French Quarter Festival Music Lineup Announced

The 2025 French Quarter Festival presented by Chevron announced its first round of music lineup for this year’s event, to be held from April 10-13, 2025. As always, FQF features just local and Louisiana musicians, along with delicious food from local vendors. If you have never been to French Quarter Festival, and you’re from out of town: try it, believe me—you’ll like it. It’s a blast and there are no tickets, you can come and go as you please, and you’ll be able to enjoy the music, food and camaraderie.

French Quarter Festival is still the only large-scale music festival in New Orleans that presents all local musicians. The event is free which means that the Fest features all the local music that many visitors want to experience: no big-name headliners from somewhere else. The festival promises a stellar lineup of performances on 22 stages located throughout the Quarter, and will include 300+ acts, including returning favorite Anders Osborne and festival debuts Roi Anthony and Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph. This year’s festival will include a Chevron Evening Concert Series, featuring Chapel Hart, The Original Pinettes Brass Band with Mia X, Little Freddie King, and Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. & the Zydeco Twisters.

Some of the 2025 French Quarter Festival’s most notable debuts include Roi Anthony and “Jelly” Joseph on the Jack Daniel’s Stage, as well as Ryan Batiste and Raw Revolution on the Abita Beer Stage. Making their festival premiere, La Tran-K Band will bring the vibrant rhythms of salsa, merengue, cumbia and bachata, while the Woodenhead 50th Anniversary Band will celebrate their milestone with a debut set on the Tropical Hand Grenade Stage. Featured artists include Charmaine Neville, whose rich voice and warm personality have won hearts worldwide. Returning to the festival for the first time since 2010, Anders Osborne joins the festival for the first time since 2010, and BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, marks their first appearance since 2014. Attendees can also look forward to performances by beloved favorites Irma Thomas, George Porter Jr., Soul Rebels, John Boutté, Kermit Ruffins and many more, as well as the DJ Stage, featuring the legendary DJ Raj Smoove, dubbed “the greatest DJ in the world” by Lil Wayne.

The Loyola University Esplanade in the Shade Stage will be a major focal point, showcasing emerging talents, established performers, and the university’s students and alumni. Also located at the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint, the Louisiana Fish Fry Stage will feature the lively sounds of local brass bands like the Red Wolf Brass Band and Sporty’s Brass Band.

A list of all currently confirmed musical performances are listed below. The full festival music schedule will be announced in March.

French Quarter Festival 2025: April 10 (Thursday)
Bag of Donuts, Ben E. Hunter, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band, Cameron Dupuy & the Cajun Troubadours, Chapel Hart, Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, Corey Ledet Zydeco & Black Magic, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Irene Sage, James Andrews, “Jelly” Joseph, Joy Clark, Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, La Tran-K Band, Lena Prima, Mem Shannon & The Membership, Preservation Brass, Roi Anthony, The Rumble featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr., Serabee & The Roots Revival Band, Tuba Skinny, Water Seed.

French Quarter Festival 2025: April 11 (Friday)
Al “Lil Fats” Jackson, Anders Osborne, Babineaux Sisters Band, Big Frank & Lil Frank and the Dirty Old Men, Big Chief Juan Pardo’s Tribal Gold, Cupid & the Dance Party Express Band, Flagboy Giz & the Wild Tchoupitoulas, George Porter, Jr. & the Runnin’ Pardners, Grace Gibson, Indys Blu, Jeffery Broussard & The Nighttime Syndicate, Joe Lastie’s New Orleans Sound, John Boutté, Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Note, John “Papa” Gros, JustWYN (Kevin Stylez), Keith Frank & Soileau Zydeco Band, Leroy Jones & New Orleans’ Finest, Les Femmes Farouches, Loose Cattle, Magnetic Ear, Malevitus, Mia Borders, New Orleans Nightcrawlers, The Original Pinettes Brass Band with Mia X, Pell, Red Wolf Brass Band, Robin Barnes & The Fiyabirds, Shawn Williams, The Soul Rebels, Sullivan Dabney’s Muzik Jazz Band, Susan Cowsill, The Nayo Jones Experience, The New Orleans Klezmer All Stars, Waylon Thibodeaux Band, Woodenhead 50th Anniversary.

French Quarter Festival 2025: April 12 (Saturday)
Anaïs St. John, Arrowhead Jazz Band featuring National Park Service Rangers and special guests, A Tocar! Bomba de Puerto Rico, Bonerama, Charmaine Neville, Chere Elise, Christian Serpas & Ghost Town, Creative Arts Momentum, Dash Rip Rock, Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Don Vappie & Banjo a la Créole, Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers, Fermín Ceballos + Merengue4FOUR, Horace Trahan & the Ossun Express, ÌFÉ, The Iguanas, Irma Thomas, Soul Queen of New Orleans, Jam Brass Band , Joe Krown + 1 featuring Papa Mali, John Mooney, Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Kelly Love Jones, The Lilli Lewis Project, Lisa Amos, Little Freddie King, Little Stompers presents: Roots of New Orleans Music, Loyola University Commercial Ensemble, Loyola Student Group, Muévelo, Original Hurricane Brass Band, Paul Sanchez and the Rolling Road Show, Tim Laughlin, River Eckert Band , Ronnie Lamarque Orchestra with Hot Rod Lincoln, Ryan Batiste and Raw Revolution , SaxKixAve, SOUL Brass Band, Songs for Jr Rangers with Richard Scott, Sporty’s Brass Band, Storyville Stompers Brass Band, Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots, Tim Laughlin, T-Marie and Bayou Juju, Vegas Cola Band.

French Quarter Festival 2025: April 13 (Sunday)
Amanda Shaw, Banu Gibson, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and the Golden Eagles, Bucktown All-Stars, Creole Stringbeans, The Dixie Cups, Erica Falls, George Brown Band, Gumbeaux Juice, Happy Talk Band, Helen Gillet: ReBelle Musique, Higher Heights Reggae Band, Honey Island Swamp Band, Jeremy Davenport, Johnette Downing – Louisiana Roots Music for Children, Josh Kagler and Harmonistic Praise Crusade, The Big Easy Boys, Koray Broussard and the Zydeco Unit, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Los Güiros, Loyola Student Group, Lynn Drury, New Breed, New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park Kids Stage, NO FEAR Ambassadors (New Orleans Foundation for Experiential Arts Reach), Onward Brass Band, Poisson Rouge, Red Hot Brass Band, Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. & the Zydeco Twisters, Roderick “Rev” Paulin and The Congregation, Royal Essence, Songs for Jr Rangers with Sam Kuslan, Shamarr Allen, Sweet Crude, Sula Spirit & Asase Yaa’s (Mother Earth) Song Circle, Treme Brass Band, Tyrone Duhon & Double Standard Zydeko, Wanda Rouzan and a Taste of New Orleans, Wendell Brunious, Young Pinstripe Brass Band.

Official FQF ’25 Poster. Artist: Ceaux.

Savor the Flavors: Over 65 Culinary Experiences

Food has always been a huge part of French Quarter Fest, and foodies can indulge in offerings from over 65 top restaurants confirmed so far, including festival favorites and new additions. Chef Kevin Belton will emcee the newly named Mike’s Amazing Culinary Stage, presenting live cooking demos and stories about New Orleans’ cherished culinary traditions. The Mike’s Amazing team will be on-site to share recipes that deliver maximum flavor and offerings to pair with favorite festival dishes. New participants like Chubbie’s Fried Chicken join beloved longstanding vendors such as Vaucresson Sausage and Ms. Linda The Yakamein Lady, with other gems like Friends of Codey’s, Addis, and Smoke & Honey who return with culinary delights.

Abita Beer returns as the major French Quarter Festival 2025 sponsor, bringing a variety of beloved local flavors to this year’s celebration. Spirits and mixed cocktail options will be available at beverage booths across the festival grounds, featuring Jack Daniel’s, Fords Gin, Diplomático Rum, el Jimador Tequila, and Korbel California Champagne. Exciting new additions to the beverage menu include selections from Caymus Vineyards, Emmolo, Sea Sun Wines, and White Claw Vodka.

A full list of confirmed culinary vendors can be found here.

French Quarter Festivals, Inc. is committed to keeping the FQF free to the public. But “superfans” can purchase VIP packages to support the organization’s mission: click here for info.

FQF starts with the traditional Opening Day Parade on Thursday, April 10, at 10 a.m. Family-friendly activities include the all-star Chevron STEM Zone, off ering hands-on experiences for curious minds, and Ernie’s Schoolhouse Stage, which highlights young, aspiring musicians.

The full 2025 French Quarter Festival music lineup will be announced in March.

from  www.offbeat.com