Eagles legend Don Henley quickly recognized the contrasting atmosphere during the band’s day 2 performance at the 2026 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival compared to their current Las Vegas venue.

“This is very different from the Sphere,” Henley joked, eliciting laughter and cheers from the appreciative daytime crowd in New Orleans, who enjoyed the blue skies and sunshine on Saturday (May 2) after two days of rain and muddy conditions at Jazz Fest. “We got some sunshine up in here,” Henley remarked — and unlike the high-tech Vegas venue where the Eagles have been performing since September 2024, it was genuine sunlight rather than a life-size sun displayed on massive screens behind them.

The pleasant weather complemented the relaxed vibes of the Eagles’ greatest-hits set, allowing fans to enjoy classics like “Take It Easy” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling” in the heart of the Big Easy.

In a departure from their Sphere performance, the Eagles reverted to their traditional opener, “Seven Bridges Road,” instead of the dramatic Vegas opener “Hotel California,” which concluded their final three songs of the festival. Notably absent from the setlist was “Desperado,” the title track from their 1973 album. When the band finished about 25 minutes earlier than scheduled, fans hoped for a return for the Henley ballad — but the dismantling of equipment behind them suggested otherwise.

However, fans enjoyed a solid 19 songs from the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers. “We’ve been playing these songs for you for about 53 years now, and we hope to continue to do that,” Henley expressed onstage. Most importantly, the sold-out audience basked in sunshine.

Below is the complete setlist from the Eagles’ headlining performance at the 2026 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival — their first appearance at Jazz Fest since 2012.