The schedules and highlights from the festival at Mardi Gras World Friday and Saturday.

When the Buku Music + Arts Project opens on Friday, it will be the first official festival to take place in New Orleans since the outbreak of COVID. Technically, the hybrid barbecue cook-off/Americana festival Hogs for the Cause—which returns to the UNO Lakefront Arena Grounds on April 1 and 2—came first when it took place in Belle Chasse last year, but Buku is the first pure festival to get back to business.

Evidently fans are ready since the two-day event at Mardi Gras World with headliners Tame Impala on Friday and Tyler, the Creator on Saturday is approaching a sell-out. 

This year’s festival still takes place at Mardi Gras World, but it has been reconfigured, as is obvious to anyone who drove Tchoupltioulas on Thursday. This year, Buku has created more space for the main stage by having its back face the corner of Tchoupitoulas and Henderson, moving more of the festival away from the riverfront.  

We have the daily schedules and a list of our priorities for the weekend. I expect we’ll end up seeing a lot more than this, but these are the shows we’ll work around. The schedule is subject to change.

My Spilt Milk will have a review of Tame Impala on Saturday, Tyler, the Creator on Sunday, and our last notes on Buku on Monday.

FRIDAY

100 Gecs

Skyline Stage

3:40 p.m.

Lady Lavender

Ballroom Stage

4:15 p.m.

BluShakurX  

Riverside Stage

5:15 p.m.

Trippie Redd

Skyline Stage

6:10 p.m.

Porter Robinson

Skyline Stage

8 p.m.

$uicideboy$

Bridge Stage

8:50 p.m.

Tierra Whack

Ballroom Stage

9:40 p.m.

Tame Impala

Skyline Stage

9:45 p.m.

SATURDAY

Flo Milli

Skyline Stage

4:45 p.m.

Vince Staples

Bridge Stage

5:30 p.m.

Baby Keem

Bridge Stage

7 p.m.

Glass Animals

Skyline Stage

7:50 p.m.

Kali Uchis

Bridge Stage

8:50 p.m.

NCognita

Riverside Stage

9:10 p.m.

Tyler, The Creator

Skyline Stage

9:45 p.m.