generations and genres, the festival is designed as a celebration of the traditions that continue to shape the city's unique musical culture.
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