The Essence Music Festival offers festivalgoers the biggest names in jazz, R&B, pop, hip-hop and more. Notable Essence Music Festival performers include Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Toni Braxton, Beyonce, Arrested Development, LL Cool J, John Legend, Lionel Richie and Patti LaBelle. The Essence Music Festival also features New Orleans artists on its multiple stages.
Essence is "the number one media and communications company dedicated to African-American women," according to an Essence Music Festival press release. The festival offers attendees a number of free Empowerment Seminars lead by celebrities and political leaders. The seminars highlight topics important to African-American women, such as education, happiness, relationships, sex and empowerment.
The Essence Music Festival features a marketplace and art expo at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Festivalgoers can purchase original handcrafted arts and crafts "reflective of the rich cultural heritage seen throughout the African Diaspora." Attendees can meet artists and purchase paintings, photography, beadwork, dolls, fine art prints, clothing, quilts, sculpture and much more.
The Essence Music Festival started as a one-time event in 1995 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence Magazine and has since grown into the "largest annual gathering of African-American music and culture" in the United States. The Essence Music Festival celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2009, drawing a record-breaking 428,000 attendees.
Attendees to the Essence Music Festival have several options in terms of ticket purchases. Festivalgoers can purchase single day tickets or full weekend tickets. The Essence Music Festival also offers larger ticket packages, featuring perks like VIP parking, subscriptions to Essence Magazine, center stage seating and VIP access to clubs and stages, where attendees can party with performers and celebrities.