The Jazz & Heritage Festival at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans will not take place in 2021 because of the new surge in COVID-19 cases in Louisiana. The festival was scheduled to take place between October 8 and 17. In a statement posted via the festival’s Twitter account, organizers said Jazz Fest would return in spring 2022, from April 29 to May 8. They urged people to follow public health guidelines, “so that we can all soon experience together the joy that is Jazz Fest.” Louisiana is currently battling its worst outbreak yet, shattering hospitalization records as the contagious Delta variant continues to spread. Fewer than 40 percent of Louisiana residents have been fully vaccinated.