NEW ORLEANS FESTIVAL

From July 20-23, soul and blues came to Innsbruck for the 25th time. The New Orleans Festival celebrated the music and lifestyle of one of Innsbruck's twin cities. The anniversary edition of the festival attracted around 25,000 visitors to Landhausplatz, where they swayed to the best sound.

the special togetherness and the perfect complement to the local scene with international acts directly from New Orleans once again created a unique atmosphere this year. Our Tyrolean musicians proved that they can also play soul, blues and funk, and not just at the traditional Tyrolean Blues Nightdrucksvoll. Markus Linder, the artistic director of the festival, emphasizes that it is particularly important to him to bring our Tyrolean talents to the stage and offer them a platform here. Not only the solo artists, but also numerous local bands got the audience dancing, snapping and swinging along with their rousing sound.

The two main acts from the States were certainly a particular highlight: Kevin Gullage & The Blues Groovers brought a particularly rousing Drive to the stages and infected the audience with it. The up-and-coming band shared the stage with a true legend - Gary Brown, whose almost 80 years were in no way visible and who made everyone feel his passion for music with his saxophone. The festival days ended with the gospel mass in St. Jakob Cathedral. STB Dixie Train created a very special atmosphere in the cathedral, which was filled to the last rows and beyond.

As a prelude to the festival, the Long Night of Music invited local bands and thus blues and groove to numerous bars in Innsbruck's city center. "The local mountain has the blues" brought hundreds of music-loving hikers to the Patscherkofel, where a New Orleans feeling was spread in the best summer weather.