New Orleans Jazz Fest canceled again due to COVID-19

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — With new COVID-19 cases surging in Louisiana, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival won't be returning this year after all, organizers said Sunday.

festival, which tritionally is held in spring, h been scheduled to run Oct. 8-10 and Oct. 15-17 this year after being canceled last year because of coronavirus pandemic.

But organizers cited “current exponential growth” of new COVID-19 cases in city and region, as well as an ongoing public health emergency, in announcing that festival will not occur as planned.

“We now look forward to next spring, when we will present Festival during its tritional timeframe,” organizers said in a news release, ding that next year's dates are April 29-May 8.

Ticketholders for both festival weekends will receive an email this week with details about refund and rollover process, release says. All tickets for Wednesday, Oct. 13, will be automatically refunded.

Jazz Fest celebrates indigenous music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana. music encompasses nearly every style imaginable: blues, R&B, gospel, Cajun, Zydeco, Afro-Caribbean, folk, Latin, rock, rap, contemporary and tritional jazz, country, bluegrass and everything in between. It’s held at Fair Grounds Race Course, where multiple stages are erected for fans to gar in and around.