The 2025 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® is making its return to the Crescent City this summer, and it’s bringing with it a message stitched in legacy, rhythm, and resilience: We are Made Like This.
Taking place from Friday, July 4 to Sunday, July 6, the festival will once again transform New Orleans into the epicenter of Black culture, joy, and excellence. Anchored in the celebration of ESSENCE Magazine’s 55th anniversary, this year’s festival will be both a time capsule and a forward-looking celebration — honoring the legacy that began on the page and now lives boldly on the stage.
Set against the backdrop of the Caesars Superdome and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, this year’s lineup is stacked with living legends and new-school game changers. Attendees can expect performances from Boyz II Men, Davido, Master P, Maxwell, GloRilla, The Isley Brothers, Buju Banton, Donell Jones, Nas, Muni Long, and Summer Walker, among others. One of the weekend’s most anticipated moments includes a musical tribute to the incomparable Quincy Jones, curated by super-producer Jermaine Dupri, titled ESSENCE Flowers.
Hosting the Superdome stage are two familiar voices in Black entertainment: actor and comedian Anthony Anderson and cultural tastemaker Kenny Burns. Their presence will help guide the weekend’s crescendo of sound, soul, and storytelling.
But the magic doesn’t only happen under the bright lights. ESSENCE Festival by day is a rich cultural experience that invites attendees to engage in community, conversation, and curated discovery. This year’s offerings include returning favorites and brand-new experiences: ESSENCE Food & Wine Festival™, BEAUTYCON™ @ ESSENCEFEST Edition, AFROPUNK BLKTOPIA™, the ESSENCE Film Festival® by ESSENCE STUDIOS™, ESSENCE Authors™, SOKO MRKT™, GBEF® HQ, and the ESSENCE® GU® Kickback.
One full-circle moment will be Master P’s return to the ESSENCE stage in his hometown. A pioneer who turned No Limit Records into a model for independence and hustle, his performance nods to the city that raised him and the genre he helped globalize.
Meanwhile, GloRilla and Buju Banton are slated to make their ESSENCE Festival debuts, which is by design: to embrace the multi-generational spectrum of Black music.
With over three decades of cultural impact, the ESSENCE Festival has grown into the largest celebration of Black culture and music in the U.S., driving nearly $1 billion in economic impact and anchoring itself as a space where heritage and innovation intersect.
The festival’s theme — Made Like This — serves as both an affirmation and a rallying cry. It speaks to the generations of Black brilliance that have shaped the world and continue to move it forward.
Weekend packages for the 2025 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® are now available, and attendees are encouraged to download the E360 app for exclusive offers, real-time updates, and customized schedules.
This summer, the world is once again invited to meet ESSENCE where it all began: in New Orleans. This is a movement. This is culture. This is Made Like This.
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