Whether it’s the smell of boiled crawfish or the chance to listen to some of their favorite artists, celebrities and tourists alike have been drawn to New Orleans’ Jazz & Heritage Festival for decades.
Locals attending the fest have grown used to the odd sighting of a famous person hanging out at their favorite bar or restaurant or stumbling into a top-secret pop-up show from headliners.
This year drew huge crowds for legendary artists like Stevie Nicks, David Byrne and Rod Stewart and these well-known faces were here to join in on the vibes.
Maggie Rogers
Singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers was supposed to play Jazz Fest in 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic derailed the festival and most large events that year. She came back to Jazz Fest this year as a fan for her birthday weekend.
Rogers posted several photos on Instagram where she hung out with performers Mavis Staples and Nicks, ate Louisiana classics like crawfish and beignets, stopped by the Jazz lounge Buffa’s and even ordered a purple drink at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar.
“Hours in the gospel tent, birthday crawfish, Stevie singing in the rain, Mavis and I drinking tequila backstage. there’s nothing better in the whole world than getting to be a fan and running around seeing music all weekend filled up my cup to the very brim with such a needed and necessary dose of soul,” Rogers said in her post.
Nicole Richie
The actress, socialite and daughter of Lionel Richie was far away from the drudgery of her old E! show “The Simple Life” during Jazz Fest.
Richie posted a video on Monday that featured clips of her entourage checking out the French Quarter, riding bikes, visiting Tipitina’s and Buffa’s and standing in the crowd as Nicks played Saturday.
Richie had just visited the Crescent City in March as a speaker at the New Orleans Book Festival.
Amy Schumer
The comedian and actress has a deep connection to New Orleans. She has filmed in the city, owned a French Quarter home and crashed a second-line or two.
Last weekend, Schumer was out at Jazz Fest and sporting a Domilise’s hat as she watched Nicks and attended a front porch concert, she shared on Instagram.
Helen Mirren at the Gospel tent
Both Rogers and Richie mentioned in their posts that they spotted Academy Award-winning British actress Helen Mirren at the festival’s Gospel tent.
There’s been no photo evidence of the singer, reality star and one of the grande dames of film and theater hanging out, but she’s known to frequent the festival and the Bayou St. John dive bar Pal’s.
