The Essence Festival Schedule Announced

2015 ESSENCE FESTIVAL UNVEILS NIGHT-BY-NIGHT LINEUP

GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING BEENIE MAN AND ZAGGA ZOW BAND JOIN THE LINEUP

PLUS, SPECIAL TRIBUTE MOMENTS TO CELEBRATE THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS DURING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF HURRICANE KATRINA

The ESSENCE FESTIVAL, now among the largest consumer live events in the nation hosting more than 550,000 annually, is thrilled to announce the all-star, night-by-night lineup of performers from July 2-5 in New Orleans, LA. In addition, stay tuned next week for a special announcement of a New Orleans fan favorite making a triumphant return to close out Friday night’s tribute to the city with an epic performance on July 3.

The A-list nighttime concerts featuring more than 40 acts will take place across five stages in the Superdome throughout the weekend—on the Festival’s renowned Mainstage and within the intimate Superlounges. 

The 2015 ESSENCE FESTIVAL night-by-night musical lineup is as follows:

Thursday, July 2^nd – WHAT NOW? TOUR featuring Kevin Hart. Other Mainstage Performances by: Trey Songz and Lecrae.

Friday, July 3^rd – Mainstage: Charlie Wilson, India.Arie, Kem, plus a soon-to-be announced return of New Orleans’ finest. Superlounges: Adrian Marcel, Avery*Sunshine, Doug E. Fresh, Goapele, Kelly Price, Kindred The Family Soul, Luenell, Nico & Vinz and Slick Rick.

Saturday, July 4^th – Mainstage: Usher, Missy Elliott, Erykah Badu, Common, Beenie Man & The Zagga Zow Band. Superlounges: Bilal, Elle Varner, Esperanza Spalding Presents: Emily’s D+Evolution, Kool Moe Dee, Mali Music, Mystikal, Raheem DeVaughn, Sevyn Streeter, Tank and The Bangas and Tonya Boyd-Cannon.

Sunday, July 5^th – Mainstage: Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Floetry. Superlounges: Andra Day, Dee-1, Dumpstaphunk, Eric Roberson, Jeff Bradshaw, Lianne La Havas, Mase, Robert Glasper, SZA, Teedra Moses and Tweet.

Nephew Tommy from “The Steve Harvey Morning Show” will return as the Mainstage host, with special DJ appearances by Doug E. Fresh, and more surprise guest performances. In addition, special tribute moments will occur throughout the weekend in recognition of the 10^th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

Single day tickets go on sale today and are priced starting at $50 per person per night. For more information about ticket sales, accommodations and the latest news about the ESSENCE FESTIVAL, visit ESSENCE Festival www.essencefestival.com, join the Festival community: follow us on Twitter @essencefest #EssenceFest and become a fan of 2015 ESSENCE Festival on Facebook.

Sponsors of the 2015 ESSENCE FESTIVAL include presenting sponsor Coca-Cola and major sponsors Ford, My Black Is Beautiful, StateFarm, and Verizon; and official media partner MSNBC.  Superlounge sponsors include Coca-Cola, Ford and Verizon. 

The 2015 ESSENCE FESTIVAL™ is executive produced by ESSENCE Festivals LLC, a division of ESSENCE Communications Inc. (ECI), and produced by Solomon Group. GeChar is the executive producer of the 2015 ESSENCE Empowerment Experience and Empower U.