Essence Music Festival

Why does Essence Fest try to portray an image of upscale and classy when all it attracts are the trashy and classless? I went to see Kevin Hart that is all. Essence line up every year gets a little more terrible. The traffic is THE worst (and so are the fashion choices). Traffic is actually better when the entire some is full for a football game, go figure. Dome «security» really need a reality check. Their is an express security check line for people with no bags (or clutches)…so basically for men?

Missy elliot garbage period worse essence every giving her a main event was the worse thing that could have happen. Usher also garbage terrible live. Over all I love this festival, the people it bring out, and love for hip hop/R&B music. I’ve been to this festival 5 years in a roll and will continue. Love New Orleans

Thursday through Sunday. We only went for one day.
Prior to going, we would look at the website to figure out who and when to see performances and found the website sucked. Disorganized.
There’s a main stage in the Superdome. You have seats according to the tickets you bought. Then there’s other rooms upstairs with other performers but you have to ask someone to direct you because it wasn’t really clear (to us) what room is where. and it’s kind of a pain to leave those super lounge rooms and get back to the main stage.
People were decked out and dressed to the nines. The crowd looked great. The performances were great. I like temperature controlled indoors.
Full bar and food was available. Whoever puts out the pretzels– it was amazing. Nachos made some sick. and not even seafood nachos. just the regular kind.
I feel like I missed out on a lot but for a first-​timer… I had a great time.

If you’re going to do Essence buy the weekend pass as early as you can. Even before the lineup is set. There are just too many options available each year that you’d be hard pressed not to find an act on the main stage or in one of the lounges to enjoy. Guaranteed! The abundance of talent and beautiful people is a great experience you won’t soon forget.
There is a great deal of walking involved if you plan on stage hopping. There’s an Essence Festival app available for droid/​iPhone that provides a good timetable for all acts and alerts. So you’ll know to leave 1 lounge at a particular time in order to catch a headliner on the main stage and vice versa. If you’re in a group consider splitting up and video taping the experience because some acts in the lounge draw huge crowds. You’ll have to get there crazy early to get A good spot. You will also find a stream online of the festival and quite a few bloggers post great footage to YouTube.
Also, I find the food sales in the lounge areas better than what’s available out by the main stage.
Save the crazy outfits and heels for the after parties. Come comfortable but beautiful and be ready to party!

Essence was great what they do for the city is wonderful. Im not big on concerts at big venues, Charlie Wilson is a killer live!

So freaking amazing! !!! I enjoyed my self. I was fortunate to go Friday and now Sunday night. So amazing. Many different artists with the Essence of Soul attached to their core artistry! To see the artist s get up there and perform their greatest hits is so beautiful! I got to see Kem, India Arie, Charlie Wilson, Floetry, and more. Such an amazing line up. Amazing and deep. Very soul full. Just amazing. There’s food. And alcohol too. But BEWARE THE PRICES ARE CRAZY HIGH!

Great experience of a lifetime! The concerts are great both on the main stage and the lounges. There were times where it felt and looked like 1 or 2 artists should have been in the lounge rather than on the main stage and vice versa. This is not due to only my preference but but because the lounges were crowded and some closed at capacity 1hr before the lounge opened. Overall, the vibe and experience were great, where you can meet people all over the world. I even ran into my cousin and people from childhood from California! The food was great, the parties are there! BTW get to the (free events at the) convention center early before the freebies run out and the crowd gets bigger and get out of there lol. The celebrities are there performing music, doing interviews and some just walking around. Plan for a good time, but rest in between. Please note– looks cute everyday and have a positive attitude. And of coarse, carry a camera and lots of patience. NOTE: plan, plan, plan and go to the free park concert the day before the festival. Its also free and a great way to kick off the festivities. Be aware of «fake» vendors or renters. The rooms sale out fast and are mark up high. I came across people who paid and thought they were renting a room/​or home, but it was a scam and they had to scramble for a place last minute. Even Motel 6 outside of NOLA may cost $ 200+/ night if your desperate w/​no place during the Essence Festival. So Plan, Plan, Plan a head and while your there :)

I don’t understand anyone who lives in New Orleans and doesn’t go to the Essence Music Festival.
Essence Fest is basically the best party I have ever been to. The crowd is so wonderful, of all different ages and from all different parts of the country. The music is ~the bomb~ (do I even have to say that? I mean, let’s be real.). Where else do you get to see the biggest starts in R&B and hip hop on one stage for a fraction of the cost of a ticket to see just one of those artists? The DJs in between the sets are also ~the bomb~. Where else do you get to drop it to the floor with people ages 19 to 65? The fashion is the best and most vibrant of any festival, and you don’t get a sense that people’s aesthetic is artificial like at some other ones (ahem, Coachella). And I haven’t even mentioned the food!!! Holy crap, why can’t those food trucks be a permanent New Orleans fixture? Can someone reading this review work on that please? I need jerk chicken across the street from my apartment every day for the rest of my life, thanks.
The only downside is that it is in the Superdome, which is good in a sense because I don’t wanna be stuck in the heat and humidity of NOLA while I am trying to dance at a Beyonce concert. However, dancing in arena seating is kind of hard to do, and you feel bad for standing up in front of someone sitting behind you who maybe is too old or too tired to stand up during an entire music set! Also, it makes it hard to find the other special secret rooms at Essence Fest such as…
THE KARAOKE ROOM! Yes, there is a karaōke room where instead of listening to TGT sing other people’s songs for an hour, you can go sing other people’s songs for an hour and listen to complete strangers sing other people’s songs for an hour and then become best friends at the end and also be able to tell your friends that you «performed at Essence Fest».
Ugh. I almost don’t want to publish this review because I don’t want everyone to know how awesome Essence is and then have it sell out before I buy my ticket next year. But as I said, I don’t understand anyone who lives in New Orleans and doesn’t go to the Essence Music Festival; I don’t understand you and I don’t want to understand you.

This was my first year attending the Essence Festival 2013. This event has been on my radar for the longest to attend. I had an awesome experience. I had the opportunity to actually work for the Essence Festival as a paid freelancer. I was given assignments to work with the Production crew as a PA (Production Assistant) getting video footage with the video crew (Shout out to Crew #2!) for the
website. We would film all the happenings inside the Convention Center. Oh boy was there A LOT going on, so many people under one roof, so many activities, freebies, celebrities and ALOT of walking.
What is great about the Essence Festival is that it takes place in New Orleans, the Big Easy! The location of the festival alone will give you so many things to do if you wish not attend the music concerts.
You can attend the Convention Center each day (free) and visit all the sponsor booths that hold so many activities from: celebrity meet and greets, freebee such as Coca-​Cola passing out free soda and free massages, makeovers by My Black is Beautiful, make your own karaōke video in the Coors Light booth or get free tap beer. Also within the Convention there were fashion shows, celebrity motivational guest speakers, Body by Denise did a very energetic work out on stage with her workout crew, there was a Career Zone, film screenings, and lets not forgot the Southern Louisiana food. There’s so much scheduled inside the Convention Center. On top of the Convention Center you have your Day parties, and your Night time parties and Concerts to attend. I tell you I was wiped out and my feet were hurting to the max! I was on vacation and working. I don’t think I can manage that again, but being behind the scenes and wearing an Essence working badge and having access to areas other didn’t have was awesome.
I did the Saturday night and Sunday night concert. I enjoyed them both. I got to see Beyonce perform on Sunday night which was phenomenal. That woman knows how to put on a show. I was mesmerized with all the dancing. I was filled with joy seeing New Edition perform they sang all the right songs I wanted to hear. Also which I like about the Essence Festival Concerts itself is that while you have the main stage with artists performing there are also the Superlounges where other artists are performing at the same time in more intimate standing-​only rooms within the SuperDome. There were 4 Super Lounges set up by different sponsors such as the Ford Superlounge, McDonald’s Superlounge, CoverGirl Superlonge and Coca-​Cola Superlounge stages which was a lot to take in especially when two of your favorite artists are performing at the same time which involves A LOT of walking from one lounge to another then back to the main stage seating. But you’re getting you ticket price worth. I got to see Faith Evans, Tamia, and Marsha Ambrosius perform in the Superlounge stage. Marsha performance was so lively and her personality is funny as hell.
The Essence Music Festival, known as «the party with a purpose»…
I will be going back next year, but this time I’m gonna take it easy in the Big Easy! I’m lying Imma TURN UP!

Essence is the premier music event of the summer! People flock here in the heat of summer just for this.
If you like seeing celebrities you can def catch some of them here as there are so many famous faces that come to Essence. I saw Solange, Beverly Johnson, Craig Robinson, LL Cool J, and Anthony Anderson. I’m not into celebrities but if that’s your cup of tea then this festival is great for that.
The music lineup is generally really great especially on the main stage. Beyoncé closed out the show Sunday night and it was even better than her Superbowl halftime show this yr.
The food is a bit pricey but you can find good food for $ 7 – 8 which isn’t bad at all. Of course eating at the Superdome has great variety compared to other stadiums around the country. You can get crawfish étouffée, jambalaya, gumbo, ribs, brisket, po-​boys, burgers, hot dogs, and more at the Dome.
Essence has been going strong in NOLA for many years and it is one of the biggest events in the city each year!

It’s Time for Essence Fest again! 4^th of You-​Lie, I mean July weekend! This year since the 4^th falls on wednesday, the Fest is going on the weekend after instead of the usual during or before weekend. Lots going on, lot of food, lots of drink, if you never been you should make plans to go! This year, the return of D’angelo! Gon b hot!

Great event as usual. I think everybody who loves music and loves to attend Black themed events should go at least once. Ive been going to this event for years and enjoy the concerts and especially love the superlouges where GOOD musicians who don’t make it to the main stage perform. Essence always makes a mistake every year and puts someone in these small intimate louges that deserve to be on the large stage. This year it was George Clinton and the P Funk All stars. there was a line outside the door at least 40 long to get in. Again a must visit. Try it at least once.

«A party with a purpose» is what it is commonly referred to as.
This event is open to EVERYBODY from EVERYWHERE. People travel from all over the world to visit this city filled with devine culture.
I had the pleasure of seeing Janet get down, Beyonce shake it, Kanye go off, New Edition reunite, Dougie Fresh beatbox for 10minutes, local artist Kourtney Heart do the K heart dip and Maze on all white Sunday.
The food selection is wonderful. There are so many options to induldge in. It will cost you, just be prepared. Seminars are also held at the convention center during the Fest.
If you love R&B music, you should attend and support the local econony.

20 women to every man… dignitaries of all kinds… Chris Rock telling jokes… Cornell West cuttin’ the rug… the French Quarter overflowing with people… overpriced cab rides… people walking the streets drinking out of gallon jugs filled with alcohol… pretentious corporate types in limos headed to exclusive celebrity parties. And at the end of the day, it is still all about the music. Great festival!!!