What's new at French Quarter Fest 2026

The big picture: Festivities start at 10am Thursday with a parade on Bourbon Street and run through Sunday night.

• More than 300 performances will be spread across the French Quarter and riverfront.
• There are free dance lessons and other special events daily. Plus, venues have post-fest shows and parties, including FQF's After Dark series.
• Don't forget about the food. More than 70 vendors will sell meat pies, drinks, poboys, seafood, sweet treats and other dishes.

What's new: PJ Morton returns after more than a decade.

• The fest's 5K race is also back after a hiatus.
• The new Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park will host two stages and several food vendors.
• Some stages have moved. Check the map.

If you go: Download the app and screenshot lineups. Our experience is that cell coverage can be spotty downtown in big crowds.

• The fest is cashless. Bring your cards or tap-to-pay options.
• Sort your trash. Green bins are for compost, blue is for recycling and black is for landfill.
• Skip the car. Organizers encourage ridesharing, biking, public transit or parking outside the Quarter and walking in.

Zoom in: Expect road closures and heavy traffic.

• NOPD will have extra enforcement for ticketing and towing downtown. Louisiana State Police and the Louisiana National Guard will be patrolling, too.
• NOPD Chief Anne Kirkpatrick also warned people to keep their golf carts off the streets.

Zoom out: Hotel occupancy rates are already higher this weekend than for last year's fest, New Orleans & Co. says.

The bottom line: French Quarter Fest is one of our favorite ways to welcome spring in New Orleans. See y'all on the streets.

Go deeper: More festival highlights