The Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival returns to Lafayette Square Park (602 St. Charles Ave.) in New Orleans for its 16th edition on October 13-15, 2023. 

Samantha Fish, Tab Benoit, and Shemekia Copeland will top the bill at the festival, which is presented by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, the nonprofit that owns Jazz Fest. Admission to the festival is free and open to the public.

​​The Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival is an award-winning event, featuring two stages of music, a large selection of the best barbecue vendors in the region and a local arts market.

The festival will be held on Friday, October 13 from 5:30pm to 8:30pm, and Saturday, October 14 and Sunday, October 15 from 11:00am to 8:30pm.

Performers at the 2023 edition include Samantha Fish, Tab Benoit, Shemekia Copeland, Little Freddie King, Selwyn Birchwood, Johnny Sansone, The Roadmasters, Trudy Lynn, John Mooney & Bluesiana, and D.K. Harrell. 

More performers will be announced soon, along with daily schedules.

For more information, visit crescentcitybluesfest.com

The festival is free, but VIP Experience Passes are available to those looking for a premium festival experience, which include a balcony view of Lafayette Square, seating, two complimentary bars, and air conditioning. Those are good for the entire weekend and available here.

Media outlets and journalists interested in covering the 2023 Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival may fill out the media request form here.

The Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival is a presentation of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation. Jazz & Heritage Community radio station WWOZ New Orleans 90.7 FM will broadcast the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival live from Lafayette Square – over the air and live-streaming video at www.wwoz.org and on the Foundation’s Facebook page and YouTube Channel.

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation gratefully acknowledges the 2023 Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival sponsors:

Cathead Vodka, Urban South Brewery, National Endowment for the Arts, Evamor Water, Luzianne Tea, Chillzone, and the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development.

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation is the nonprofit organization that owns the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell. The Foundation uses the proceeds from Jazz Fest, and other funds, for year-round programs in the areas of education, economic development and cultural events. For more about the Foundation and what we do, visit us online at www.jazzandheritage.org