Kick Off Your Summer With Essence Festival in New Orleans
Summer has arrived, and now is the time to embark on exciting adventures with family and friends. There is no better way to kick off your summer than with ESSENCE Festival this July in New Orleans. This massive event features a host of famous musical performers, guest speakers, delectable local cuisine, fashion, beauty, and much more. Between four days, multiple stages, and a multitude of great musical artists, there is an incredible lineup of chart toppers, influencers, celebrity wellness experts, and world-famous personalities.
ESSENCE will be held over the Independence Day weekend (July 4-7) mostly at the two New Orleans venues: the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for the evening performances and the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center for the daytime activities. Some of the daytime events including the conferences and the exhibits will also be held at the Contemporary Arts Center. New this year, the Wellness House experience will be held in the Arts District downtown at the Lighthouse Glass Gallery (743 Camp St.).
You can get your tickets a la carte (for the evening concerts at the Superdome and for the ESSENCE After Dark) or in bundled day and VIP packages, online. The headliners sell out fast, so don’t wait till the last minute! All the events held at the Convention Center during the day are free and open to all (registration is required for everyone over 18).
Photo courtesy of Essence Festival on Facebook
A Music Lover’s Dream
Music fans from all over simply can’t go wrong with all the incredible names in this year’s lineup. You will have the chance to see live performances from renowned musical artists like Brandy, Missy Elliott, Mary J. Blige, Nas, New Orleans’ own Big Freedia, Pharrell Williams, Timbaland, and many more. The traditional Sunday Gospel Celebration at the Convention center will feature the greatest gospel hits, and ESSENCE After Dark, a series of late-night jam sessions, comedy shows, underground performances, live podcast recordings, and more, is returning to the Superdome.
ESSENCE is Much More Than Music
Besides the stellar music lineup, the festival is jam-packed with conferences, keynote events, and other experiences. One of the highlights of this year’s keynote events is the chance to see Michelle Obama on the Superdome mainstage on Saturday, July 6. A slew of exciting conferences, exhibitions, roundtables, and other experiences is also scheduled, including a series of keynotes with Rev. Al Sharpton, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell, and Pharrell Williams. The Beauty Carnival and Wellness House experiences will feature celebrity beauty influencers and wellness experts, and the popular ESSENCE Eats will once again have cooking demos and the food court with the vendors from all over the South offering a wide range of classic New Orleans food, world cuisine, vegan and vegetarian fare, desserts, and beyond.
Stay Close to All of the ESSENCE Action
Don’t wait — grab your tickets to ESSENCE Festival and then book your stay nearby at the Prince Conti Hotel. Located in the heart of the French Quarter, it’s minutes away from many popular New Orleans bars, restaurants, landmarks, and destinations — including the Superdome and the Convention Center. This elegant hotel is a nice calming change of scenery from the bustling city that awaits outside, offering the old-world New Orleans charm along with all the modern-day amenities.