Essence Music Festival
THE 31ST ANNUAL ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL 2026 RETURNS
Where: New Orleans, Louisiana
When: July 3-5, 2026
It’s official: The ESSENCE Festival of Culture is returning live in New Orleans!
. The festival will take place from July 3 to July 5, 2026, at the Caesars Superdome and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
2026 First Wave Lineup
The following artists are confirmed for the Evening Concert Series:
More performers and special guests will be revealed in curated waves leading up to the July event.
Festival Details
Dates: Friday, July 3 – Sunday, July 5, 2026.
Locations:
Daytime: Free experiences (panels, workshops, and marketplace) at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
Daytime Programming: Includes the ESSENCE Food & Wine Festival, Beautycon: Essence Edition, ESSENCE Authors, and the ESSENCE Film Festival. Tickets: Three-day ticket packages are currently on sale via Ticketmaster. BELOW
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CHECK OUT WHAT HAPPENED IN PREVIOUS YEARS
The unparalleled live experience will include almost one million square feet of space for empowerment programming (networking, finance, career, wellness, fashion, beauty and more) at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, nightly concerts at Caesar’s Superdome and other entertaining and inspirational activations in venues across the city.
Regularly convening more than 530,000 people annually over July 4th weekend in New Orleans, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture is now also the nation’s largest festival by per day attendance.
What Is The African American Music Festival?
The Essence Music Festival has been voted as the largest African American Family Festival and Empowerment Conference in the world. Over 400,000 participants make the annual trek to New Orleans for 3 days full of fun, food, festivities, entertainment, music and more.
The three-day multi generational extravaganza offers free Empowerment Seminars during the day, and exciting performances at night where Festival goers dance and sing along with the biggest names in entertainment.
Known as "the party with a purpose," is the nation’s largest annual urban event and gathering of musical talent in the world.
What Are The Exact Dates And Location For The Event
July 3 - 5 2026
What happens At The Event And What Does It Offer?
This event offers fabulous musical performances and soul-stirring seminars on three sensational days and nights in New Orleans.. One million fans can't be wrong! Be there for the biggest days and nights of the summer! The Festival has become a destination of choice for families and friends as they schedule their reunions.
This multi-generational festival offers spiritual and financial Empowerment Seminars during the day, which are free, and exciting performances at night where festival goers can dance and sing along with the biggest names in entertainment-rhythm and blues, classic soul, hip-hop, neo-soul and jazz-all on five stages
The events all take place in New Orleans, Louisiana. Hotel rooms are going fast so please make a reservation
What type of activities happen during the Music Festivals?
There are plenty of things to get into during the event. Not only are there 4 days of performances from the hottest artist and empowerment Seminars will feature an amazing lineup of renowned speakers, authors and national leaders.
The Convention Center is also home to the Essence Marketplace. In the Marketplace, artists from throughout the country offer an array of quality arts and crafts that reflect culture.
There will also be a delectable offering of the city’s famous cuisine, along with sponsor activities, festival souvenirs and a book fair with author book signings.
Who Is Performing At This Year's Festival?
TBA
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CAN I GET A LIST OF HOTELS FOR THE NEW ORLEANS ESSENCE FESTIVAL?
JW Marriot Hotel A popular, central choice on Canal Street.
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