Essence Festival of Culture 2023 kicks off in New Orleans

By CHEVEL JOHNSON RODRIGUE
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The 29th annual Essence Festival of Culture is revving up in New Orleans. Most of the free workshops and celebrity meet-and-greets at the festival, which opens Thursday, will be inside the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. A few blocks away, the Superdome will host nightly ticketed performances. Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott and Megan Thee Stallion are the headliners as the festival commemorates 50 years of hip-hop. The festival’s newly appointed vice president, Hakeem Holmes, says it’s the first time that three black women emcees are headlining the event. The festival’s lineup used to be heavily shaped by mostly R&B artists.