2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® Presented by Coca-Cola® Reveals Night-by-Night Lineup Featuring Babyface, Leon Thomas, Public Enemy and George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic with Friends

NEWLY ADDED BABYFACE AND LEON THOMAS JOIN PUBLIC ENEMY AND GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT-FUNKADELIC, WHO MARK 50 YEARS OF THE MOTHERSHIP, WITH ADDITIONAL SPECIAL MOMENTS STILL TO COME

NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® returns to New Orleans July 3–5, 2026, unveiling its night-by-night Evening Concert Series lineup 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 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 of Culture® 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.

Saturday night centers R&B in a way only ESSENCE Festival of Culture® can. Patti LaBelle returns to the Festival stage as a legendary vocalist and one of its defining voices, 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 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. Doug E. Fresh, a Grammy-winning hip-hop innovator known for elevating beatboxing into a defining element of live performance.

For more than 30 years, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture® Presented by Coca-Cola® has returned to New Orleans 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.

Tickets for the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® are available now, with single night tickets on sale May 13th at 10:00 AM CT. Hotel packages and travel offerings are also available for those planning their stay in New Orleans. Additional talent, programming, and special moments will be announced in the coming weeks. Follow @ESSENCEFest on X, Facebook, and Instagram to stay connected.

About Sundial Media & Technology Group

Sundial Media & Technology Group (SMTG) is a human connections platform redefining the future of media. With more than 100 years of storytelling expertise and audience insight, SMTG is transforming the traditional media model into a technology-enabled ecosystem designed to foster belonging, drive influence, and scale economic opportunity. Its portfolio includes some of the most iconic purpose-driven brands and experiences in culture today, including ESSENCE (Girls United, ESSENCE Studios, ESSENCE Festival of Culture®), Refinery29, AFROPUNK, Beautycon™, the Global Black Economic Forum, and the Academy for Advancing Excellence. Through strategic storytelling, data-powered platforms, and products built for cultural impact, SMTG is where connection becomes currency.