Wave Staff Report
NEW ORLEANS — The Essence Festival of Culture unveiling its night-by-night Evening Concert Series lineup for the Fourth of July weekend with newly announced performances from Babyface and Leon Thomas, joining a cross-generational mix of artists across hip-hop, R&B, soul, and funk at the Caesars Superdome.
The announcement builds on previously revealed performers including Cardi B, Latto, Kehlani, Patti LaBelle, Brandy and Monica, Public Enemy, and George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, who will celebrate 50 years of the Mothership landing in New Orleans with a collaborative performance featuring Big Boi, Scarface, Big Freedia, Nona Hendryx and Durand Bernarr, with additional special moments to be revealed in the coming weeks.
Opening night July 3 brings together artists who have defined the current moment across charts, radio, and live performance. Grammy Award-winning rapper and entrepreneur Cardi B makes her Essence Festival debut following her latest tour run, bringing her in-demand live show to New Orleans for the very first time. She is joined by chart-topping rapper Latto, who will release her forthcoming album “Big Mama” on May 29, and Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Kehlani, who recently released her self-titled project, both arriving at pivotal moments in their current eras.
The night offers one of the first opportunities to experience new records from both artists live, alongside the hits that have defined their rise, as one of the most powerful global voices takes the stage in a moment that reaches beyond music. SZN4, the four-member R&B and soul vocal group formed on Netflix’s “Building the Band,” brings a modern take on classic vocal harmony.
Patti LaBelle returns to the festival stage July 4, bringing a catalog that continues to set the standard for live performance. Brandy and Monica, Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum R&B artists, take the stage together, bringing a live chemistry that continues to draw strong audience demand, including “The Boy Is Mine,” which held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 consecutive weeks.
Josh Levi, a rising R&B performer, brings a new generation of stage presence, while Leon Thomas, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter, producer, and artist, continues his solo run with growing momentum. One additional voice will be revealed in the coming weeks, marking a celebration of one of R&B’s most enduring albums.
The weekend closes July 5 with a lineup built on influence and musical lineage. Newly announced performer Babyface, a Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and producer, brings a catalog that has shaped modern R&B across decades.
Genre-defining rap group Public Enemy returns with a body of work that continues to define the political and cultural voice of hip-hop, from “Fear of a Black Planet” to “Fight the Power.”
Funk architect George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic bring the Mothership back to New Orleans for the first time in five decades, marking a return that connects one of the most influential live concepts in Black music to the Essence stage.
Joined by special guests including Big Boi, Scarface, Big Freedia, Nona Hendryx, and Durand Bernarr, the set reflects the reach of that sound across hip-hop, R&B, and funk.
For more than 30 years, the Essence Festival of Culture has served as a defining gathering for Black culture, bringing together artists and audiences across music, entertainment, and community. Beyond the Evening Concert Series, the festival extends across the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, where daytime programming offers live conversations, cultural moments, and interactive experiences across beauty, business, wellness, and more.
