ESSENCE Festival of Culture celebrated Black excellence through music, entrepreneurship, and community—while responding to calls for growth.

From the Superdome to the Convention Center, the stars aligned in the Crescent City for a weekend of unforgettable Black excellence.

Hotel bookings declined during the 2025 Essence Festival, signaling potential challenges for New Orleans’ tourism economy.

Hotel and short-term rental bookings during this year’s four-day Essence Festival of Culture, held over the July 4th weekend, ...

Lauryn Hill and Stephanie Mills are slamming the narratives surrounding their performance delays during Essence Festival.

But those are minor quibbles, at least for me. While most folks probably don’t get to go to quite as many concerts as a music writer, I’d argue that the entire point of Essence Festival is not ...

Lauryn Hill performed in the wee hours at the Caesars Superdome during the 2025 Essence Festival of Culture. When Ms.

Stephanie Mills slams 2025 Essence Festival for technical and logistical issues that negatively impacted her performance in ...

Lauryn Hill is finding peace of mind in speaking her truth. The singer, 50, is opening up about her Saturday set at the 2025 Essence Festival of Culture at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Despite ...