VOODOO EXPERIENCE: TWO NEW ORLEANS TRADITIONS JOIN TOGETHER FOR HALLOWEEN WEEKEND CELEBRATION IN NEW ORLEANS’ CITY PARK

FULL LINE-UP FOR
OCTOBER 30, 31 AND NOVEMBER 1
CELEBRATION OF MUSIC AND CULTURE
TO BE CONFIRMED IN THE COMING WEEKS

This year, New Orleans residents and music fans travelling from around the world will witness history in the making as acclaimed Athens, GA band WIDESPREAD PANIC take the stage this Halloween weekend at the VOODOO EXPERIENCE, New Orleans’ signature fall music celebration.  Details re the WIDESPREAD PANIC performance will be released in the coming months, while news about the full VOODOO  EXPERIENCE (October 30, 31 and November 1) line-up is scheduled for later this month.

Much like the VOODOO EXPERIENCE, WIDESPREAD PANIC’s ties to New Orleans span more than 10 years.  Their 2000 release Another Joyous Occasion teamed the group with local favorites the Dirty Dozen Brass band. WIDESPREAD PANIC’S October 2008 New Orleans’ shows marked the band’s return to their annual Halloween tradition (1997-2002) of live shows in the city.  As the band’s John Bell told the TIMES PICAYUNE in advance of the 2008 shows:  “Suffice it to say, we're happy to get back.  We missed our city. Even though we're not native to it, New Orleans has been really good to us over the years.”

The 11th annual VOODOO EXPERIENCE will once again celebrate music, as well as New Orleans’ bohemian culture, arts and cuisine.  More than 160 bands will perform in three distinct performance areas–Le Ritual, Le Flambeau and Le Carnival–and eight stages each highlight a unique side of the personality of New Orleans.  News re this year’s line-up will be revealed in the coming weeks.  

“We have discussed the idea of bringing these two New Orleans Halloween traditions together for years, it only took us 11 years to get it done ” says VOODOO EXPERIENCE founder and producer Stephen Rehage.  “Voodoo and Panic kind of grew up together in New Orleans, endured and returned from the storm, so it’s special for us to be working together with them.”

Widespread Panic’s John Bell says, “The Voodoo Experience has been kicking ass for ten years and adding to the spell New Orleans has on the rest of the country and beyond. We're proud to be included in the tradition…Hope it's scary.”  

For a limited time, three-day weekend tickets are $123, ALL IN with no additional fees; LOA Lounge VIP pass are $396, ALL IN with no additional fees and are available via Ticketmaster.com (www.ticketmaster.com) and the www.thevoodooexperience.com.  More information about this year’s VOODOO EXPERIENCE can also be found at www.thevoodooexperience.com.  Current VOODOO EXPERIENCE partners include Miller Lite, Southern Comfort, f.y.e. (For Your Entertainment) Music Store and the Louisiana Department of Tourism.