NEW ORLEANS, LA – Lauryn Hill and Megan Thee Stallion have been recruited to headline the 2023 Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Ms. Lauryn Hill will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of her landmark debut solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, by performing it in full at this year’s festival. Megan, on the other hand, will be adding another major headlining performance to her docket as she returns to the limelight after her high-profile shooting trial against Tory Lanez.
The Houston Hottie has already been tapped to perform at March Madness Music Festival in Houston this Friday (March 31) for the NCAA tournament. She will also be heading to the West Coast later this year to co-headline Pride in the Park in Los Angeles.
Joining Lauryn Hill and Megan Thee Stallion at the 2023 Essence Fest will be Wizkid, Monica, Coco Jones and Kizz Daniel on the Festival of Culture stage.
Jermaine Dupri and Doug E. Fresh have also been tapped to curate a special performance commemorating the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop, which promises appearances from yet-to-be-announced special guests. (Dupri’s So So Def label is also celebrating its 30th birthday this year.)
Elsewhere, DJ Spinderella, DJ Kid Capri and DJ Clark Kent will hit the turntables during the weekend’s festivities, while comedians Deon Cole, Affion Crockett, Spice Adams and Janelle James will provide the laughs.
ESSENCE Festival kicks off on June 29 and runs until July 3. Fans looking to buy tickets can head over to the festival’s official website.
Check out the full lineup below:
For nearly three decades, the Essence Festival of Culture has been an international and joyful gathering that empowers community throughout the global Black diaspora,” said the festival’s newly-appointed vice president Hakeem Holmes.
“As the nation’s largest festival by per day attendance, it continues to be a crown jewel of Black culture and plays a pivotal role in the amplification and celebration of the contributions of the Black community through business, music, and more.
He continued: “As we gear up to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop, we couldn’t think of a better way to honor the contributions that genre has made on global culture and the impressions that these artists and their deep musical catalogs, which we all know so well, have been ingrained into the fibers of our day to day lives.
“This year, we are excited to have everyone join us in celebrating 50 years of musical excellence, experiencing our diverse daytime and nighttime offerings, and in highlighting the importance of Black economic inclusion.”
Lauryn Hill previously made a surprise appearance during Wyclef Jean’s set at the 2022 Essence Festival, much to the surprise of the audience.
The two longtime collaborators teamed up for a live rendition of “Killing Me Softly” from the Fugees’ critically acclaimed sophomore album The Score, as well as “Ready Or Not,” “How Many Mics” and “Fu-Gee-La.”
That wasn’t the only surprise last year as Nas also brought out Jadakiss to perform their “Made You Look” remix during his co-headlining set. It was the first time the two shared a stage in nearly a decade.
