New Orleans is getting ready to receive visitors from around the world for this year's French Quarter Festival, Louisiana's largest musical gathering.

The three-day live music event begins on April 17 in the historic French Quarter and will feature more than 450 musicians in some 150 bands on 18 outdoor stages.

The award-winning festival will celebrate its 26th anniversary this year showcasing the finest music – including traditional and contemporary jazz, rhythm & blues, New Orleans funk, brass bands, folk, gospel, Latin, classical and international music – as well as food and culture that define the city's unrivalled atmosphere.

As a result, it draws locals and tourists alike with almost half a million people visiting last year, according to Owners Perspective, a timeshare industry publication.

New Orleans is one of America's most culturally diverse cities with a unique heritage where Africans, both slave and free, and American Indians intermingled with European settlers, which was encouraged by the French government, the original owner of the land.

Today, some of the most attractive destinations and events in New Orleans include the Mardi Gras parade, numerous history museums, restaurants and shops along Bourbon Street as well as the historic homes and buildings that are among America's architectural treasures.