Lost Bayou Ramblers — the Grammy-winning Cajun band, first of two appearances this weekend.
CC Adcock — with the Lafayette Marquis and special guest Joel Savoy.
Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas — with special guest Lil' Nathan.
Festival Guide · October 16–18, 2026
NOLA Funk Fest 2026: Who to See
Audubon Aquarium Riverfront Park · plus late-night shows at Tipitina's
Three days of funk on the Riverfront, with a Cajun and Creole kickoff at Tipitina's the night before and late-night sets after. We went through the announced lineup and pulled the sets that interest us most — nearly every one of them is a musician we already cover on the site, so each pick links to their page.
The Short Version
Why this one matters
NOLA Funk Fest is only in its second year, but it's built around something bigger than a weekend: proceeds go toward the Louisiana Music & Heritage Experience, the proposed 120,000-square-foot music museum planned across from the Convention Center, and the festival pays local musicians above-market wages. The lineup leans hard into the city's own — funk legends, Mardi Gras Indians, brass bands, and a full day built around the Allen Toussaint songbook.
Thursday, October 15 · Tipitina's
The kickoff: Rock the Rafters
The night before the festival, Tipitina's hosts a Cajun & Creole celebration — doors 6:30, show 7:30. It sets up the festival's new Cajun and Creole Cultural Village, which gets its own corner of the Riverfront all weekend.
Friday, October 16 · Riverfront
Opening day: the headliners
Galactic — the city's hardest-working funk band, three decades in, with Jelly Joseph and Widespread Panic's JoJo Hermann and Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz sitting in.
George Porter Jr. — the Meters' bassist leading his Runnin' Pardners Supa Set.
Dumpstaphunk — Ivan Neville's funk machine.
New Orleans Suspects with Big Sam — the city's favorite pickup band with the Funky Nation trombonist out front.
Brass-A-Holics — brass band meets go-go.
Soul Project — Jon Cristian Duque's funk and soul outfit.
Jourdan Thibodeaux et Les Rodailleurs — young Cajun fiddler carrying the tradition into the Cultural Village lineup.
Also on the bill: Cimafunk (Cuban-based, outside the site's local-musician rule) and the Neville Sons — Ivan and Omari Neville play under their own names elsewhere in this guide. Marc Broussard and the New Orleans Legacy Coalition now have pages on the site.
Late night: Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire at Tipitina's — doors 11 PM, show 11:59 PM. Marcus Machado, Bru Bruser, and Eric Bolivar with special guests Stanton Moore, Tony Hall, Chali 2na, Jen Hartswick, Robert Walter, Eddie Roberts, and Jake Eckert. $40.57 via Tipitina's.
Saturday, October 17 · Riverfront
The Allen Toussaint tribute
Saturday belongs to Allen Toussaint — the Toussaint family band plus a long list of the city's musicians playing his songbook. The Lost Bayou Ramblers return, this time with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. This is the weekend's centerpiece.
Irma Thomas, Ivan Neville, Cyril Neville, and Omari Neville — four generations of the first family of New Orleans funk on one stage.
Davell Crawford — the pianist's piano player, right at home in Toussaint's book.
Deacon John and John Boutté — two of the city's great R&B voices.
Anders Osborne, Erica Falls, River Eckert, John "Papa" Gros — the working core of the current scene.
Bonerama, CJ Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band, Roger Lewis, Brad Walker — horns and heart.
Tony Hall Band featuring Mahogany Blue.
Also on the Saturday bill: Neal Francis, Herman Lebeaux (Toussaint's longtime drummer), Mahogany Blue, and Elaine Foster.
Sunday, October 18 · Riverfront
Closing day
George Porter Jr. headlines again to close the weekend.
Stanton Moore, Mike Lemmler — the groove section gets its own spotlight.
Susan Cowsill, Mia Borders, Erica Falls — three generations of New Orleans songwriting.
Original Pinettes Brass Band and Big Chief Juan Pardo's Tribal Gold — brass and Mardi Gras Indian tradition to send it home.
Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne, River Eckert, Omari Neville, Brad Walker — back for second sets.
Also on the Sunday bill: June Yamagishi, Jackie Greene, and Chali 2na.
New Additions
New to the site for Funk Fest
Eight more bill acts, researched and added this week:
Neal Francis — Chicago pianist making his Funk Fest debut on the Saturday tribute.
Marc Broussard — Lafayette-area soul singer on the Friday bill.
Herman Lebeaux — Toussaint's longtime drummer, on the Saturday tribute.
Mahogany Blue — singing with the Tony Hall Band on Saturday.
Nathan Williams — zydeco, featured in the Cajun and Creole Cultural Village.
June Yamagishi — Japanese-born New Orleans guitarist, on the Sunday bill.
New Orleans Legacy Coalition — on the Friday bill.
Elaine Foster — on the Saturday bill.
Still not on the site: Jackie Greene and Chali 2na (Sunday bill).
Sources
