Essence Fest releases nightly concert lineup, single-day tickets

NEW ORLEANS (NOLA WEEKEND) - Organizers for the 2023 Essence Fest announced the nightly lineup for the evening concert series at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans from June 30 to July 3.

Essence Fest released the schedule Thursday via Twitter.

Hip-hop takes center stage at this year’s Essence Festival of Culture as the event commemorates the 50th anniversary of the genre. This year’s lineup also marks the first to feature all Black women in hip-hop as headliners -- Ms. Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott and Megan Thee Stallion.

Ms. Lauryn Hill will headline Friday night with a special performance celebrating the 25th anniversary of “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” album.

Friday night’s lineup also includes a 50th anniversary of hip-hop curation by Doug E. Fresh featuring hip-hop pioneers Big Daddy Kane, EPMD, KRS-One and Slick Rick. Other acts scheduled to perform on Friday include Ari Lennox, Jagged Edge, Tems and Tobe Nwigwe.

Missy ‘Misdemeanor’ Elliott headlines Saturday night, with a special performance by Jill Scott.

Jermaine Dupri will also curate a hip-hop tribute featuring notable rappers from the south: Big Boi, Gucci Mane, Lil Jon, Ludacris and T.I. Saturday night’s concert also include a lineup of West Coast all-star rappers Ice Cube, DJ Quik, E-40, Ice-T, JJ Fad, Lady of Rage and Yo-Yo. Coco Jones and Monica are also expected to perform on Saturday night.

Megan Thee Stallion will headline Sunday night, with Wizkid as a special guest. Angie Martinez heads up a tribute to 50 years of women in hip-hop that includes Eve, Mia X, Remy Ma, Salt-N-Pepa and Trina. Kizz Daniel and Muni Long also perform on Sunday.

The event allows attendees to embark on a celebration of hip-hop’s rich history across several entertainment stages, panels, and experiences.

Essence Fest also announced single-day ticket sales. For more info, visit the website.

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