The first annual New Orleans Jazz & Music Festival spontaneously kicked off in 1970 when gospel singer Mahalia Jackson was a handed a mic and asked to lend her legendary vocal chords to a parade through the Louisiana Heritage Fair. From then on, the festival has exploded into a two-weekend keystone cultural event, celebrating of jazz music and Louisiana's heritage.

Despite these genre-specific roots, the event now features an impressively wide variety of music: soul, folk, pop and every variety of rock. Every day of this year's seven-day festival is a melting pot of artists that is sure to satisfy every music fan's tastes. We suggest assembling a team to uncover all the exciting bands on this festival's sprawling line-up, as traversing it on your own could take hours.