The Voodoo Music + Arts Experience (commonly called Voodoo Fest) was a three-day music and arts festival held in City Park, New Orleans, Louisiana over Halloween weekend. Founded in 1999, it blended rock, hip-hop, electronic, and indie music with large-scale art installations and New Orleans food vendors. The festival was best suited for artists and fans who wanted a major festival experience in a culturally distinct city, with the added draw of Halloween festivities. The last edition took place October 25 to 27, 2019, headlined by Guns N' Roses, Post Malone, and Beck. The festival has been on indefinite hiatus since 2022.
Festival Videos
Notable Past Lineups
Voodoo Fest ran for 21 editions from 1999 through 2019 (with a cancellation in 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina). The festival consistently mixed arena rock headliners with hip-hop, electronic, and New Orleans local acts. Here are headliners from notable years:
- 2013 (November 1 to 3): The Cure, Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, Calvin Harris, Kid Rock. The Cure performed their first live version of "Burn" from The Crow soundtrack at this edition.
- 2014 (October 31 to November 2): Outkast, Slayer, Arctic Monkeys, Skrillex, Foo Fighters. Outkast's reunion tour stopped at Voodoo for a Halloween weekend set.
- 2015 (October 30 to November 1): Ozzy Osbourne, Mumford and Sons, Florence and the Machine, Jane's Addiction, Zac Brown Band. Ozzy brought out Tom Morello and Slash for a surprise performance of "Iron Man" on Halloween night.
- 2016 (October 28 to 30): Arcade Fire, The Weeknd, Tool, G-Eazy, Kevin Gates. Arcade Fire performed on Halloween night in their hometown-adjacent Louisiana setting.
- 2017 (October 27 to 29): Kendrick Lamar, Foo Fighters, The Killers, DJ Snake, Trombone Shorty. The Killers paid tribute to Fats Domino, who had passed away days before the festival. Foo Fighters closed Saturday night with one of the largest crowds of the weekend.
- 2018 (October 26 to 28): Mumford and Sons, Travis Scott, Janelle Monae, Third Eye Blind, A$AP Ferg. Travis Scott was a last-minute replacement for Childish Gambino and closed the festival with "Sicko Mode" in front of 30,000 fans.
- 2019 (October 25 to 27): Guns N' Roses, Post Malone, Beck, The National, Bassnectar. The final edition opened with Tropical Storm Olga dumping rain on Friday. Guns N' Roses played a nearly three-hour set in the downpour. Post Malone closed Sunday with pyrotechnics in front of the largest crowd of the weekend.
Festival History and Format
Voodoo Fest ran annually from 1999 through 2019, with the exception of 2005 (when Hurricane Katrina forced cancellation). The festival was originally a one-day event before expanding to two and then three days. At its peak, it drew over 100,000 attendees across the weekend.
The festival occupied the City Park Festival Grounds, a 40-acre site surrounded by live oak trees draped with Spanish moss. Three main stage areas catered to different genres: Le Ritual (mainstream and headliners), Le Flambeau (New Orleans-style acts and local artists), and Le Carnival (indie and emerging acts). A fourth area, the Electronic Music Tent, hosted DJs and electronic producers.
Past headliners included Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, Pearl Jam, Eminem, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Arcade Fire, Nine Inch Nails, R.E.M., Muse, Foo Fighters, Kendrick Lamar, and The Killers. The festival was known for mixing arena rock acts with New Orleans musicians like Trombone Shorty, Benjamin Booker, and Flow Tribe.
What Happened: The Hiatus
The 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2021, organizers announced the festival would not return that year either. In June 2022, Voodoo Fest confirmed another cancellation, calling it a "pause." No edition has been held since.
As of 2026, there has been no official announcement of a return. Reddit discussions from the r/NewOrleans community in 2025 suggested possible talks about reviving the festival, but no organizer has confirmed dates, a lineup, or ticket sales. The official website (voodoofestival.com) has not posted updates in years.
Why It Mattered for Independent Artists
Before its hiatus, Voodoo Fest offered independent artists a slot at a major festival in a city with deep musical heritage. The festival's New Orleans location meant exposure to music industry professionals from the region, plus the cultural cachet of playing in a city synonymous with music history.
For independent artists, the booking path ran through C3 Presents (which took over production in 2013 after original founder Steve Rehage stepped back). The booking team looked at streaming numbers, touring history, and regional draw. New Orleans-based artists had an advantage, as the festival consistently reserved slots for local acts.
A Voodoo Fest set put an artist in front of 30,000 to 40,000 people per day. Streaming surges of 100 to 200 percent were common in the week following a performance, based on data from similar mid-size festivals. Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to project post-festival streaming revenue if you land a comparable festival slot.
Drawbacks and Things to Consider
- The festival is currently inactive. No editions have been held since 2019, and no official return has been announced. Any listing suggesting 2026 dates or lineups is speculative.
- New Orleans in late October is still humid. Temperatures can reach the 80s during the day. Rain is common. The 2017 edition saw weather disruptions, and festivals in City Park are subject to ground flooding.
- Halloween weekend hotel prices in New Orleans are among the highest of the year. Accommodation costs can exceed $300 per night for budget hotels, making the trip expensive for independent artists on a tight budget.
- The festival faced declining attendance in its later years. Competition from other fall festivals and rising ticket prices contributed to smaller crowds in 2018 and 2019 compared to the peak years of 2013 to 2016.
Similar and Nearby Festivals
- New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival - The other major music festival in New Orleans, held annually in spring
- Essence Festival - Major music and culture festival held in New Orleans over July 4 weekend
- Austin City Limits - Multi-genre fall festival with a similar mix of rock, hip-hop, and indie acts
- Bonnaroo - Major multi-genre festival with diverse lineup booking
Related Resources
- Music Festivals Directory - Explore active festivals for booking opportunities
- Streaming Royalty Calculator - Project streaming revenue after a festival performance
- Tour Revenue Calculator - Plan your touring budget around festival season
- 21 Ways Musicians Can Earn Income - How festival performances fit into a diversified income strategy
