NOLA Funk Fest is loading up on local firepower for 2026, rolling out a heavyweight lineup topped by New Orleans staples Galactic, Dumpstaphunk and George Porter Jr. The three-day festival is set for October 16-18, 2026, on the riverfront near the Audubon Aquarium, promising a weekend of hometown funk, international guests and tribute sets that trace the city’s deep musical roots.
The roster leans hard into New Orleans while pulling in global names. Galactic will perform with Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph and guests JoJo Hermann and Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz, joined by Dumpstaphunk, George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, Anders Osborne with Jackie Greene, Cuban standout Cimafunk and more. A tribute to Allen Toussaint will feature the Toussaint family band. Organizers highlighted the balance of local legends and visiting artists, as reported by WWLTV.
Lineup reveal at Tipitina's
The full slate was unveiled at Tipitina’s on Saturday night, where a run of local performers helped tease the fall festival and reveal the final names. The famed club billed the event with Irma Thomas, Ivan and Cyril Neville and Jon Cleary among those on the lineup. The intimate rollout doubled as a community hang and an official announcement of the October dates, as listed on Tipitina's.
Holding the reveal at Tip’s was a not-so-subtle reminder that NOLA Funk Fest is trying to stay plugged into the scene that built this music in the first place, even as it grows into a full-scale riverfront production.
Tickets, tributes and the festival's promise
The festival runs October 16-18, 2026, on the Audubon Aquarium riverfront, with early-bird and VIP passes on sale now and package options detailed on the festival site. Organizers told WWLTV they are prioritizing paying artists above market rates, a selling point in an era when many performers are increasingly vocal about festival pay. For pass options and festival maps, visit the official NOLA Funk Fest ticket pages.
Between the Allen Toussaint tribute and a lineup stacked with working New Orleans bands, organizers are pitching the festival as both a celebration and a paycheck for the city’s players, not just a destination event for visitors.
What it means for New Orleans
Funk Fest is framed as a key piece of a broader push to build the Louisiana Music & Heritage Experience museum and keep money flowing into local culture. Scene-watchers have increasingly treated the festival as a fall staple that showcases New Orleans’ living funk tradition, while the new and returning tribute sets aim to balance nostalgia with what is happening on local stages right now, as noted by OffBeat.
Daily schedules, set times and vendor details are expected closer to the festival weekend, with organizers and local media rolling out updates as October approaches. For the full lineup and to purchase passes, head to the official site at NOLA Funk Fest.
