The 2025 Essence Festival of Culture takes over the Caesars Superdome, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and other venues this weekend with some things old and some things new.
The 31st edition of what started in 1995 as a one-off celebration of Essence Magazine’s 25th anniversary has matured into a multipronged celebration of Black music and culture.
As new owners and leaders of Essence have come and gone, the festival has shifted its perspective on music. In its first two decades, R&B was the festival’s bread-and-butter, with old-school artists augmented by more contemporary acts. Hip-hop was largely ignored…