Celebrating the long heritage of what is known as the oldest neighborhood of free African Americans in the United States, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation will host the annual Congo Square Rhythms Festival March 23-24, 2024.
The Congo Square Rhythms Festival celebrates New Orleans traditions that stem from the African diaspora. Notably, the festival occurs in Congo Square, the location in New Orleans where enslaved Africans and free people of color gathered on Sundays and continued their traditions of song, dance, and drumming. The festival is free to attend and highlights include lots of gumbo, African dance and drumming, live music, and an arts market.
Festival Kickoff Concert with Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center (1225 N. Rampart Street) $10 – Buy Tickets here.
Congo Square Rhythms Stage
10:45 am to 11:45 am Drum Circle
11:45 am to 12:30 pm Claude Bryant & the Reggae Allstars
12:45 pm to 1:45 pm Alfred Banks – w/ special guest Kaye the Beast
2:00 pm to 3:15 pm Alexey Marti w/ special guest Yusa
3:30 pm to 4:45 pm Max Moran & Neospectric
5:00 pm to 6:15 pm Tribal Gold
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm The Rumble
Brass Band Stage
11:00 am to 12:15 pm Red Hot Brass Band w/ special guest Leslie Cooper
12:30 pm to 1:45 pm Shake Em Up Jazz Band
2:00 pm to 4:15 pm Class Got Brass
4:30 pm to 5:30 pm Treme Brass Band
5:45 pm to 7:00 pm Rebirth Brass Band
Congo Square Rhythms Stage
10:45 am to 11:45 am Drum Circle
12:00 pm to 12:20 pm Tekrema Dance Ensemble
12:30 pm to 12:50 pm Kumbuka Dance Ensemble
1:00 pm to 1:20 pm N’Kafu and Culu
1:30 pm to 1:50 pm N’Fungola Sibo
1:55 pm to 2:20 pm Free Spirit Walkers
2:30 pm to 3:30 pm Bamboula 2000
3:45 pm to 4:30 pm Mardi Gras Indian Battle
4:45 pm to 6:15 pm Corey Henry & Treme Funktet
Brass Band Stage
11:00 am to 12:15 pm Sporty’s Brass Band
12:30 pm to 2:00 pm The Bra’s
2:15 pm to 3:30 pm LeTrainiump
3:45 pm to 4:45 pm Free Agents Brass Band
5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Hot 8 Brass Band
6:15 pm to 7:30 pm Original Pinette’s Brass Band
In addition to tons of local foods and amazing music, you’ll also find an Arts Market filled with a variety of goods to view and purchase, and kids’ activities. Art markets will be full of locally produced goods and unique handmade items.
Commonly considered the birthplace of Jazz, in the Faubourg Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans, you can both hear and feel the heartbeat of the city through the music. Enjoy festival performances by renowned artists, many of whom grew up in the historic Tremé neighborhood.
The festival will be held in Congo Square in the corner of Louis Armstrong Park, as well as in other sections of the park on North Rampart Street between St. Peter and St. Philip streets, directly opposite of the French Quarter and within easy walking distance from anywhere in the neighborhood.
For more information about the festival, visit the festival’s website.
In the southern corner of Armstrong Park is Congo Square, an open space where the enslaved and free people of color gathered throughout the 19th century for meetings, open markets, and the African dance and drumming...