Official Lineup Announcement | ESSENCE Festival of Culture® Returns with Boyz II Men, Maxwell, GloRilla, The Isley Brothers, Muni Long, Summer Walker, and More!

From the Page to the Stage: The 2025 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® Returns to New Orleans with a Message: We Are “Made Like This” Featuring Can’t-Miss Performances from Boyz II Men, Davido, Master P, Maxwell, GloRilla, The Isley Brothers, a tribute to Quincy Jones curated by Jermaine Dupri, Summer Walker, and more!

THIS YEAR’S ESSENCE FESTIVAL OF CULTURE® PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA® HONORS 55 YEARS OF ESSENCE MAGAZINE WITH INTENTION, IMPACT, AND UNFORGETTABLE AROUND-THE-CLOCK CULTURAL MOMENTS

 Consider this your official invitation from the ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® to meet us in New Orleans from Thursday, July 4th until Sunday, July 6th. The first wave of the lineup is here, and this is only just the beginning. You know we love a surprise! 

This year’s ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® is the continuation of a story 55 years in the making. What started on a page now lives on the stage. What we’re building isn’t new. It’s who we’ve always been. And the experience you’ll find this year in New Orleans didn’t just appear–it was Made Like This. 

Hosted by award-winning actor and comedianAnthony Anderson and cultural curator Kenny Burns, the 2025 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® Evening Concert Series will feature artists who soundtracked eras and defined culture.

Headliners and Performers: 

• Legendary Headliners include genre-defining R&B quartet Boyz II Men, chart-topping global sensation Davido, New Orleans’ very own cultural architect Master P, and R&B icon Maxwell. 

• Can’t Miss Performances by beloved R&B singer and songwriter Donell Jones,legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Isley Brothers, multifaceted hitmaker Muni Long, and lyrical legend Nas.

• Iconic Debuts from Grammy Award-winning reggae superstar Buju Banton and Grammy Award-nominated superstar GloRilla.

Can’t Miss Highlights:

• Tribute to a Music Titan: Grammy Award-winning super producer Jermaine Dupri presents “ESSENCE Flowers”, a once-in-a-lifetime moment to celebrate the cherished legacy of Quincy Jones, bringing together artists who’ve sampled, studied, or shared space with the music titan.

• Hometown Heroes: Master P will take the ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® stage in his hometown of New Orleans. From building No Limit Records into a blueprint for independent success to shaping how the world views Southern rap, his performance is a full-circle moment to honor New Orleans’ musical legacy in the city that raised him.

• ESSENCE Cover Stars: This year’s lineup includes former ESSENCE Magazine cover stars, Grammy Award-winning songwriter and R&B legend Maxwell and Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Summer Walker. 

To celebrate the 55th anniversary of ESSENCE Magazine, the Festival will debut new experiences while bringing back beloved staples, including:ESSENCE Food & Wine Festival™, BEAUTYCON™: @ESSENCEFEST Edition, AFROPUNK BLKTOPIA™, ESSENCE Film Festival® by ESSENCE STUDIOS™, ESSENCE Stage™, SOKO MRKT™ by ESSENCE®, ESSENCE Authors™, ESSENCE® GU® Kickback, and GBEF® HQ.