Cashless Jazz Fest Faces Long Lines and Complaints on Opening Day

The 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival went cashless for the first time, causing long lines and slow transactions at food and beverage vendors. While some customers sailed through transactions swiftly, others had to swipe their cards multiple times for the transaction to process. The change to cashless is comprehensive and applies to all sales across the fest, from tickets at the gate to craft and merchandise booths. Jazz Fest officials said they have created a new, private network engineered specifically for and dedicated solely to Jazz Fest business during the event.