Essence Music Festival
| Essence Music Festival | |
|---|---|
En Vogue performing on the main stage at the Essence Music Festival | |
| Genre | R&B • Soul • Funk • Gospel • Blues • Hip-Hop • Jazz • Afrobeats • Reggae • New Jack Swing |
| Dates | 4 July weekend |
| Location(s) | Caesars Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Years active | 1995–2019, 2021 (virtual)– |
| Attendance | 500,000 |
| Website | Essence.com |
The ESSENCE Festival of Culture is the largest African-American culture and music event in the US. The annual music festival started in 1995 in New Orleans, Louisiana to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence magazine. The festival features artists simultaneously performing on a main stage as well as four standing-room only stages.
In 2006 it was held in Houston, Texas, due to Hurricane Katrina's effect on New Orleans, and the 2020 festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A spinoff iteration of the festival was held in Durban, South Africa in 2016. In 2013, Solomon Group became the producer of Essence Festival, and MSNBC broadcast the event live. MSNBC returned for the 2014 festival. Much of the 2017 film Girls Trip was filmed on location during the 2016 festival, casting over 5,000 extras. In 2022 The Walt Disney Company served as the exclusive entertainment sponsor.