Essence has announced a portion of the upcoming lineup for this summer’s ESSENCE Festival of Culture, which will take place from July 4 to July 6. This year’s theme is “Made Like This.”
Along with the annual culmination of Black culture in New Orleans, the magazine’s 55th anniversary will be celebrated. The publication released the “first wave of the lineup” of artists appearing at the festival on its social media account.
“The 2025 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® is back in New Orleans July 4 to 6th (but you already knew that.) Back to the matter at hand: The first wave of the lineup is here.
“Boyz II Men. Davido. Maxwell. Master P. GloRilla. The Isley Brothers. Nas. Summer Walker. Jermaine Dupri presents an “ESSENCE Flowers” tribute to Quincy Jones. And that’s just the beginning. You know we love a surprise.”
“This year, we’re celebrating 55 years of ESSENCE Magazine. From the page to the stage, ESSENCE Fest is the place that brings our mission and stories to life.”

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The event will be held at the Caesars Superdome and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Law & Order actor Anthony Anderson and cultural tastemaker Kenny Burns will host the Superdome stage this year. Along with the artists listed above, you can expect to see Buju Banton, Donell Jones, and Muni Long, among others. Announcements will be made in the future regarding other acts and activities for this year’s gathering.
Outside of the performances and expected celebrity sightings, attendees can expect to engage in “community, conversation, and curated discovery.” Branded functions include: ESSENCE Food & Wine Festival @ ESSENCEFEST Edition, AFROPUNK BLKTOPIA, ESSENCE Authors, GBEF® HQ, and the ESSENCE® GU® Kickback.
Tickets can be purchased on the Ticketmaster website. For information about the Essence Festival of Culture can be accessed here.
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