Essence Music Festival

Essence Music Festival
En Vogue performing on the main stage at the Essence Music Festival
Genre	R&B • Soul • Funk • Gospel • Blues • Hip-Hop • Jazz • Reggae
Dates	4 July weekend
Location(s)	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana
Years active	1994 - present
Attendance	500'000
Website
Essence.com

The Essence Music Festival, known as "the party with a purpose", is an annual music festival which started in 1994 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence, a magazine aimed primarily towards African-American women. It is the largest event celebrating African-American culture and music in the United States. Locally referred to as the Essence Fest, it has been held in New Orleans, Louisiana every year since 1994 except for 2006, when it was held in Houston, Texas due to Hurricane Katrina. It also held in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal in 2016. It features artists simultaneously performing on a main stage as well as four standing-room only superlounge stages.

In 2008, for the first time since its 1994 inception, the festival was not produced by the original producer team. Instead, Essence Communications, owner of the festival and the Essence magazine, contracted Rehage Entertainment Inc.. A new main stage facelift was designed by production designer Stefan Beese. Beginning in 2013, Solomon Group became the Producer of Essence Festival.

In 2013 MSNBC broadcast live from the Essence Festival. MSNBC returned for the 2014 festival.

Erykah Badu - Destiny's Child - Joe Lewis Thomas - Yolanda Adams - Carl Thomas - Angie Stone - Tower of Power - Solomon Burke - Patti LaBelle - Jill Scott - Eric Benét - The O'Jays - Bilal - The Dells - Clarence Carter - Patti Austin - Zion Golan - Irma Thomas - Maze featuring Frankie Beverly - Teena Marie - Steve Harvey - Kelly Price - The Whispers - The Roots - Jeffrey Osborne - Steel Pulse - Brenda Russell - Rebirth Brass Band - Vintage - Donald Harrison