New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival - The Effect of Hurricane Katrina

The Effect of Hurricane Katrina

The first festival following Hurricane Katrina was, according to writer Lawrence Powell, " a minor miracle just for happening." 80% of the city had been flooded, including the Jazz Fest venue. The 2006 Festival was a somber one, and catered mostly to the locals in an attempt to help them to heal.

The 2007 Festival, however, saw an audience of over 350,000 people, approximately 50,000 more attendees than in 2006. There were more famous headliners, including Ludacris, Brad Paisley, Norah Jones, and Rod Stewart, more marketing, more stages, and a cheerful atmosphere.

The hurricane has not had an effect on the optimistic or celebratory spirit of the city. As Phil Gallo wrote, "Post-Katrina and post-oil disaster, New Orleans may just be the festival capital of the world."

Hurricane Katrina did, of course, have a devastating financial and social impact on the city. Many evacuees never returned after the storm, and the majority of those that stayed or chose to return were, and still are, in dire financial straits. There have been complaints about ticket accessibility for New Orleans residents post-Katrina; many citizens could barely afford admission before the hurricane wreaked havoc on the city and, now, a large majority of audience members are from out of town. There are fewer New Orleans audience members than ever before. Producers have tried to combat rising prices but, in order to be able to afford booking local talent, big-name acts need to be hired, so ticket prices rise.

For more information on tickets, see below.