Foo Fighters, The Who, Lizzo among 2020 Jazz Fest top acts

Lizzo performing “Jerome” at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles. Image: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

The Who, Stevie Nicks and Foo Fighters will join Lizzo, Lionel Richie, Lenny Kravitz, The Avett Brothers and Elvis Costello at the 2020 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, organizers announced Thursday.

The festival, which annually celebrates the culture and heritage of New Orleans and Louisiana alongside performances by national and international artists, is scheduled over two weekends in the spring — April 23 to 26 and April 30 to May 3 — at the Fair Grounds Race Course. More than 650 bands covering many genres of music will perform on 14 stages during the eight-day event.

Singer-rapper Lizzo dominated the pop, R&B and rap charts in 2019 with songs like “Truth Hurts” and “Good As Hell”. Her major-label debut, “Cuz I Love You”, garnered eight Grammy Award nominations, including album of the year, song of the year, record of the year and best new artist. She is also up for six NAACP Image Awards and was named Entertainer of the Year by The Associated Press and Time magazine.

Lizzo, who is also an accomplished flutist, is scheduled to perform Saturday, May 2.

Also scheduled to perform is Nicks, who missed the festival’s 50th-anniversary performance with Fleetwood Mac, because of illness. The band had been scheduled as a last-minute replacement for the Rolling Stones, which also canceled because Mick Jagger needed medical treatment.

Others scheduled to appear this year are Dead & Company, a collaboration consisting of former Grateful Dead members and other musicians, The Lumineers, The Black Crowes, Norah Jones, Trombone Shorty, Erykah Badu, H.E.R., The Beach Boys, The Revivalists, Irma Thomas, Anthony Hamilton, WuTang Clan featuring The Soul Rebels, Buddy Guy, Aaron Neville, The Isley Brothers, Tank and The Bangas, Big Freedia, PJ Morton, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Fred Hammond, Tab Benoit and Anders Osborne.

There will also be tributes to regular Jazz Fest contributors, singers Dr. John and Art Neville and rock n’ roll pioneer Dave Bartholomew. Each died last year.

The 2020 Cultural Exchange Pavilion at the festival will showcase Puerto Rico this year. More than 150 Puerto Rican artists will be featured including salsa legends El Gran Combo, cuatro guitar virtuoso Christian Nieves and reggaeton star Nicky Jam. RGA

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