Essence Fest 2023: What To Know Before You Go

Photo credit: Essence Fest / New Orleans.com

The 2023 Essence Festival of Culture is once again happening in New Orleans this summer. The annual event is typically held around the Fourth of July weekend, so you can expect a lot of fireworks, if you know what I mean.

Read our review of the 2023 Essence Fest.

Attendees can find festival information, sign up for updates, and purchase weekend packages or single-day tickets at Essencefestival.com. You can also experience the festival virtually on Essence.com.

Essence Fest: What To Know This Year

The 2023 Essence Festival of Culture presented by Coca-Cola will present three days of parties, panels, concerts and more all based around and at the New Orleans’ Caesar’s Superdome.

The event will wrap its evening concert series with a night-by-night line-up of musicians, performers, and Hip-Hop and R&B legends.

This year’s festival marks our first-ever, all-Black women in Hip-Hop headliner line-up of Ms. Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott and Megan Thee Stallion, which has been previously announced. Here’s what to expect each day of Essence Fest in New Orleans:

Friday, June 30

Ms. Lauryn Hill will headline and take music-lovers back 25 years, when the iconic 5x Grammy-winning The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill album dropped, with a very special performance to celebrate its milestone anniversary.

Attendees can also expect to see highly anticipated performances from some of the pioneers of Hip-Hop curated by Doug E. Fresh including Big Daddy Kane, EPMD, KRS-One and Slick Rick. In addition, hitting the stage that night will be performances from Tems, Tobe Nwigwe, Jagged Edge and Ari Lennox, hosted by Deon Cole and musical sounds by DJ Clark Kent.

Saturday, July 1

On Saturday, will be sure to show attendees how to ‘work it’ as the first female in Hip-Hop to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Missy Elliott, graces the center stage for a can’t-miss performance! From Philadelphia to the French Quarter, an injection of Philly Soul will pierce through this year’s festival, when the one and only Jill Scott rocks the mic, to bring some Brotherly…and Sisterly Love.

West Coast All-Stars Ice Cube, DJ Quik, Ice T, Yo-Yo, Lady of Rage, J.J. Fad and E-40, will remind, and show, the city of New Orleans that California knows how to party. Jermaine Dupri will curate a special “The South Got Something to Say” performance highlighting some of the biggest Hip-Hop artists from the ATL with Ludacris, T.I., Gucci Mane, Lil Jon and Big Boi.

The second night in the concert series will also include R&B hits from Monica and Coco Jones, hosted by Affion Crockett & Spice Adams, with DJ Kid Capri on the Wheels of Steel.

Sunday, July 2

To close out the festival’s evening concert series on Sunday, July 2nd, 3x Grammy Award-winning artist Megan Thee Stallion, will hit the stage and get attendees in the right mood for a ‘hot girl summer’!

Radio icon Angie Martinez is bringing a golden celebration of the women who changed the face of Hip-Hop and influenced culture with a curation of performances by Eve, Salt-N-Pepa, Remy Ma, Trina and New Orleans’ own Mia X. Afrobeats hitmaker and Grammy-award winning artist Wizkid will join the closing night along with R&B songstress Muni Long and Nigerian singer-songwriter Kizz Daniel, hosted by Abbott Elementary breakout star Janelle James with throwback jams and remixes, to keep the party going from DJ Spinderella.

Also on the schedule of events, is celebrity stylist Johnny Wright with an announcement.

Where To Stay For Essence Fest

New Orleans hotels are quickly filling up for Essence Fest. If you’re looking to book in New Orleans, here are some rates we’re seeing two weeks from the event:

Final Word

As one of the top festivals in the city, Essence Fest always draws thousand of people to New Orleans, which helps the local economy.

The city draws more than 130 events a year, according to its Chamber of Commerce. Many of these events are conventions, but a good number are festivals as well.

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Keisha Smith

Keisha Smith is a Contributing Writer who attended college at Southern University A&M College in Baton Rouge. She is currently writing a book on south Louisiana culture.