While the event is technically called the Essence Festival of Culture, one of its biggest draws is the nightly concert featuring some of the biggest names in Black music. But at the 2025 Essence Fest ...

The Essence Festival of Culture is a four-day celebration of Black culture that combines live entertainment with education, entrepreneurship, wellness, beauty, food, fashion, and meaningful ...

Tens of thousands of people are expected to flock to New Orleans this weekend to bask in the glory of Black excellence. The crowd — mostly women — will hear Michelle Obama speak and watch performances ...

This story was originally published in ESSENCE’s special 55th anniversary July/August 2025 issue, on stands now. When ESSENCE magazine’s inaugural issue was released in May of 1970, it stood alone in ...

The 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture, staged in New Orleans from July 3‑5, turned the city’s historic venues into a living archive of Black women’s musical influence. Drawing more than 500,000 ...