NEW ORLEANS (July 14, 2026) – Satchmo SummerFest presented by the New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Foundation (NOTCF) returns for its 26th year on August 1-2 at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. Produced by French Quarter Festivals, Inc. (FQFI), the free, two-day festival honors the life and legacy of New Orleans’ own Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong with more than two dozen musical performances, a full lecture series, local food vendors, and free admission to the museum all weekend.
Headliners include Kermit Ruffins’ Tribute to Louis Armstrong closing out the weekend Sunday night, Mark Braud’s All-Stars featuring Wendell Brunious, Paul Sanchez, and Kiki Chapman on the Friends of Fest Stage, Don Vappie and Jazz Creole on the Delta Utilities Stage, and Hasizzle with TBC Brass Band bringing bounce and brass together on Saturday.
“Satchmo SummerFest reflects everything French Quarter Festivals, Inc. strives to do: celebrate New Orleans culture, support local artists and create memorable experiences that are accessible to everyone,” said Emily Madero, President & CEO of French Quarter Festivals, Inc. “For 26 years, the festival has honored Louis Armstrong’s extraordinary legacy while bringing people together through music, history and community.”
Gates will be open 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily. The weekend kicks off Saturday with the Satchmo Sound-Off, featuring The Roots of Music, and closes out Sunday with the Jazz Mass at St. Augustine Church followed by the Satchmo Salute Parade through Tremé and the French Quarter.
View the full schedule at satchmosummerfest.org.
Two Days, Four Stages, Every Shade of New Orleans Sound
Satchmo SummerFest’s 2026 lineup showcases the rich musical traditions of New Orleans, spanning traditional jazz, brass and marching bands, funk, R&B, and jazz fusion. The festival features a dynamic mix of hometown legends alongside artists making their Satchmo SummerFest debut. Delta Utilities returns as the sponsor of the Esplanade Avenue Stage, one of the festival’s two main outdoor stages.
New this year, the Friends of Fest Stage on Barracks Street celebrates the community spirit that has sustained Satchmo SummerFest for 26 years. Made possible by the generosity of an anonymous donor committed to preserving New Orleans culture and free arts programming, the stage is designed to inspire others to invest in the future of Satchmo SummerFest and help ensure this cherished tradition remains vibrant, accessible, and free for generations to come. Festivalgoers are invited to become Friends of Fest by making a donation at satchmogive.fqfi.org or at any onsite donation station throughout the festival.
Saturday, Aug.1 brings Roots of Music, Preservation Brass, Troy Sawyer & The Elementz featuring Girls Play Trumpets Too, Joe Lastie’s Jazz to Brass, Assata Renay, Hasizzle with TBC Brass Band, the Lawrence Cotton Legendary Experience, Charmaine Neville, Jamil Sharif, Yusa, Jenna McSwain, and a tribute to blues pioneer Ma Rainey featuring Lars Edegran and Thais Clarke.
Sunday, Aug. 2 features the Treme Brass Band, Kid Merv & All That Jazz, Sir Chantz Powell & The Sound Of Funk, The Nayo Jones Experience, Don Vappie and Jazz Creole, The Original Pinettes Brass Band, John Boutté, Mari Watanabe & Chosen Few with Kevin Louis & Will Smith, Juice, Big 6 Brass Band, Linda Aubert, Tom Worrel, and John Royen & Tim Laughlin, closing out the weekend with the festival’s signature moment, Kermit Ruffins’ Tribute to Louis Armstrong.
Located inside the museum, the Fidelity Bank Piano Sessions Stage features intimate performances and provides festivalgoers the opportunity to explore the museum’s exhibitions while enjoying a break from the outdoor stages.
The Satchmo Legacy Stage: Scholars, Stories, and Satchmo’s Enduring Influence
Beyond the music, the Satchmo Legacy Stage in Memory of Joni Berry has long been one of the festival’s signature traditions, drawing audiences to the museum’s third floor for thought-provoking conversations about Louis Armstrong’s life, music, and cultural impact.
Saturday, Aug. 1 opens at noon with Dr. Robert Mikell on Armstrong’s international touring career in “Armstrong and His Music Across the Continents,” followed by Charanya Ramakrishnan’s “The Corona Collection,” drawn from interviews with Armstrong’s former neighbors. Jon Pult explores Armstrong’s decades on the airwaves in “Good Evening, Everybody on the Radio,” and Lisa La Touche examines his ties to tap dance, closing with a live performance, in “Intersections of Tap Dance with Louis Armstrong.” Louis Armstrong House Museum historian Ricky Riccardi closes the day at 4 p.m. with “Birth of the Hot: 100 Years of the Hot Five,” marking the 100th anniversary of Armstrong’s first Hot Five recording session.
Sunday, August 2 begins with Adriana Carrillo’s “From Memphis to Paris on a Piano Stool,” on pianist and bandleader Lil Hardin Armstrong. At 1 p.m., Mosaic Records co-producers David Saeger, Scott Wenzel and Ricky Riccardi discuss the making of their upcoming boxed set, “Complete Louis in New York Sessions 1924-1925.” Sharone Carmona’s “Pops at the Movies” traces Armstrong’s lifelong relationship with film, and James Karst shares newly uncovered research in “Buddy Bolden’s Last Dance.” Riccardi returns at 4 p.m. to close the series with “All for You, Louis,” marking 70 years since Armstrong’s first trip to Ghana.
The lecture series runs throughout both afternoons and gives attendees the opportunity to explore exhibits on display and a respite from the August heat.
The full artist lineup is available now at frenchquarterfest.org/satchmo-music/.
Sunday Traditions Continue the Celebration
Sunday begins at 10 a.m. with the traditional Jazz Mass at historic St. Augustine Church in Tremé, featuring the Treme Brass Band. This year’s service marks a special milestone as the Jazz Mass returns to the church sanctuary for the first time in several years following restoration work, making the tradition even more meaningful for the congregation, the Tremé community and festivalgoers.
Immediately following, festivalgoers are invited to join the Satchmo Salute Parade, a second line that begins at St. Augustine Church, travels down Esplanade Avenue and ends at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, where the festival’s final day gets underway.
Local Flavors and Festival Favorites
Between performances, festivalgoers can enjoy a taste of New Orleans and beyond from nine local food vendors. Returning favorites include 14 Parishes, Nori Guys, Cafe Dauphine, Mrs. Wheat’s Pies, Southern’s and Plum St. Snoballs, serving everything from Caribbean specialties and Cajun seafood to award-winning fried chicken, savory hand pies and sweet treats. Making its Satchmo SummerFest debut this year, Rizzuto’s Ristorante & Chop House will serve Italian favorites, including pasta alla vodka, shrimp and watermelon salad, and cannoli.
Beyond the food, attendees can participate in one of the festival’s most beloved traditions with coconut painting workshops hosted by the Junior Zulu of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club, Inc. The hands-on activity will take place Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., giving guests the opportunity to decorate and take home their own commemorative Zulu coconut.
Festivalgoers can also shop official Satchmo SummerFest merchandise throughout the weekend, including the 2026 lineup T-shirt, commemorative poster, koozies, bandanas and stickers.
Sponsors and Community Partners
Satchmo SummerFest is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors, community partners, and individual donors, whose investments help keep the festival free and accessible to all. Attendees are encouraged to support the festival by donating at festival gates or online at satchmosummerfest.org.
New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Foundation (NOTCF), New Orleans & Company, Delta Utilities, Friend of Fest, New Orleans Jazz Museum, Joseph K. & Inez Eichenbaum Foundation, LCMC Health, Entergy New Orleans, Omni Royal Orleans, The Folgers Coffee Company, Airbnb, WWL-Louisiana, Fidelity Bank, Abita Brewing Company, French Market District, JAX Brewery Parking Lots and The Berger Company, Music Performance Trust Fund and American Federation of Musicians Local 174-496, The Helis Foundation, Pepsi, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, Caymus Vineyards, Sea Sun Wines, Conundrum Wine, Brown-Forman, Jack Daniel’s, el Jimador Tequila, Diplomatico Rum, Danny & Alana Wolfe, Upbeat Vodka & Upbeat Vodka Cocktails, T-Fiber, Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, Spotted Cat Music Club, DECOY, Beignet Fest Foundation, Luzianne Iced Tea, Renaissance Publishing, Nola.com, Clarion Herald,WWOZ, WWNO, and WGSO
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About French Quarter Festivals, Inc.
Satchmo SummerFest is produced by French Quarter Festivals, Inc. (FQFI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that also produces French Quarter Festival and Holidays New Orleans Style in December.
FQFI’s mission is to promote the Vieux Carré and the City of New Orleans through high-quality special events and activities that showcase the culture and heritage of this unique city, contribute to the economic well-being of the community, and instill increased pride in the people of New Orleans. For more information about French Quarter Festivals, Inc. or any of these events, call (504) 522-5730 or visit www.fqfi.org.