Things are heating up in the Big Easy this summer with sizzling shows and sultry spectacles galore. Whether you’re looking to get your groove on with legendary artists like Shania Twain, Duran Duran or Snoop Dogg, laugh out loud to gut-busting comedians, or enjoy an explosive July 4th weekend bursting with culture and entertainment, there’s no shortage of fiery performances that are sure to have you burning the midnight oil!
Caesars Superdome – caesarssuperdome.com
June 29–July 3: Essence Festival of Culture
Known as "the party with a purpose," Essence Fest is an annual event that began in the Crescent City in 1995 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence Magazine. Since then, it has blossomed into the largest African-American culture and music event in the United States. Attendees gather every Fourth of July weekend to engage in panel discussions, shopping, meet-and-greets and nonstop live music including 2023 headliners Ms. Lauryn Hill, Megan Thee Stallion, Doug E Fresh, and many more.
City Park – neworleanscitypark.org
June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Thursdays at Twilight
Music lovers of all ages and genres are invited to enjoy an array of musicians, mint juleps and more! The series will be held indoors on Thursdays from 6–8 p.m.Admission is $15 per person per concert, with cocktails and food available for purchase.
June 4, 18: Music in the Garden
Encounter the sounds of top local musicians while strolling through the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden during these free Sunday afternoon concerts.
House of Blues – houseofblues.com/neworleans
June 11: Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters
The American rock band founded in 2007 by Academy Award-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton and J.D. Andrew brings its ’60s-inspired rockabilly blues to New Orleans for one night only.
July 5: Black Flag
Formed in 1976, Black Flag’s extensive touring and prolific recording helped to popularize hard-core punk.
Mahalia Jackson Theater - mahaliajacksontheater.com
June 20: Tori Amos – Ocean to Ocean Tour
The singer-songwriter/producer and eight-time GRAMMY® Award nominee is best known for her confessional lyrics and piano-based alternative rock musical style.
July 1: RuPaul’s Drag Race – Werq The World Tour
Your favorite queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race are here to "WERQ your world" in the Official World Tour. The biggest, most spectacular drag show on the planet features lively music, elaborate sets and choreography, and outrageous fashions like nothing fans of drag have seen before.
August 4: Bored Teachers Comedy Tour
The 2023 We Can’t Make This Stuff Up Comedy Tour features the funniest teacher-comedians in the world. Their hilarious skits have amassed hundreds of millions of Internet views, and now they join comic forces live on stage to bring you a night of side-aching laughter.
National WWII Museum – nationalww2museum.org
June 7, 21: Billie & Ella
Banter, jokes, jazz, and blues abound when music legends Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald get together.
June 10: Dine & Dance with the Victory Swing Orchestra
The National WWII Museum's own Victory Swing Orchestra celebrates the great big bands of the WWII era.
June 16: Victory Belles Matinee Luncheon
The Victory Belles are a delightful vocal group performing the music of the 1940s, serenading audiences at The National WWII Museum and across the globe. Enjoy a delicious buffet style luncheon then tap your toes to a one-hour show from the charming trio.
Saenger Theatre – saengernola.com
May 30–June 4: Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird
All rise for Academy Award® winner Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork. With direction by Tony Award® winner Bartlett Sher, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird—“the greatest novel of all time” (Chicago Tribune)—has quickly become “one of the greatest plays in history” (NPR). Emmy Award®-winning actor Richard Thomas will play the role of Atticus Finch in the National Tour.
June 10: Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
As one of the most influential and beloved Americana artists of the 21st century, Ryan Adams & The Cardinals has captivated audiences since their formation in 2004. Led by enigmatic front man Ryan Adams, the alternative-rock/alt-country band has been hailed as one of the most innovative and dynamic acts to emerge from the Americana scene.
June 13: Madagascar The Musical
This smash-hit musical features all of your favorite crack-a-lackin’ friends as they escape from their home in New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar. This brand-new musical from DreamWorks will leave audiences with no choice but to “Move It, Move It!”
July 22: Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne has written and performed some of the most literate and moving songs in popular music and has defined a genre of songwriting charged with honesty, emotion and personal politics. He has released 14 studio albums and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 2007.
August 18: Counting Crows – Banshee Season Tour with Dashboard Confessional
For more than two decades, the GRAMMY®- and Academy Award-nominated rock band have enchanted listeners worldwide with their intensely soulful and intricate take on timeless rock and roll. Exploding onto the music scene in 1993 with their multi-platinum breakout album, August and Everything After, the band has gone on to release seven studio albums, selling more than 20 million records worldwide, and is revered as one of the world’s most pre-eminent live touring rock bands.
August 25: Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
The original Jersey boy himself, Frankie Valli is a true American legend! Valli and his band the Four Seasons have sold over 100 million records worldwide. They continue to tour throughout the U.S. and abroad to packed houses receiving nightly standing ovations from thrilled fans that span multiple generations.
August 26–27: Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show
Bluey’s Big Play is a brand-new theatrical adaptation of the Emmy® award-winning children’s television series, with an original story by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, and new music by Bluey composer, Joff Bush. Join the Heelers in their first live theatre show made just for you, featuring brilliantly created puppets. This is Bluey as you’ve never seen it before: brought to real life.
Smoothie King Center – smoothiekingcenter.com
June 7: Duran Duran
One of the best-selling musical groups in the world, with over 100 million albums sold, the British megastars have released 21 Top Ten singles in the Billboard Hot 100. Combining the sounds of 1970s British punk and the more upbeat, danceable rhythms of disco, as well as their lively music videos made the new wave/synth-pop icons one of the most successful 1980s bands. Special guests are Bastille and Nile Rodgers & Chic.
June 16: Drake
An influential figure in contemporary popular music, Drake has been credited for popularizing singing and R&B sensibilities in hip hop. The multi-platinum selling artist has won 193 awards, including 5 GRAMMY® Awards from 51 nominations, a record 29 awards from 81 nominations at the Billboard Music Awards, including Artist of the Decade. Drake will be joined by 21 Savage.
July 6: Paramore in North America
The multi-award winning alternative-rock band that formed in 2004 was nominated for a GRAMMY® in the Best New Artist category in 2008 and won a GRAMMY® in 2015 for Best Rock Song. Over the years, the band have expanded their sound, embracing an increasingly genre-crossing blend of '80s-style synth and dance-rock influences. See them live with special guests Floas and The Linda Lindas.
July 7: Bert Kreischer’s Fully Loaded Comedy Festival
Back by popular demand, Bert “The Machine” Kreischer will be starting the party back up this summer with his second annual Fully Loaded Comedy Festival. The biggest comedy event of the year with a stellar line-up that includes Mark Normand, Tiffany Haddish, Big Jay Oakerson, Chad Daniels, Ralph Barbosa and Rosebud Baker.
July 23: Alicia Keys
The multi-award-winning pianist/singer-songwriter/producer whose debut album Songs in A Minor went platinum five times over and earned her five GRAMMY® Awards, brings her Keys to the Summer Tour to New Orleans. The legendary R&B/soul/hip-hop/pop artist has garnered 21 GRAMMY® nominations, winning 15 including Song of the Year, Album of the Year, New Artist, and Female R&B Vocal Performance.
July 24: Shania Twain
The "Queen of Country Pop" has sold over 100 million records, making her one of the best-selling musical artists of all time and the best-selling female artist in country music history. Don’t miss the five-time GRAMMY® Award-winning legend as she brings her 2023 Queen of MeTour to the Crescent City.
August 15: Snoop Dogg – High School Reunion Tour
Entertainment icon, entrepreneur and 17-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated rapper Snoop Dogg has announced the star-studded High School Reunion Tour with Wiz Khalifa, Too $hort, Warren G and Berner featuring special guest DJ Drama. The tour guarantees fans an unforgettable experience as all the artists bring their unique style and energy to the stage.
The Fillmore – fillmorenola.com
June 21: PIXIES – North America ’23 Plus Special Guests Franz Ferdinand & Bully
One of the most distinctive and revered bands of the 1990s, whose unique blend of punk rock's aggression and pop music’s infectious melodies helped establish the sound that would define alternative rock in the 90s, brings their unique blend of surf rock, psychedelia and indie to the Big Easy.
The Orpheum Theater – orpheumnola.com
June 2: Mary Chapin Carpenter
GRAMMY®-winner Mary Chapin Carpenter’s 15th studio album, The Dirt and the Stars, finds the singer-songwriter pondering life’s intimate, personal moments and exploring its most universally challenging questions at an unprecedented time. The megastar is one of just 15 women voted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, with over 15 million albums sold, 5 GRAMMY® Awards from 15 nominations, and the recipient of two CMA and ACM awards.
June 10: Orchestra Noir – Y2K Meets 90s Vibe
Through orchestral performance, Orchestra Noir celebrates the cultural achievements of African-American music pioneers across all genres of music including classical, jazz, blues, hip-hop and R&B. Orchestra Noir has witnessed a meteoric rise to be one of the most talked about orchestras in the nation, as it continues to successfully bring orchestral music to a diverse audience in grand and spectacular fashion.
July 26: Jinkx Monsoon – Everything At Stake
Two-time RuPaul’s Drag Race winner and Broadway breakout star Jinkx Monsoon and her musical main squeeze Major Scales are touring North America with a full rock band performing a decade worth of covers and original music. Known for her electric and eclectic performance style, Jinkx weaves together tales from her enigmatic life in a show where music, comedy, witchy magic and camp-fantasy collide. Get ready for a spellbinding, bombastic and revolutionary experience straight from the heart of this “internationally tolerated” superstar.
Toulouse Theatre – toulousetheatre.com
June 14: Dawn Richard
The New Orleans-born singer-songwriter, who was part of the girl group Danity Kane from 2005–2009, showcases her original blend of old-school R&B and electronica.
June 25: The Dresden Dolls
The American musical duo, formed in 2000, describe their unique style as dark punk cabaret.
June 26: Hermanos Gutierrez
This two-piece brother band was influenced by the 1950s Latin America sound that transfers listeners to journeys through beautiful landscape
