New Orleans · Month comparison

May vs April

April ranks #1 overall vs May at #3. Jazz Fest weekend (late April): the city's other peak event — 500,000 people, 12 stages, the best live music in America.

New Orleans May — live jazz on Frenchmen Street as the festival season closes

May

#3 of 12 months

Best match

Jazz Fest first weekend closes out the festival season before summer heat and humidity take hold.

  • ↑Jazz Fest first weekend (early May): second of the two festival weekends at the Fairgrounds — typically slightly less crowded than the last April weekend
  • ↑Essence Music Festival announced and building buzz; the city's food and music culture remains fully activated
New Orleans April — Louis Armstrong statue near Jazz Fest at the Fairgrounds

April

#1 of 12 months

Best match

Jazz Fest weekend (late April): the city's other peak event — 500,000 people, 12 stages, the best live music in America.

  • ↑New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (last weekend of April, first of May): 12 stages at the Fairgrounds with everyone from local brass bands to international headliners — the world's greatest concentrated live music event
  • ↑26°C and low humidity: the single most comfortable weather window of the year for outdoor eating, walking, and the festival grounds
FactorMayApril
Weather score
7
8
Value score
6
5
Crowd score
6
4
Events score
8
9
Atmosphere
8
9
Avg high temp29.6°C26.4°C
Monthly rain114mm105mm
Daily sunshine8.2hrs7.8hrs

May trade-offs

  • ↓Humidity reaches 71% and climbing — the subtropical heat begins to feel heavy; midday outdoor activity requires acclimatisation
  • ↓114mm of rain: May showers can be sudden and heavy; the city floods easily in low-lying areas near the lake
  • ↓Post-Jazz-Fest there's a noticeable drop in energy — the great cultural calendar shifts to summer mode

April trade-offs

  • ↓Jazz Fest weekend: hotels within 20 blocks of the Fairgrounds sell out months in advance; prices spike 60–80%
  • ↓The city is genuinely packed during both festival weekends — book Commander's Palace, Dooky Chase, or Cochon weeks out
  • ↓105mm of rain: April showers are real — the Fairgrounds becomes muddy in wet years; bring boots
See all 12 months for New Orleans →May in detail →April in detail →
Scores compare months within New Orleans. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →