ESSENCE Festival of Culture Announces 2026 Evening Concert Series Lineup

The 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture presented by Coca-Cola has expanded its Evening Concert Series lineup. Newly announced performers include Babyface and Leon Thomas.

The annual festival returns to the legendary Caesars Superdome with a lineup spanning hip-hop, R&B, soul, and funk. Organizers say the concert series will feature artists from multiple generations.

Previously announced performers include Cardi B, Latto, Kehlani, Patti LaBelle, Brandy, Monica, Public Enemy, and George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic.

George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic will celebrate 50 years of the ‘Mothership’ landing in New Orleans. The performance will include appearances by Big Boi, Scarface, Big Freedia, Nona Hendryx, and Durand Bernarr. 

Friday’s concert lineup highlights some of music’s biggest current stars. Cardi B will make her ESSENCE Festival debut after her tour titled, “Little Miss Drama Tour”. The Grammy-winning rapper will headline in New Orleans for the first time.

Latto will also perform ahead of her upcoming album, Big Mama, releasing May 29. Kehlani joins the opening-night lineup following the release of her latest self-titled project. Fans will hear new music alongside the artists’ biggest hits.

Latto attends an NBA game between the Houston Rockets and the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on January 28, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo Courtesy: Itoro N. Umontuen)

R&B group SZN4 will also perform Friday night. The quartet gained attention after appearing on Netflix’s Building the Band.

Saturday night shifts the focus to classic and contemporary R&B. Patti LaBelle returns to the festival stage with a catalog that has influenced generations of performers.

Brandy and Monica will reunite for a highly anticipated performance. Their hit song “The Boy Is Mine” spent 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Rising R&B artist Josh Levi joins the Saturday lineup. Leon Thomas will also perform as momentum continues to build around his solo career. 

Sunday’s closing concert will celebrate musical influence across generations. Babyface will bring decades of chart-topping hits to the ESSENCE Festival stage.

Public Enemy is set to perform music that helped shape politically conscious hip-hop. Their catalog includes influential releases like Fear of a Black Planet and “Fight the Power.”

George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic will close the weekend with a Mothership performance in New Orleans for the first time in 50 years. Their set will feature guest appearances from Big Boi, Scarface, Big Freedia, Nona Hendryx, and Durand Bernarr.

Hip-hop pioneer Doug E. Fresh will also appear during the closing-night festivities.

Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh perform on stage during the 2025 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture Presented By Coca-Cola® at the Caesars Superdome on July 6, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo Courtesy: Itoro N. Umontuen)

For more than three decades, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture has remained a major celebration of Black culture in New Orleans. Beyond the evening concerts, the festival offers daytime experiences at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Attendees can explore conversations, live experiences, wellness programming, beauty activations, and business-focused events throughout the weekend.

Notable conversations include the Global Black Economic Forum (GBEF), led by President and CEO Alphonso David. The GBEF’s purpose is to drive awareness to the issues that affect the Black and African diaspora while pushing various calls to action after identifying the solutions.

After launching in 2023, GBEF discusses methods to transform allyship and camaraderie into creating the collective financial equity needed to spur growth in order drive the greater Black and African economic engine forward. In order to achieve that goal, GBEF brings together change agents from arts + culture, business, government, grass roots movements, and philanthropy to drive data-driven and relevant solutions.