A local's guide to New Orleans Jazz Fest 2023

Why it matters: Jazz Fest is one of New Orleans' largest and most consistent economic drivers, with a tax impact of about $1,100 per Louisiana family, says Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser.

• Considering the music lineup alone, the festival hires more than 500 local bands and performers.
• It's also just a lot of fun.

Flashback: Prior to the festival's pandemic-induced cancelation in 2020, Jazz Fest was on a hot streak with five years of record-breaking attendance.

• In 2019 and again in 2022, festival organizers reported attendance of 475,000 people over the event’s two weekends.
• The festival's 2001 edition still holds the record for highest attendance, with a reported audience of 650,000. (That was the year with Mystikal and Dave Matthews Band.)

The Jazz Fest lineup is a mix of internationally touring headliners like Dead & Company, Ed Sheeran, Lizzo, Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers and Santana, plus local names like Jon Batiste, Trombone Shorty and Big Freedia.

• The whole lineup includes hundreds of acts across seven days and dozens of genres, which makes attendance a practically customizable experience.
• The full day-by-day schedule — known colloquially as the cubes — was released March 28.

What's back: Among festival elements making a return this year is the Kids Village, a longtime indoctrination station for the city's youngest performers.

• The Cultural Pavilion at the center of the fest will also return, featuring Puerto Rican sights, sounds and menu items.
• The Allison Miner Stage, dedicated to performer interviews, returns to the (air-conditioned and shady!) Grandstand.

What's new: Morris Bart. The local lawyer is sponsoring the Gospel Tent for the first time, a change that brings with it a pair of free tickets for every local church performer who appears on its stage, Bart says.

• Also new is the Bruce Brice Art Village. Named for the festival's first poster artist, it'll feature space for local artists Brandan "BMike" Odums, Terrance Osborne, Richard Thomas and this year's poster artist, James Michalopoulos.

What you won't find: ATM lines. The biggest change this year is that festival vendors won’t accept cash, but attendees will be able to exchange greenbacks for reusable debit cards on-site if they don't have digital options of their own.

• Also gone? Crawfish bread. The owner of 35-year festival veteran Panorama Foods chose to pass on the event this year.
• He wasn't alone. A handful of other Jazz Fest vendors, like Bennachin, Canseco’s Market and Jamila’s Cafe, are also off the roster in 2023.

Pro tips: Between performing in the Kid Tent with (what was then) Lusher Elementary School's dance troupe to snagging tickets as working media, I couldn't hazard a guess as to how many days of Jazz Fest I've attended, but all that experience has to be good for something.

Here are my best suggestions:

• Don't wear flip flops. Just don't do it.
• In fact, don't wear anything you're not OK with getting sweaty and dusty.
• Refill your water bottles! It's free at the taps across from the Roman Candy cart.
• Expensive phone cases can keep your phone clean and dry while still usable. But so can Ziploc sandwich bags.

The bottom line: The full return of Jazz Fest marks another post-pandemic milestone, and as long as the weather holds out, it should be a heck of a good one.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that the free Jazz Fest tickets at the Gospel Tent are being given only to church performers, not all performers.