Now that the 2025 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® has wrapped, and we have all taken a deep breath, read the posts and comments, and had time to digest the magnitude of the weekend, we want to make sure that this is written with intentionality and the respect that our communities deserve. We know that this letter is long (just like our concerts), but we have a lot to share.
We engaged in the local community, walked every inch of the Convention Center, and had conversations in every corner of the Superdome before, during, and after the amazing performances. This is what we heard: “we love ESSENCE, and we want Essence to be better.” And so do we!
HOW WE INVEST AND IMPACTHOW WE INVEST AND IMPACT
For 31 years and counting, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture® continues to be the center of Black culture’s summer calendar—and in 2025, we reminded the world exactly why. What started as a one-time birthday celebration of the 25th anniversary of ESSENCE magazine is now a global phenomenon: a movement, a marketplace, and a multi-generational cultural institution rooted in purpose, powered by our people, and pulsing with Black joy. Our vision is to do this for the next 100 years.
Made Like This isn’t just a tagline—it’s our cultural affirmation and a declaration. The ESSENCE Festival of Culture® is one of the most dynamic gatherings in our history, this year boasting more than 300 panels, yielding 21,000+ minutes of free programming with over 400 artists, speakers, and cultural leaders taking to our stages, reflecting the breadth and depth of Black creativity and thought leadership. Across our footprint, 1,000+ founders activated in our business hubs—contributed, connected, and claimed space in the future of culture and commerce. Behind the scenes, hours upon hours were spent building immersive experiences at the Convention Center, at the Superdome, and throughout the New Orleans community—transforming them into hubs that inspire, engage, and empower.
Amidst a boycott, the energy pulsed through the Convention Center, where we served more than 50,000 guests each day who came to connect with their community, shop Black businesses, learn from each other, and build lasting bonds. ESSENCE transforms New Orleans into a stage of Black excellence—for families, artists, entrepreneurs, chefs, scholars, change-makers and dreamers. And at the Superdome, our ticket sales were as expected given that we were facing the boycott, nonetheless, we were packed every night, and the energy was NEXT LEVEL.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Representative Jasmine Crockett, and Governor Wes Moore, each spoke to standing room only crowds at their respective sessions. The Essence Authors experience included over 100 Black authors and storytellers like Jayne Kennedy, Monique Rodriguez, Luvvie Ajayi Jones, Kennedy Ryan, KevOnStage, A’Lelia Bundles, Daniel Black, Tiffany D. Jackson and James Beard award winning authors Toni Tipton-Martin, Chef Nina Compton and Osayi Endolyn. SOKO MRKT delivered on our commitment to community commerce and wealth creation with 200+ Black-owned brands and restaurants—from pralines, beignets,custom hats, and handmade jewelry to homemade fragrances—many experiencing their largest sales weekend of the year. In New Voices Village, a total of 913 entrepreneurs networked with potential investors, participated in live workshops and sessions and pitched their brands to consumers and multiple national retailers. Founders competed in the 7th annual $150,000 New Voices Power Pitch competition on the Global Black Economic Forum (GBEF) stage and participated in more than 135 hours of free entrepreneurship training and development learning programs. Across three days, the New Voices Village and Entrepreneur Hub hosted 23 hours of curated programming and activations—including the Maker’s Studio, Founder’s Pop Ups, Learning Lab Live, Health Innovators Hub, Creator’s Corner, and Office Hours—all designed to provide hands-on support, visibility, and resources to emerging entrepreneurs.
At ESSENCE Festival of Culture®, generations connect, learn, and grow together. Elders are uplifted, young creatives are inspired, and community thrives at every turn. Every year, we and our partners intentionally focus on the local community. This year we provided 10,000 pounds of food and packed meals along with personal care and beauty products for local families through local organizations whose funding had been cut. We facilitated breast cancer screenings, heart health checkups, financial literacy programs and youth basketball clinics. We hosted local creators at Creator House and our Indaba Dinner. We poured in, to uplift.
And the Superdome? Yes, the sound, yes, the lateness, yes, the temperature in the dome, but that lineup though?! This year’s lineup was one of the most iconic in Festival history. Lauryn Hill, Maxwell, Babyface, Isley Brothers, GloRilla, Coco Jones, Lucky Daye, Ari Lennox and Psyrin. Jill Scott, Patti LaBelle, Jazmine Sullivan, Davido, Erykah Badu, Buju Banton, Donell Jones, Moliy, Alex Isley and Leon Thomas. Boyz II Men, Master P, and Nas. Jermaine Dupri took us through the legacy of Quincy Jones and surprised us with LL COOL J, A Waiting to Exhale Tribute featuring Deborah Cox, Yolanda Adams, Andra Day, Keke Palmer, India Shawn, Tamar Braxton, Brittney Spencer, Chanté Moore curated by Adam Blackstone, Doug E. Dresh, Muni Long, Honey Bxby, and Stephanie Mills. Sets by DJ Ari, DJ Drama and DJ Clue. Hosts Kenny Burns, Anthony Anderson, Lala Milan, Jordan Chiles and Terrence J. It gave us joy, nostalgia, surprises and power—all showcasing every genre, every generation, because WE are Made Like This.
ESSENCE Festival is no longer just a single day music event—it’s a multi-day, multi-dimensional, multi-generational platform for creativity, commerce, connection, and community. It draws people from around the globe. It hires more than 2,000 people—most of them local to Louisiana. It supports hundreds of small businesses in and outside of Louisiana. It celebrates US in every form we are…And it matters more than ever in this current landscape—as Black-owned businesses and communities remain under attack both from the outside and unfortunately from within…we remain committed!
WHAT WE HEARD:
Yes, there were challenges. We hear your concerns about sound, timing, and temperature in the Superdome. We will address the issues that can be expected with events of this size and scale—and we will continue to drive the improvements you deserve. Our production teams and vendors are taking decisive action to ensure those improvements as we move forward.
We understand that the loudness of the conversation is driven by love for ESSENCE. We appreciate it and we receive it. You want tighter production and consistent sound quality. WE GOT YOU. You want earlier lineup announcements. WE GOT YOU. You want fewer performances, so the shows do not go too late. WE GOT YOU. #weloveus
Some of the conversations around attendance are based on false assumptions. The truth? Our foot traffic met expectations. At the Convention Center, we intentionally reconfigured the layout and added over 100,000 square ft of additional space to create wider aisles, clearer flow, prioritizing safety, accessibility for elders, families, and those with mobility needs. That wasn’t a misstep. It was thoughtful. It was necessary. It was for you.
Some say, “ESSENCE doesn’t feel like it used to.” We understand that sentiment—and we don’t dismiss it. But the truth is we are focused on ensuring that ESSENCE remains relevant into the next century. This Festival was never meant to stay the same. ESSENCE Festival of Culture® is a living legacy. Like anything with deep roots and wide reach, it must evolve. That doesn’t mean letting go of what made it sacred—it means honoring the past while building for the future. For example, just this month we honored past and present editors of ESSENCE Magazine in our 55 anniversary kickoff issue. Change isn’t always comfortable. But evolution is essential.
WHAT WE STAND FOR
ESSENCE is committed to being a powerful economic engine for Black-owned businesses, artists, and creators—many of whom rely on this weekend as their most significant business opportunity of the year. That mission has never wavered. Through initiatives like the ESSENCE Community Commerce Collective, the continued evolution of The Pipeline program, and intentional partnerships with local vendors, entrepreneurs, and talent, we remain deeply invested in the people and infrastructure that sustain culture, drive innovation, and deliver meaningful impact. We exist to cultivate joy, possibility, and progress for our community—and that has always been, and remains, our north star.
ESSENCE is listening. ESSENCE is evolving. ESSENCE is building—not for headlines or likes, but for lasting impact.
To those who joined us: thank you.
To those who challenged us: thank you.
To those who believe in ESSENCE: thank you.
#WeLoveUs