Essence Festival 2023: Lineup, tickets, where to buy, venue and more

Essence Festival, the annual festival held at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, is back, with the 2023 edition of the festival scheduled to take place from June 29 to July 2.

The organizers announced the 2023 edition of the festival, which will performances by artists such as Lauryn Hill and Megan Thee Stallion, via a post on the festival's official Instagram page:

While daytime events are free, weekend tickets are currently priced at $217 plus processing fees. Tickets can be purchased from https://www.essence.com/essencefestival2023 as well as at www.ticketmaster.com

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Lauryn Hill set to headline Essence 2023

The headliner for this year's festival lineup, which is still being announced, is singer-songwriter Lauryn Hill, who rose to prominence with her debut studio album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

Hill's album won the Album of the Year award at the 1998 Grammy Awards, the first hip-hop album to ever do so. In a statement to Thrillist, Hakeem Holmes, Vice President of Essence Festival of Culture, said the following regarding the festival's 2023 edition:

"For nearly three decades, the Essence Festival of Culture has been an international and joyful gathering that empowers community throughout the global Black diaspora."

The VP continued:

"As the nation’s largest festival by per day attendance, it 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"

The full lineup that has been announced so far for the festival's 2023 edition is listed below:

• Lauryn Hill
• Megan Thee Stallion
• Doug E Fresh
• Jermaine Dupri
• Deon Cole
• Affion Crockett & Spice Adam
• Janelle James
• DJ Clark Kent
• Kid Capri
• DJ Spinderella
• Wizkid
• Monica
• Coco Jones
• Kizz Daniel

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More about the Essence Music Festival

The festival was originally started as a one-time celebration of the Essence magazine's 25-year anniversary by Edward Lewis and George Wein, co-founders of the magazine as well as the Newport Jazz Festival.

Due to the popularity of the event, the party was turned into the annual festival it is today, with the motto "party with purpose.'' The festival aims to celebrate black women and black history through its daytime programs, which are all free and open to the public. The music concerts of the festival also celebrate female talent, with each year's lineup half consisting of female artists.

The festival, which is considered to be the largest annual African-American gathering in the USA, has become a major financial player. It contributes approximately $200 million in revenues and tourism to the economy of New Orleans, and is sponsored by corporate giants such as McDonald's, Ford, Walmart as well as this year's sponsor Coca-Cola.

Aside from its cultural and economic significance, the festival is also known for its political and philanthropic significance. With over 550,000 visitors every year, the festival has been graced by organizations such as the Innocence Project and the Greater Than AIDS campaign throughout its history.

The festival has seen prominent political figures such as Jesse Jackson, Cornel West, and Johnnie Cochran as speakers, and has also been the site of active campaigning in the lead to the presidential elections of the country.

For instance, prominent democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were among the attendees at the 2007 edition of the festival, before the 2008 presidential election, which led to Obama being elected as the president.