ESSENCE Festival of Culture (2023)

This year’s four-day ESSENCE Festival of Culture will celebrate Hip-Hop’s legacy with new and returning experiences. From June 29th to July 3rd, 2023, festival-goers are invited to break out their Gazelle glasses, freshen up their Shell-Toes and dust off their boombox, in honor of the 50th year of Hip-Hop, both in-person in New Orleans and virtually on ESSENCE.com.

The 2023 event honors top artists and creators in Hip-Hop who have contributed to its worldwide influence. The 29th annual festival will feature new and returning daytime performances, summits, panels, and more, helmed by the world’s most inspirational artists, influencers and experts.

Attendees will receive a reminder of Hip-Hop’s unquestionable global impact on every aspect of culture–from the freshest fits to the swaggiest kicks to the hits that are lit–through daytime programming, partner activations and nightly shows.

Activities include the ESSENCE Food & Wine Festival, 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.

The evening performances at the Caesar’s Superdome will culminate with the festival’s first all-Black women in Hip-Hop headliners and legendary names forever etched in Hip-Hop’s rich history including Ms. Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott and Megan Thee Stallion. Alongside these iconic women in Hip-Hop, there will be performances by this year’s stacked line-up, including performances by Doug E. Fresh, KRS-One, Big Daddy Kane, EPMD, Slick Rick, Tems, Tobe Nwigwe, Salt-N-Pepa, Jagged Edge, Ari Lennox, Deon Cole, DJ Clark Kent, Jill Scott, Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, Gucci Mane, Monica, Coco Jones, Affion Crockett, Spice Adams, Ice Cube, DJ Quik, Ice T, Yo-Yo, and many more.