Loyola University New Orleans to Showcase Student Talent, Book Acts at NOLA Funk Fest
Students in Loyola’s School of Music and Theatre Professions will mark their fourth year performing at Nola Funk Fest, taking place this year Oct. 16-18 at Audubon Aquarium Riverfront Park.
Loyola is once again sponsoring the “Passing the Torch” stage, which provides a platform for young, local musicians to perform and highlights the importance of music education, said Jonathan McHugh, Hilton-Baldridge Eminent Scholar/Chair in Music Industry Studies at Loyola.
And for the first time, students in Loyola’s Howl Entertainment class booked the acts on the stage, he said. In addition, Grammy Award-winning musician Gregory Davis, co-founder of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, will be the stage’s MC this year, McHugh said.
“Loyola is once again sponsoring the ‘Passing the Torch’ stage, which provides the biggest fall semester platform for our talented students to perform, as well as intern, at the festival,” he said. “This practical learning is what music and music business education needs to be today.”
Howl Entertainment is one of several classes under the umbrella of a creative collective at Loyola known as Wolf Moon Entertainment, which gives students the chance to put their creativity to work through real projects and experiences.
“With Howl Entertainment, students get to be part of the process of bringing live music to an audience, from booking the artists to promoting the shows,” said Reid Martin, executive director of Wolf Moon Entertainment and Howl Entertainment instructor. “Our students are responsible for booking shows all over the city and the region, and through that process, they learn valuable skills in the live music business.”
Twenty musical acts composed of some 80 Loyola students will appear on the “Passing the Torch” stage at NOLA Funk Fest, performing sets of music spanning genres from funk to jazz to hip-hop and R&B:
Friday, Oct. 16:
- Miss Mexia, Laura Walls, Vienna Notarianni – 2-3 p.m.
- Delvin and the Shades, Judah Rue, Gavin Eckler Organ Trio, 4-5 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 17:
- Roadway, Slow Burn – noon-1 p.m.
- Nikaness, Don’t Hurt ‘Em – 2-3 p.m.
- Brayden Owens, DIZZY! – 4-5 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 18:
- Juliette Johnson, Amelie Cecile, James Wyrtzen & The Barnburners – noon-1 p.m.
- Mac NL, Azure Skyz, Ja Fearce – 2-3 p.m.
- Left Hook, Surco – 4-5 p.m.
The festival, which showcases some of the city’s and nation’s best funk acts for three days on three stages, aims to draw attention to the forthcoming Louisiana Music & Heritage Experience and help make it a reality. The museum will be dedicated to the preservation of the state’s rich musical history.
The lineup for the 2026 festival includes Galactic featuring Jelly Joseph, George Porter Jr. & the Runnin’ Pardners Supa Set, A Tribute to Allen Toussaint featuring Irma Thomas and Ivan Neville, Dumpstaphunk, Cimafunk, Anders Osborne, River Eckert, Neal Francis, Marc Broussard, the New Orleans Suspects and many more.
For more information about NOLA Funk Fest or to purchase tickets, visit nolafunkfest.com. For more information about the Louisiana Heritage & Music Experience, visit lmhe.live.
About the College of Music and Media
The College of Music and Media is comprised of two schools — the School of Music and Theatre Professions and the School of Communication and Design. Students who choose to study in the college prepare for careers in music, theatre, music industry, graphic design, motion design, UX design, filmmaking, strategy, mass media and more.