Swag's Jazzfest FAQ - Tickets

What do tickets cost?

2012 prices are $45 in through February 29, $50 after March 1 (both plus service fees). Gate price is $65 (no fees). There are weekend packages that average $40/day in advance. Children's tickets (age 2-10) are $5, at the gate only. Under 2 get in free. It's really a pretty good value when you realize that for that price, you can see many acts, each of whom usually charge $20, $30, $50 or more for their concerts.

There are several acts I want to see at the Festival. Do I need a separate ticket for each?

One ticket gets you in to the Festival and will let you see as many performers at as many stages as you like.

Do I need a separate ticket for each day?

Yes, each day requires a new ticket. Note that 1st weekend single-day tickets are good for any day on the 1st weekend. 2nd weekend single-day tickets are good for any day on the 2nd weekend. If you buy the cheaper "weekend packages", those include one ticket for each day, good only for that specific day.

Is there a multi-day festival pass?

There are weekend packages that average $40/day ($120 first weekend, $160 second); these include one date-specific ticket for each day.

If you want to help a good cause, for a $400 donation (2010 price until early January, increase expected after that), WWOZ, a public radio station that's the official station of the Fest, will give you a Brass Pass that give you unlimited entrance to the Heritage Festival (including in/out privileges), plus access to the WWOZ Hospitality Tent at the Fest (free water, iced coffee, and fruit; plus slightly cleaner port-o-johns). The Brass Pass is transferable on a daily basis. Details at wwoz.org.

VIP Packages?

Acura VIP Three different VIP packages are offered:

The Grand Marshal VIP package gives you access to a private front-row standing area (no chairs). Price is $675 first weekend, $725 second weekend.
The Big Chief VIP package provides VIP privileges, including elevated seating at the main stages. Price is $975 first weekend, $1075 second weekend.
The Krewe of Jazz Fest VIP package gets you private, elevated seating at the Acura Stage only. Think of it as a one-stage Big Chief. Price is $475 first weekend, $525 second weekend.

These are all 2012 prices, and do not include hefty Ticketmaster service fees.

Unlike general admission tickets, VIP tickets are limited in number, and do sometimes sell out, though usually not before April.

The map on the right shows the Acura stage VIP area locations.

More VIP details are available on the Jazzfest ticket info page at http://www.nojazzfest.com/tickets

Re-entry? Can you leave and get back in on the same day?

No, there is no In and Out allowed with general admission tickets. Re-entry will require a new ticket. The VIP tickets and the WWOZ Brass Pass do allow free re-entry.

Group Discounts?

If your group will be purchasing 50 or more tickets for the same weekend, call the Festival's Ticket Manager at (504) 410-4100. Expect a 5% discount of the regular advanced ticket price, but with no per-ticket fees.

Is there reserved seating?

Not at the Heritage Festival. It's all general admission.

Will it sell out?

No, they'll just keep selling tickets and packing them in. Even when a really popular act plays. Record single day attendance was 160,000 for the Dave Matthews Band and Mystikal on Second Saturday, 2001 - but that day was an aberration, still the only time they've passed 100,000. The old record was 98,000 on Second Saturday in 1998, when Jimmy Buffett headlined (a great set, by the way). Typical attendance is 60,000 on a weekday, 80-90,000 on a weekend. See recent attendance numbers here.

When do tickets go on sale?

Usually the day after the performers are announced. For the 2012 festival, tickets went on sale starting Dec 14.

How do I get advance tickets?

Through Ticketmaster. Either online or by phone, or in person in the Louisiana area. With any of these methods, they'll hit you up with a hefty per ticket "convenience" charge ($8.50/ticket for 2011), plus a per-order delivery fee. The $120 3-day package Ticketmaster fee is $19.50; the $160 4-day ticket fee is $26.00.

Yikes! I really really really hate Ticketmaster. How can I avoid their surcharge?

The mail order option to avoid the surcharge has not been offered since 2005. There are four ways to avoid Ticketmaster:

If you are local, or arriving early, New Orleans Arena and Superdome box offices sell advance Fest tickets with as little as a $3/ticket service fee for cash purchases, or maybe a buck or two more for credit cards (2009 fees). These must be purchased by the day before each weekend starts (by Thursday for 1st weekend; by Wednesday for 2nd weekend). The box offices close daily at 4:30 pm.
If you plan to take the "Jazzfest Express" shuttle (see my Transport page for more info), you can buy your Fest ticket from them when you buy the shuttle ticket. They charge no fees. If you buy the shuttle and fest tickets together in advance, you get the advance ticket price. They won't sell you the Fest ticket alone without the shuttle ticket, though.
Group tickets can be purchased directly from the Fest ticket manager (see above). No per ticket fees, and a 5% discount, if buying 50 or more tickets for the same weekend.
At the gate. You lose the advance purchase discount, but there are no fees charged for tickets at the gate.

Hey, Swag, I bought my tickets a while ago, but I haven't gotten them yet, and I leave for New Orleans tomorrow! What now?

Relax. Unless you ordered pretty far in advance, they hold the tickets at Will-Call. (If you live outside the USA, they hold them at Will Call no matter how early you order). There's a Will-Call window at each of the entrances to the Heritage Festival. Just bring your photo id.

Page last updated January 24, 2012