Listing by Setline, not by the festival. Check the festival's own website for anything official.
About the festival
The Essence Festival of Culture is the largest celebration of Black music and culture in the US, held in New Orleans over the July 4th weekend. Evening concerts fill the Caesars Superdome while free daytime programming runs at the convention center.
42artists
3stages
500,000attendees
Lineup
42 artists
BB
Big Boi
B&
Brandy & MonicaR&BBrandy and Monica are R&B singers who joined forces for "The Boy Is Mine," a 1998 hit that dramatized their rivalry over a love interest. The song topped charts worldwide and became one of the defining R&B duets of the era, later followed by a 2020 reunion track.
DM
DJ Mars
JK
Joe Kay & Soulection (DJ set)Future SoulJoe Kay is the founder of Soulection, a Los Angeles-based record label, radio show, and DJ collective known for blending soul, hip-hop, R&B, and electronic music. As a DJ, he curates eclectic, genre-blending sets showcasing Soulection's signature future-soul sound.
LM
Lil' Mo
Getting there
Where it happens
LocationNew Orleans, LA, United States
DatesJul 3, 2026 - Jul 5, 2026
