The 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture™, sponsored by Coca-Cola®, is returning to New Orleans for its 29th year to celebrate 50 years of hip-hop. This four-day event, starting on June 29th, will showcase how hip-hop has influenced global culture through daytime programming and nightly shows, both in-person and virtual.
The live evening performances, a hallmark of the ESSENCE Festival of Culture™, will feature renowned hip-hop artists from the last 50 years, including headliners Ms. Lauryn Hill, who will give a special performance of her 5-time Grammy-winning album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” in honor of its 25th anniversary, and 3-time Grammy Award-winning artist Megan Thee Stallion. Doug E. Fresh will curate a special performance of hip-hop pioneers, and Jermaine Dupri, Grammy award-winning super-producer and label founder, will deliver a special performance with some of the biggest names in hip-hop from Atlanta. Other artists on the 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ stage include Wizkid, Monica, Coco Jones, and Kizz Daniel. The evening hosts Deon Cole, Affion Crockett, Spice Adams, and Janelle James, as well as DJs Spinderella, Kid Capri, and Clark Kent, will provide entertainment every night. Additional talent and experiences will be announced soon.
The ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ is more than just the music; it celebrates hip-hop’s rich history across stages and experiences, continuing ESSENCE’s commitment to creating opportunities that economically benefit and contribute to local Black-owned businesses.
Hakeem Holmes, the newly appointed Vice President of ESSENCE Festival of Culture™, stated, “As we gear up to celebrate the ’50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop,’ we couldn’t think of a better way to honor the contributions the genre has made on global culture and the impressions that these artists and their deep musical catalogs, which we all know so well, have been ingrained into the fibers of our day to day lives.”
Last year, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ saw its highest revenue and largest audience in history with 1.9 million live and virtual attendees. The 2023 Festival is excited to bring back new and returning activations steeped in hip-hop culture, including nightly concerts at the Superdome, ESSENCE Food & Wine Festival, Beautycon: ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ Edition, AFROPUNK: ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ Edition, ESSENCE Center Stage, ESSENCE Marketplace, New Voices Village, Community Corner, ESSENCE Authors, Global Black Economic Forum and Village, Girl’s United House, ESSENCE Family Day: The Block, and more. Coca-Cola® and major partners, AT&T, L’Oréal, McDonald’s USA, and Target Corporation are presenting the 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture™.
Consumers can purchase tickets and find festival information and updates at www.ESSENCEFestival.com. Join the conversation on social media @ESSENCEFest, or experience the festival virtually on ESSENCE.com.
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