The ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® returns to New Orleans July 3–5, 2026, with a night-by-night Evening Concert Series lineup structured as three distinct concert experiences.
Friday is built around what’s happening now. Cardi B makes her ESSENCE Festival debut alongside Latto and Kehlani, both in active album cycles. The night will also include a moment that reaches beyond music, with one of the most powerful global voices set to take the stage.
Saturday centers R&B as a live experience. Brandy and Monica take the stage together as a continued draw, with Patti LaBelle returning and Leon Thomas and Josh Levi representing where the genre is moving. One additional voice is being held for a separate reveal tied to a defining R&B album.
Sunday closes with one of the weekend’s most distinctive moments. George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic bring the Mothership back to New Orleans for the first time in five decades, with a collaborative performance featuring Big Boi, Scarface, Big Freedia, Nona Hendryx, and Durand Bernarr, alongside Babyface and Public Enemy.
