Trombone Shorty was joined by an unexpected guest during his Jazz Fest closing performance Sunday evening at the Fairgrounds.
Jon Batiste, who came home to New Orleans to perform Friday, joined Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews on stage in the closing minutes of the 2023 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Earlier Batiste came out to play accordion during the Mumford & Sons set on the final day of the festival.
The Fairgrounds saw huge crowds on Sunday after Saturday's rain kept many fans away.
By all accounts, the first full-fledged Jazz Fest since the pandemic was a big success.
The first weekend saw great turnout, including for headliners Lizzo and Ed Sheeran. There was, however, some rain to contend with then as well.
Organizers generally release ticket sales and attendance numbers in the days following the festival. We will also wait to see if they plan any changes or improvements to the only real, vocal criticism we heard this year; the new cashless system for vendors. Some fans complained it made lines longer and slowed down the purchasing process.
Fest officials posted to social media, "It's only over if you don't come next year!"
Jazz Fest 2024 is scheduled for April 26th through May 5th.
