Every year, the ESSENCE Festival brings you a jam-packed weekend full of unforgettable experiences like no other and this year’s extravaganza is no exception.
ESSENCE Festival 2017 ticket packages are on sale now! For more info about tickets, accommodations and the latest news, visit our Festival page here.
While the highly-anticipated annual event has become known for it’s 20+ year history of star-studded, nightly concert line ups featuring some of the biggest names in music, there are also multiple other elements that will make your experience one you won’t soon forget. From our Beauty & Style Expo, to our Money, Power, Business & Entrepreneurship Conference, to the endless amount of surprise celebrity guests who drop in each year, there’s really nothing quite like it. Scroll through to check out 15 other reasons why you’ll definitely want to grab your tickets now and start planning your trip to New Orleans for the 2017 ESSENCE Festival!
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Essence Festival
Dozens of delicious vendors and our amazing ESSENCE Eats station will leave your tastebuds beyond satisfied and coming back for more.
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Essence Festival
No one slays a runway quite like our Beauty & Style Expo models, who will be ready to show off the latest from our carefully selected pool of established and rising Black designers.
David Willems
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Art Marketplace
African-American art is major part of our history as a culture and ESSENCE Festival Marketplace will be your one stop shop for a diverse collection of breathtaking work from talented artists across the country.
Scott Threlkeld
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Essence Festival
ESSENCE Festival takes pride in being a place where Black women of all ages and backgrounds can feel empowered, appreciated and celebrated just for simply being you.
David Willems
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Essence Festiva;
From hair products, to beauty products, to signature tote bags and more, you certainly won’t leave ESSENCE Fest empty-handed.
Manfred Koh Photography/Styling: Anna Yakhnich
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The Sisterhood
Looking for the perfect girls trip? ESSENCE Festival will bring you closer to your circle of sisters in ways you never imagined and allow for opportunities to meet more inspiring women who share similar stories and interests.
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ESSENCE Festival
So many of your favorite celebs are just as excited about ESSENCE Festival as you are, so don’t be surprised to run into a few of them in the mix!
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W New Orleans – French Quarter
Whether you’re traveling from just outside of New Orleans or coming from across the country, you’ll definitely want to indulge in one of the French Quarter’s many exquisite hotel experiences. Visit www.essence.com/festival for more info on booking the perfect hotel for your stay.
W New Orleans
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MYTH: Official ESSENCE Festival events only happen at the Convention Center or the Superdome
FACT: Official ESSENCE Festival weekend events happen all over the city of New Orleans, and this year, we’ll have more amazing experiences than ever before happening right at your fingertips from the Convention Center to the Superdome and everywhere in between.
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ESSENCE Festival 2014 Family Day
Summer. In. New Orleans. Need we say more?!
Michael Rowe
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Essence Festival
From our Money, Power, Business & Entrepreneurship Conference, to our daily Essence Empowerment Experience lineup, you’ll leave the Festival enlightened, inspired and ready to face whatever the world throws your way.
Johnny Nunez
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New Orleans, Louisiana
If you’ve traveled to New Orleans before, the you’ll agree that there’s no other city quite like it. And if this is you first trip to ESSENCE Festival and NOLA, you’re in for quite the treat.
Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images
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ESSENCE Festival Flavor
From hair products, to hair talk, to the plethora of hairstyles you’ll see (you know we have to get creative in that summer NOLA heat!), ESSENCE Festival is your safe space for all things Black hair.
Walik Goshorn
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ESSENCE Festival Marketplace
Every year, our goal is to make the ESSENCE Fest marketplace in the Convention Center a place where consumers can connect with a wide variety of Black-owned businesses and local New Orleans businesses, and this year is no exception.
Scott Threlkeld
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Essence Festival
Whether you’re heading to Essence Fest with your family, your friends or your bae, the memories you’ll create on this trip will truly last a lifetime.
