See Inside Expedia’s Day-to-Night Activation at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

NEW ORLEANS—Half a million fans were lured to New Orleans’ Fair Grounds Race Course for the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which added an extra day to its two weeks of music-packed programming this year. A blockbuster performance by The Rolling Stones was also attributed to the event’s attendance—its second-highest ever behind the 600,000 guests that attended in 2021.

Because many of those guests descended on New Orleans from out of town, it was only natural that the fest boasted an official travel partner, Expedia, which brought its own art installation onto the 145-acre site. Expedia decked out its corner of the festival grounds in a larger-than-life parasol as part of the Cultural Exchange Pavilion: Para Sol, Para Todos (“For Sun, For Everyone”). The yellow parasol, which nodded to Expedia’s branding, drew inspiration from the Jazz Fest logo itself, which also features parasols. 

Bim decked out the parasol's tapestry with cultural symbols in his signature style, as well as pops of blue, red, white, and gold in nod to the Colombian flag.Photo: Getty ImagesThe frills—including the lace and fringe elements traditional to a second-line umbrella—were created in partnership with local Colombian artist Basqo Bim, who outfitted the inside of the vibrant tapestry with the character-filled cultural symbols and carnival spirit he’s known for, with pops of blue, red, white, and gold in nod to the Colombian flag. The hand-painted artworks featured brass bands and the striped Vueltiao hats and roses evocative of Colombian floriculture.

“My intention is to merge my visual language and aesthetic into a happy balance of New Orleans and Colombia, through my lens and experiences with the giant yellow parasol as the canvas,” Bim told BizBash of the larger-than-life art piece.Anderson .Paak headlined Expedia's Global Jam nighttime event at NOLA's historic Joy Theater.Photo: Getty ImagesMardi Gras Indians performed at Global Jam in their traditional dress, featuring dramatic images depicted through intricate beadwork and feathered headdresses.Photo: Kyle Hannon

In the spirit of influences from international cultures and communities, Expedia also launched the Jazz Fest Travel Hub at this year’s event—the 55th iteration, whose headliners also included Chris Stapleton, the Foo Fighters, Hozier, Queen Latifah, and The Beach Boys. Here, guests could book a future trip, learn more about Expedia’s offerings, and explore more about NOLA's food and music scene.

Ahead of the event, Expedia also launched a Jazz Fest-specific website that featured articles about where to hear the best brass. Sneak peek: It included creole hot spot Breakaway’s R&B, neon-lit The Rabbit Hole, and low-key club Treme Hideaway, which is also known to cater to folks who love hip-hop, according to the travel giant.

Come nightfall, Expedia took the cultural celebrations indoors to NOLA’s historic Joy Theater for its Global Jam event starring Universal Music Group artists Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals, plus performances from Mardi Gras Indians in their traditional dress, featuring dramatic images depicted through intricate beadwork and feathered headdresses. To tie the nighttime affair into Expedia’s daytime installation, the ceiling of the theater was decked out in yellow parasols.

Keep scrolling to see more from inside Global Jam...The Joy Theater's marquee boasted the evening's headliners, which also included the Free Nationals and local soul R&B and hip-hop band Tank and the Bangas.Photo: Kyle HannonIn a nod to Expedia's daytime art installation, the theater's ceiling featured yellow parasols.Photo: Kyle HannonExpedia's yellow branding was seen throughout the event, including in this step-and-repeat.Photo: Kyle Hannon