Eagles, Tom Petty to Perform at 2012 Jazz Fest

The Eagles, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, the Foo Fighters and John Mayer are among the headliners to perform at next year's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

It will be the first year the Eagles and Tom Petty play Jazz Fest, the outdoor music event that features hundreds of Louisiana artists in such genres as jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues, Cajun and zydeco. The festival is accented by national acts that in 2012 will include the Zac Brown Band, Herbie Hancock, My Morning Jacket, Bonnie Raitt, Al Green, Jill Scott and Florence & the Machine.

In all, hundreds of acts will perform on roughly a dozen stages over two weekends from April 27 through May 6. Roughly 85 percent of the lineup is from Louisiana, including New Orleans soul singer Irma Thomas, singer-pianist Allen Toussaint and jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain.

"This festival really offers the best of both worlds," said Quint Davis, the festival's producer. "The heart and soul of the festival is all the Louisiana artists, but added to that is the very best of all these other genres."

Next year's Jazz Fest will include a 50th anniversary celebration of Preservation Hall, the French Quarter venue founded in 1961 to protect and honor New Orleans jazz. It's also home to the world-renowned Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The celebration will include a concert the second weekend of the festival, Davis said. Performers for the event will be released next year, he said.

Tickets for the 2012 festival go on sale Wednesday.