The Essence Festival of Culture has sizzled inside while New Orleans sizzled outside since 1995. What started as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Essence magazine is now a mainstay at the Caesar’s Superdome and Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
More than 140,000 people attended the festival the first year. It has been in New Orleans ever since – except in 2006 while the city rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina, and in 2020 when it was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“With its roots deeply entrenched in celebrating African American culture, this event captivated hearts and minds from day one,” an 2023 Essence magazine article states. “From the very first note heard through the Superdome, it was clear that something extraordinary was unfolding.”
The first artists to perform on the main stage included Aaliyah, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Boyz II Men, Earth, Wind and Fire, Gladys Knight, Patty LaBelle, Luther Vandross and Barry White. The Ohio Players, the Jimmy Smith Trio, Bobby “Blue” Bland and Angela Bofill performed in the Superlounges.
“The biggest surprise was the first year because it started off huge,” Essence Editorial Director Susan L. Taylor told the Houston Chronicle in 2006. “We never thought so many people would show up, but they did.”
From the start, Taylor incorporated free daytime empowerment seminars to give something back to the community. The Rev. Jesse Jackson and U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters participated in the first seminars.
Scheduled Thursday through Sunday, the Essence Festival has been “a rallying cry for unity, a platform for celebrating the achievements of the African American community, and a powerful showcase of talent that ignited the hearts of thousands,” Essence states. “The inaugural year … was a bold declaration that culture, music and empowerment could coalesce into something truly iconic.”