NEW ORLEANS (CelebrityAccess) — Organizers of the Essence Festival in New Orleans announced the initial talent lineup for the 2018 edition of the popular event, with headliners Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige and Snoop Dogg.
The festival, which is set to take place in NOLA from July 5th through July 8th, will feature a lineup that is curated by the Roots; Xscape; Fantasia and Miguel.
The festival’s nighttime concerts will feature more than 40 acts and will take place across five stages at the Louisiana Superdome—including the Festival’s Mainstage and four intimate Superlounges.
Artists scheduled to perform at the nightly ESSENCE Festival concerts over Fourth of July weekend at the Louisiana Superdome include: Janet Jackson; Mary J. Blige; Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, along with Snoop Dogg and more in a special curation by The Roots; 112; Daniel Caesar; D-Nice; Doug E. Fresh’s Legends of Hip-Hop Show featuring Big Daddy Kane, Kool Moe Dee and more; DVSN; Fantasia; H.E.R.; Idris Elba; Kelela; Kelly Price’s For The Love of R&B featuring Dave Hollister and Vaughn Willis; Kevin Ross; MAJOR.; Mali Music; Marsha Ambrosius; MC Lyte; Miguel; Mykia Jovan; Ro James; Teddy Riley’s New Jack Swing Experience featuring Wreckx-n-Effect, Blackstreet and Guy; The Read’s Kid Fury and Crissle; VICTORY, Xscape and many more to be announced soon. Mainstage host: Roy Wood, Jr.
“In 2018, women are at the forefront of a seismic shift reverberating across the cultural landscape, and this movement comes to life for our community at the ESSENCE Festival,” said Michelle Ebanks, President, Essence Communications, commenting on the lineup which features a panalopy of female artists. “Some of the most iconic female artists and powerhouse performers of this generation—Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Fantasia and others—embrace ESSENCE and the Festival as a sacred space to entertain, inspire, revel in culture and be renewed.”
