New Orleans Jazz Fest Volunteer Photographers 2026

The Volunteer Photographer Program is a community outreach project of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation's Archive. The program provides documentation of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell for the Foundation Archive. The Festival is held at the Fair Grounds Race Course at 1751 Gentilly Blvd., New Orleans, LA on April 23-26 and April 30-May 3, 2026.

The program joins photographers from a variety of backgrounds with the Festival and Archive to provide the unique experience of photographing the world-renowned New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Documentation goes beyond the stages and music to include the "internal culture" of Jazz Fest—the food, art, culture, and people who attend the festival. Volunteer Photographers must be at least 18 years of age and can be student, amateur, or professional photographers. The program is open to international applicants.

Selected volunteer photographers must be able to manage and edit hundreds or thousands of digital images. The work is physically demanding, requiring photographers to walk many miles a day around the Fair Grounds Race Course while managing their own photography gear. Weather conditions vary from rain and mud to dust and very hot temperatures. Selected photographers are responsible for providing all images taken at the festival to the Archive. There is a mandatory meeting for photographers the day before the festival starts to receive photo pit passes and tickets. No more than 150 applications can be accepted. Applicants will be notified by the end of January 2026. Submissions must include 6 images. Entry deadline: 11/15/25 at 11:59 p.m. MST.