The artist list for the 2023 Essence Festival of Culture has been announced by the festival’s organizers, and the anticipation to see some of the greatest artists in the industry keeps building up.
The official Twitter account for the 28th Essence Festival tweeted over the weekend, “You won’t want to miss the heat we’re putting up this year while commemorating 50 years of Hip-Hop.”
This year, from June 30 to July 3, the festival will celebrate hip hop with headliner Ms. Lauryn Hill who is celebrating the 25th anniversary of her classic “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” Just a few weeks prior to this performance, Hill will also grace the stage at The Roots Picnic as the headliner.
Bridging the gap between the golden-era to modern times is the hotgirl herself Megan Thee Stallion who will co-headline the festival after a much deserved break.
Sticking with the theme of celebrating hip hop, the human beatbox Doug E. Fresh, along with So So Def Recording’s founder Jermaine Dupree, will grace the stage with friends.
One can’t celebrate hip hop without acknowledging the DJs that contributed to the genre, and Kid Capri, DJ Spinderella and DJ Clark Kent, three of the finest DJs in the industry, will be representing.
Though Essence is celebrating hip hop, it will still include on its lineup R&B and Afro beats staples such as artists Coco Jones, Wizkid, Monica, Deon Cole and Kizz Daniel.
Both Hill and Dupri have history with the festival. Hill performed at the festival in 1999, and last year, she made a surprise appearance during her former Fugees bandmate Wyclef Jean’s set. Dupri rocked the stage with Mariah Carey, rapper Lil Jon and others in 2019.
The four-day event invites participants to celebrate the rich legacy of hip hop across multiple entertainment stages, panels, and experiences.
The festival continued to be one of the most popular events in the United States in 2022, with 1.9 million people attending in-person or online despite the inconvenience of the pandemic. According to reports, Janet Jackson’s Saturday headlining performance at Essence in 2022 was one of the highest-grossing evenings in the festival’s entire history.
“As the nation’s largest festival by per day attendance, [the festival] continues to be a crown jewel of Black culture and plays a pivotal role in the amplification and celebration of the contributions of the Black community through business, music, and more,” said Vice President of ESSENCE Festival of Culture Hakeem Holmes.
Established in 1995 as a celebration of Essence Magazine’s 25th anniversary, the Essence Fest quickly became a pillar of New Orleans’ summer tourism season.
Throughout the years, the Essence Festival has grown to embrace much more than its original three nights of performances at Caesars’ Superdome, formerly the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and three days of seminars on empowerment at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. While music has always been the primary focus, the festival has expanded to include panels, workshops, and exhibitors.
The festival has featured some of the world’s biggest entertainers including Beyoncé, Prince, Kanye West, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and Philly’s own Jill Scott.
In addition to the opportunity to see your favorite artists and superstars, the festival has evolved into the ideal girls trip — think the hit 2017 “Girls Trip” featuring four notable Black actress — making it No. 2 on the summer’s to-do list, right after The Roots Picnic that is.
For more information about Essence Festival and what to expect at the festival, visit EssenceFestival.com. General entry packages for four days begin at $214. Single-night tickets are not yet available.