The Eagles made a rare return to a non-Sphere stage on Saturday night when they played the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, but the show did not unfold exactly as planned. It was their first non-Sphere performance since 2024, and Don Henley acknowledged the contrast early on by noting how different the setting felt from Las Vegas. The outdoor festival show also came with a different kind of atmosphere and a setlist that diverged from the band’s recent Sphere run.
One of the biggest changes came right away, with the Eagles opening the performance with “Seven Bridges Road” instead of “Hotel California,” which had been their usual opener at the Sphere. “Hotel California” still made the set, but later in the night and as part of the closing stretch. The band also worked in the familiar mix of Eagles classics and solo material that fans have come to expect, including Joe Walsh’s “Life’s Been Good” and Henley’s “The Boys of Summer.” Other songs included “Take It Easy,” “Life in the Fast Lane,” “Witchy Woman,” and “Heartache Tonight.”
The surprise omission was “Desperado,” which the band did not play in New Orleans. According to the report, that marked the first time in decades that the Eagles had left the song out of a performance. The set also ended about 20 minutes before their full allotted time, which left some fans puzzled in the crowd.
NOLA.com reported that the early finish was tied to a health issue involving one of the band members. The report said the Eagles’ piano player experienced a medical episode in the latter part of the show and could not continue, which also explained why the piano-heavy “Desperado” had to be skipped.
The set still packed in 19 songs before the abrupt change in plans. The full New Orleans setlist was: “Seven Bridges Road,” “Take It Easy,” “One of These Nights,” “Lyin’ Eyes,” “Take It to the Limit,” “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” “Witchy Woman,” “Tequila Sunrise,” “In the City,” “I Can’t Tell You Why,” “New Kid in Town,” “Already Gone,” “Life’s Been Good,” “Funk #49,” “Life in the Fast Lane,” “The Boys of Summer,” “Hotel California,” “Rocky Mountain Way,” and “Heartache Tonight.” The band’s next scheduled concert was listed for May 5 in Atlanta.
