Star Gazing: Celebs Spotted Around Town During The 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture

The biggest and brightest stars traveled to New Orleans to experience a weekend filled with food, music, heritage, and more.

By Okla Jones · Updated July 3, 2023

The 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture returned to its home in New Orleans, and brought out hundreds of thousands of beautiful Black people from all over the world to party with a purpose, celebrate African-American heritage and the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop, and much, much, more.

This past weekend, many of the biggest names in entertainment traveled to the Crescent City for the many activations in the Convention Center, the evening concerts, and the other experiences held throughout the area. Notable figures like Oprah Winfrey, Quinta Brunson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Vice President Kamala Harris, among others, all could be seen at some point during this year’s festival.

Take a look at the many celebrities around town at The 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture.

Jessie Woo and Sherri Shepherd

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JUNE 30: (L-R) Jessie Woo and Sherri Shepherd attend the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on June 30, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Danielle Brooks, Fantasia Barrino and Taraji P. Henson

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JUNE 30: (L-R) Danielle Brooks, Fantasia Barrino and Taraji P. Henson attend the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on June 30, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Oprah Winfrey

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JUNE 30: Oprah Winfrey attends ‘From the Page to the Stage and Beyond: A Discussion of the nearly 40-Year Legacy and Impact of The Color Purple’ during the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on June 30, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Maino

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JUNE 30: Maino attends day 1 of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Caesars Superdome on June 30, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Lance Gross and Tyler Lepley

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 01: Lance Gross and Tyler Lepley pose at the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 01, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Ari Lennox

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JUNE 30: Ari Lennox attends day 1 of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Caesars Superdome on June 30, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Affion Crockett and Deon Cole

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 01: (L-R) Affion Crockett and Deon Cole pose at the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 01, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Quinta Brunson

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 01: Quinta Brunson speaks attends the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 01, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Sheryl Lee Ralph

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JUNE 30: Sheryl Lee Ralph attends day 1 of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Caesars Superdome on June 30, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

LeToya Luckett

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JUNE 30: LeToya Luckett attends day 1 of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Caesars Superdome on June 30, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

DJ D-Nice

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JUNE 30: DJ D-Nice attends day 1 of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Caesars Superdome on June 30, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Tiffany Haddish

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 01: Tiffany Haddish attends the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 01, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images FOR ESSENCE)

Jagged Edge

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JUNE 30: Jagged Edge attends day 1 of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Caesars Superdome on June 30, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Luke James

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 01: Luke James attends the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 01, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Jacob Latimore

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 01: Jacob Latimore attends the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 01, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

ESSENCE Ventures President and CEO Caroline Wanga and Rick Ross

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 01: Caroline Wanga (R) and Rick Ross speak onstage at the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 01, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Coco Jones

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 01: Coco Jones poses backstage during day 2 of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Caesars Superdome on July 01, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Kimora Lee Simmons

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 01: Kimora Lee Simmons poses backstage during day 2 of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Caesars Superdome on July 01, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

E-40

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 01: E-40 seen backstage during day 2 of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Caesars Superdome on July 01, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Ice-T and Scorpio

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 01: (L-R) Ice-T and Scorpio seen backstage during day 2 of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Caesars Superdome on July 01, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Remy Ma and Cheryl James of Salt-N-Pepa

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 02: (L-R) Remy Ma and Cheryl James of Salt-N-Pepa seen backstage during day 3 of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Caesars Superdome on July 02, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Mayor of Clevaland Justin Bibb, Mayor of New Orleans LaToya Cantrell, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Al Sharpton and Marc H. Morial

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 02: (L-R) Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Mayor of Clevaland Justin Bibb, Mayor of New Orleans LaToya Cantrell, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Al Sharpton and Marc H. Morial appear onstage during the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 02, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images FOR ESSENCE)

KJ Smith and Skyh Black

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 02: (L-R) KJ Smith and Skyh Black attend the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 02, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images FOR ESSENCE)

BIG K.R.I.T.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JUNE 30: BIG K.R.I.T. attends Netflix’s “They Cloned Tyrone” and Lemon Pepper Wet Party at The Chicory on June 30, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Peter Forest/Getty Images for Netflix)

Terrence J

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JUNE 30: Terrence J attends Netflix’s “They Cloned Tyrone” and Lemon Pepper Wet Party at The Chicory on June 30, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Peter Forest/Getty Images for Netflix)

Kim Fields

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JUNE 30: Kim Fields attends Bevelations Sirius XM and Netflix “It Gets Greater Later” at The Chicory on June 30, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Peter Forest/Getty Images for Netflix)

Tabitha Brown

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 02: Tabitha Brown seen backstage during day 3 of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Caesars Superdome on July 02, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Reginae Carter and Toya Johnson

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 02: (L-R) Reginae Carter and Toya Johnson seen backstage during day 3 of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Caesars Superdome on July 02, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

TOPICS: 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture