Durrant Pate/Contributor

The 2026 staging of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival over two weekends starting later this month celebrates the island of Jamaica through music, flavour and craft.

While Jamaican reggae artists have long been featured at the popular three-decade-long hallmark American jazz festival, a dedicated tribute to the island is in store for this year’s iteration with CELEBRATING JAMAICA, an added item to the itinerary. It is being presented at the Sandals Resorts Jamaica Cultural Exchange Pavilion on the two weekends of April 23- 26 and then from April 30 -May 3, 2026.

Headlined by Ziggy and Stephen Marley, the Jazz Fest line-up highlights the evolution of Jamaican reggae across generations from the classic, conscious 1970s sound embodied by Lutan Fyah to the “reggae revival” movement led by Protoje and Jesse Royal. In a genre long dominated by male artists, a new generation of women, including 2026 Grammy nominee Lila Iké, Original Koffee, and Sevana are reshaping the sound and perspective of Jamaican reggae.

Taste of Kingston’s dancehall culture 

For a taste of Kingston’s dancehall culture will bring to the fore Sean Paul with his rapid-fire delivery and high-energy stage presence, while Seani B leads DJ sessions with guest vocalists, Laa Lee and NESTA, reflecting the collaborative spirit of Jamaica’s sound system tradition. Beyond reggae and dancehall, other Jamaican sounds are honored by 

The Skatalites (the originators of ska), the Showjam Mento Band; gospel singer, Kevin Downswell, and jazz pianist Monty Alexander. 

Presenting this centuries-old Afro-Jamaican street tradition outside Jamaica for the first time, the masked troupe of Kaya Jonkunnu will animate the festival’s parade route with mischievous characters dancing to the sound of fife and drums. Inside the Cultural Exchange Artist Demonstration Tent, artists from across the island including those from communities impacted by Hurricane Melissa in 2025 will showcase their craft. 

Featured artists include sign-makers “Nurse” and “Bug” alongside First Straw basket weavers Sheldon Daley and Lavern Evans; textile artist, Kokab Zohoori-Dossa; ceramic artist, Dana Baugh; Afrofuturist muralist, Taj Francis, and multimedia artist, Matthew McCarthy.

Adjacent to the Pavilion, the Cultural Exchange Food Booth and Afrodisiac NOLA bring the Jamaican experience to the plate with slow-braised oxtail, rice and peas, jerk-spiced mushrooms, and crisp escovitch fish. 

Topped off by the signature One Love Punch crafted with Appleton Estate Signature Rum, the Cultural Exchange Village offers Jamaican rhythms, textures, and flavours that engage the senses at every turn.