The line-up and schedule for the 33rd annual New Orleans French Quarter Festival has been released. Attracting up to 750,000 visitors in recent years, this celebration of Louisiana music and culture offers high quality entertainment provided by over 1700 performers across twenty-three stages.

Opening on Thursday 7 April, with a parade from Bourbon Street to Jackson Square, the four-day festival also includes literary presentations, a film festival and plenty of activities, such as dancing lessons - definitely necessary to get those feet-a-tapping, and a Battle of the Bands competition.

Thursday's highlights include, at least, Deacon John opening the Abita Beer Stage, and there's a tough choice to be made between Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band on the Chevron Cajun / Zydeco Stage or the Hot 8 Brass band on Popeyes Brass Band Jam with Offbeat Stage. Or maybe see a bit of both? And then there's some more...with the Tribute to Toussaint after-party hosted by the world-famous New Orleans House of Blues, with proceeds from the event going to non-profit organisation, 'New Orleans Artists Against Hunger and Homelessness'.

Saturday headliners include Flow Tribe on the GE Digital Big River Stage, and jazz, Gospel and R&B singer Lillian Boutte and Gumbo Zaire on the Smokefree NOLA Jackson Square Stage.

Sunday sees Stax hit "Mr Big Stuff" singer Jean Knight and Buckwheat Zydeco, with his big accordion, both make their French Quarter debuts on the Abita Beer Stage. headliners include Corey Henry's Treme Funktet on the GE Digital Big River Stage, and Roddie Romero and the Hub City All-Starts, before the House of Blues brings the 2016 festival to a close with the Cedric Burnside Project on their Voodoo Garden Stage.

Check out the free French Quarter Festival iPhone / Android app for a full schedule and information about stages and performers, or take a peek at www.fqfi.org.