In New Orleans, music doesn’t just help us to tell our story – it is our story. Our community sustains one of the most vibrant live music scenes in the United States, hosting hundreds of festivals and thousands of performances annually.
While music is infused in everything we do at New Orleans & Company year-round, including business leads for musicians, editorial and social content, and public relations opportunities, a few years ago, we declared October as “Music Month” to bring extra marketing support and attention to our incredible musicians.
A few other initiatives we are driving forward include applying to become a UNESCO Creative City of Music, NOLAxNOLA, NOLA MusiCon, and creating an artist database on our website.
UNESCO Creative City of Music Application
Earlier this year, our New Orleans & Company team applied to become a UNESCO Creative City of Music. Our team, along with the advisory board — featuring prominent members of the New Orleans music industry — has worked tirelessly behind the scenes with UNESCO representatives around the world to position the city as best we possibly can for selection.
The Creative Cities Network spans more than 100 countries and 350 member cities. The network shares best practices and develops partnerships that promote creativity and cultural industries with the common goal to strengthen participation in cultural life and integrate culture into urban development plans.
We applied to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network because we want to fortify New Orleans’ seat at the global table, to open doors and shine a light on the rich cultural landscape that makes our city a hallowed destination for music lovers from across the world. As we pursue this recognition, we also are fortunate to be joined by partners such as the Benson Organization, whose collaboration underscores our city’s wider engagement with UNESCO, ranging from the Creative Cities Network to the pursuit of World Heritage status within the historic French Quarter.
NOLAxNOLA
During the omicron variant of COVID-19 in 2021, Jazz Fest and many other festivals were forced to cancel fall events meant to launch our recovery. These cancellations left a hole in the fall calendar and our music venues and culture bearers reeling.
What followed was a collaboration between New Orleans & Company, our music venues, the New Orleans Tourism Cultural Fund and SigFest Events to create a one-of-a-kind music festival in New Orleans to celebrate our musicians and support them in a time of need — NOLAxNOLA. The first NOLAxNOLA was over 10 days, featured over 20 venues and allowed people to gather safely in intimate venues and celebrate our amazing musicians in a time of need.
Not only has the festival grown year over year, but its history and impact are something that we are proud to play a part in. While we just completed a successful fifth annual NOLAxNOLA, there is still a busy fall festival calendar that includes Treme Fall Fest, the Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival, Beignet Fest and the Oak Street Po’boy Festival, among plenty of others.
NOLA MusiCon
NOLA MusiCon returns the last week of October at The George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center and fosters innovation, collaboration and education within the music industry, providing a platform for artists and industry professionals to connect, learn and inspire. NOLA MusiCon offers artists and industry professionals a chance to network with the goal of showing musicians that New Orleans is not only a great city to perform but also a great place to grow a business. Several panel discussions take place October 28-30. To register, visit nolamusicon.com/register.
New Orleans Artists Database Our team at New Orleans & Company partnered with WWOZ to create the New Orleans Artist Database on NewOrleans.com. The comprehensive database allows people to learn more about their favorite musicians, discover new artists, listen to playlists, follow them on social media and keep track of their upcoming shows in New Orleans. We have space for all New Orleans artists, so visit NewOrleans.com/artists to learn more.
New Ad Campaign
Our fall 2025 ad campaign, which started in September, invites potential visitors to come and enjoy everything New Orleans has to offer this fall including the return of NOLAxNOLA and Music Month. The campaign will run regionally and in select key fly-in markets through October, leveraging a mix of paid advertising along with robust editorial and social content across our channels and many others.
Please Join Us
Over the summer, I encouraged you, our local business community, to support our cultural economy by planning a staycation, or enjoying our restaurants and attractions during COOLinary and Museum Month. Now, I am encouraging you to support our musicians and fall festivals. We should never take for granted that millions of people from around the world come to experience the New Orleans’ music scene, which we are fortunate to enjoy right in our own backyard. For a list of events, visitneworleans.com/musicmonth.
Walt Leger III is president and CEO of New Orleans & Company, the official destination marketing and sales organization for New Orleans tourism industry. He may be reached via email at walt@neworleans.com.
