THE New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has canceled its fall 2021 dates due to surging COVID-19 cases in Louisiana, the U.S., festival organizers said Sunday.

Traditionally held in the spring, it had been scheduled to run Oct. 8-10 and Oct. 15-17 this year. The festival was canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. “As a result of the current exponential growth of new COVID cases in New Orleans and the region and the ongoing public health emergency, we must sadly announce that the 2021 edition of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell, scheduled to take place Oct. 8-17, 2021, will not occur as planned,” festival organizers said in a statement.

The statement added that next year’s festival would occur during its “traditional time frame” and is set for April 29-May 8.

Jazz Fest is an annual celebration of New Orleans’ and Louisiana’s music and culture held at the Fair Grounds Race Course. (SD-Agencies)