ESSENCE Festival

I loved the atmosphere and the city. The accents drove me crazy. The energy of the city makes you want to live!! No we did not get to experience ALL Essence had to offer but that is why we will plan for next year and take advantage of all of ESSENCE!!! We loved every bit of it.

We had an amazing lifetime experience, This was my first time ever in New Orleans and in essence Fest I will now become a lifelong essence Fest goer i had a blast, I was so inspired and uplifted by our culture and the events thank you essence someday I hope to be able to volunteer

The show was thrilling with Amazing Talented People. From the beginning to the End, the atmosphere was Epic!

This is my first time attending the Esssence Music Festival. The seminars were informative. The concerts were off the chain. I had a great time and hope to return next year.

OMG I am beyonce s #1 fan and I just bought the essence music festival cd/dvd (15th anniversary) from walmart and it was HOT!!! She sounds so good live and she is the best dancer out there forreal!!! If you haven t seen the DVD or listened to the CD from last year and you are a HUGE fan of Beyonce s then go out and get the 2009 essence cd/dvd because she is OUT OF THIS WORLD and OFF THE CHAIN!!!! ☺ Now I HAVE to go see her in concert!!!! NE-YO LOOKS SO CUTE ON STAGE TOO!!!

I must say there is nothing like Essence Weekend and being in New Orleans just puts the icing on the cake..My advice to someone who has never had the Essence Weekend experience to try it one time. I guarantee you will always want to be a part of it from that moment on. I can't wait to see Janet, Mary J, Monica, Jill Scott, and Charlie Wilson..These are my top favorites but the entire line up is spectacular..I live in Baton Rouge and I make the trip every year..My all time favorite essence experience is Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly

Being that I'm a La. native, I must say that I absolutely LOVE Essence Fest wknd and I love it even more so b/c it's held every yr in my favorite city of Nawlins!!! The fact that u don't have to worry about transportation to go from 1 place to the next b/c hotels, restaurants, clubs, the Superdome, casinos, shopping centers, etc are all walking or cab driving distance is 1 of the best things about having an event in N.O.! Every yr there's a great line-up, the atmosphere is always a pleasure to be a part of, the food is awesome, the vibe is positive, the ppl are nice, just any and everything about Essence Fest wknd is just AWESOME w/ a capital A baby...lol!!! If you've never been to Essence Fest or any other wknd event in N.O., plzzzz do urself a favor and attend @ least 1 time and I promise u, u'll want to attend every yr! And before I forget....WHO DAT!!!

The Essence Music Festival is an annual "To-Do." The environment and energy is CRAZY! It is simply ramazing!

My friends and I have made the ESSENCE Music Festival the place to be July 4th weekend. The heat, the music and the activities and the food make New Orleans extra hot! Can't wait to see Janet, Mary, Alicia, Trey and my favs in the Superlounges like Lalah and Estelle!

I truly enjoyed the Essence Festival this year. I have been attending for about 8+ years and I have never ever had a bad time. Each year it gets more spectacular than ever. There is just not enough time in the day to do all that you want to do. I plan on attending until I can't anymore. I rated it as 4 stars but I could have easily given it a 5 star but there is always room for improvement on ALL things

Great experience, loved it! Lots of people and traffic, be prepared to do a lot of walking.

So amazing I wanna volunteer One of the greatest experiences of my life I was so proud to be an African-American in that moment with all the things going on in the world this was so an uplifting and empowering

I have been to the Essence on numerous occasions.I really do believe the movie Girls Trip really boost this years Essence.I had an amazing time.Evey one was dress so nice.Lots of ladies had on matching t-shirts.

Janet was amazing, her show was stellar. Big Freedia was also great

Essence 2018 was great as usual except Janet Jackson was a disappointment .

The show and all the performers were great! The Roots did the dang thing along with Erika and Jill!

My sister and I went for our sister trip, we do every year. We were able to witness a remarkable experience at the Essence Concert. Everyone will love and wanted to see came to the stage plus some. Just so many unforgettable moments.

A well deserved Special trip for MYSELF! I enjoyed myself with a lot of young Sisters! Oh Concerts!!! Amazing! Front n Center . Heck I worked hard.... I deserved it . Almost lost my mind when my girls hit that stage.... Queen Latifah , Missy Elliot, my girl my world MC LITE, oh y all n YO YO! They were my girls from back in the day so I was all good . But wait now , come on.. flipped my wig on my Girl Mary J Blige, Amazing! Then Gil n Erica OMG! Topping it off with my lil Midwest Gary girl.... that JANET JACKSON. OMG. Got to run into a couple of Celebs , I MUST SAY that Tamala Mann was the Sweetest most sincere and engaging Celeb I ve ever Met! Oh soooo precious n Sweet y all . In fact her entire family was . Ok. See you in 2019! Peace

Essence music Festival is an cultural iconic event. EMF 24th year was amazing. Attendance was high because of last year s hit movie girls trip. Even with the high attendance EMF did not disappoint it s attendees . Great food, great music, great events. They gave a brand new author a chance to shine by the name of Lady Nicole Chosen A Lady s Journey from Called, to Crushed, to Crowned

I was so amazed at Janet s performance! Teddy Raileys performance group of performances with artist that he wrote music for was so incredible!! The Hip Hop and Rap Artist s from the 80 s and 90 s was so awesome, it really took me back to what great Artists I had the pleasure of growing up with! It was so moving to be in the same venue where they all came back in one invent to share their talent again with us!!! I just Love coming to The Essence Music Festival where I can get a chance to see and hear all of my favorite Artist share their talent with all of us again!!! God has Blessed them with more time to share with us their talent, and it really shows!! I could really feel the LOVE from all of the Artists with sharing their time and talent with us their fans and supporters!!

The daytime events were fun. And the evening artist lineup was insanely good! The Superdome was clean and made tasty drinks/food. Their staff were horribly rude on Friday; but were much more professional on Saturday.

I enjoyed every minute of their set! Neo-Soul Night!

Essence is a must. Great show couldn't ask for a better place and City to be in. Worth the money to see all these artist in one place.

Loved Friday's show. All performers especially Diana Ross was fabulous. Not too crowded.

My husband and I attended. I was extremely disappointed at the set up. We planned this trip in April and from everything that I looked at, it mentioned the Mercedez Benz Superdome and never the Convention Center. It was poorly organized since you had to choose who you wanted to see. There were performances at the convention center, superdome and meet and greets at the convention center but we missed many many things for lack of information and also because of extremely long lines. The line to see Xscape was ridiculous and the one thing that Id waited all week for only not to be able to see it. That doesnt count the extremly poor performance by Master P. I wanted to walk up on stage and take the microphone to keep him from yelling and clearly faking because it seemed to me that he didnt remember the words to his own songs. Mia X was about the only one from No Limit who really did her thing. The performance was extremely long & boring. No Limit should have been shut up on the Super Lounge.

The shows at Essence are always on 10 and full of surprises! This year i came to see Xscape they had the nerve to put them on a small stage after 20 yrs...come on so they literally shut down the 3rd floor. Master P reunion was cool but the big surprise was Snoop Dogg who single handley stole the show. Essence is a great time to have fun with friends and family a mini reunion. Also see plenty of celebs up close and personal.

We went for my daughter's high school graduation trip. So she was excited and that made it worth the trip. The Expo Empowerment Experience speakers were GREAT and although my daughter had wanted to go to other booths to see some celebs, she was glad she stayed with me as REALLY liked listening to all empowerment speakers. The evening musical lineup was ok. The best were: MC Lyte, Trmbone Shorty, Xscape, Daley, June's Diary, Jhene Aiko, Solange, Chance the Rapper, Mary J Blige and of course Diana Ross.

Enjoyed the entire weekend, XSCAPE should have been in the main stage.

Outstanding event. The first two nights were amazing 3rd night not so much but the overall experience was wonderful.

The Festival as a whole was good! However, there are a few things that I would change to make it great! Communication is key; so there were schedule changes with some of the events at the convention center, and some artists that we really wanted to see! However, they didn't show up and it was no communication to let us know they weren't coming to the center stage for their interview/performance. All of those folks working on the communication team, worrying about retweeting hashtags and posts, someone could've kept people informed so we wouldn't waste our time in one spot with so many other things to do! Venue; I love the superdome, but it's a party and the seats on the floor were tight as hell. No room to do much of anything let alone do a two step! Superlounge vs. Mainstage; some of the superlounge acts should've been on the mainstage, whether that meant kicking off the concerts earlier, that should've been thought out. Start at 5pm and get these super lounges out of here, waste of time! Outside of that I loved it overall, but to me being a first time festival goer, the communication piece would've been nice to see!

Besides the whole Escape Superlounge fiasco, the scheduling and performers were the worst I have seen in many years at Essence. Solange, Daley and Chance the Rapper did not disappoint! However, The Master P session was a total let down. If not for Snoop, lawd I would have started chanting "Give my ass a refund!" Next time, get more popular artists, better sound for the mainstage and make sure that folks in the Superlounge have enough space for fans. I am a huge Essence fan and will continue to support it but PLEASE get it right next time.

Absolutely!!! Worth it!!! My daughter and I had a Bladt. From seeing entertainers like Diana Ross, John Legend, Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott, Solange, and Chance the Rapper

Read your tickets carefully. Mines said XSCAPE was performing and they were..but in the lounge..NOT in the dome itself. Drove 8 hours and paid over 200.00 for Solange, Master P and Juvenile..smh..NOT what I came for...

Came to see Chance the Rapper and Xscape. Unfortunately my husband and I were some of the unlucky ones turned around at the superlounge. Who thought putting them in the superlounge was a great idea?! Anywho, Chance was awesome.

I was impressed with the Essence Festival 2017. John Legend with his eccletic performance had me singing and dancing out of my seat his entire performance. Excellent job John Legend. Mary J. put on a powerful performance. She was awesome especially when she purposely fell to the stage the crowd broke out in cheers. Excellent performance. Diana Ross's sophistication was captivating and her wardrobe was beautiful. She gave an awesome performance. On Sunday night I was disappointed about not seeing Escape, the superlounge filled up quickly.unable to hear them perform. Master P seemed to be struggling but the crowd erupted jumped to their feet when Snoop Dog's name was announced and when he took stage and performed Gin and Juice. The crowd roared in excitement. We sang the words and partied with him.

First timer I enjoyed the line up. Chaka shouldn't have closed.

Originally was under the impression I was purchasing Chance concert tickets on Ticketmaster so the other artists were an added bonus. Solange and Trombone Shawty were also great.

Hits and misses - 1st night was excellent - Ms Diana Ross amazing; John Legend awesome; India.Arie great. 2nd night - Ladies Night wa epic! Chaka Kahn was ok( Mary J. Blige fire - best performance ever; Jill Scott phenomenal; Jasmine Sullivan fantastic! 3rd night was mixed - Solange good; Trombone Shorty why was he on the main stage when EVERYONE wanted to Xscape; Master P & No Limit epic failure - Snoop Dogg saved the day; Chance the Rapper the best! I was very impressed by him - fantastic set!

I've been a few years in a row, and this year's fest wasn't the best, but not the worst. The committee didn't think real hard on their decision to put Xscape in a SUPER lounge as opposed to putting them on the main stage. I believe that trombone shorty could have been sidelined this year. He's a local talent that normally performs every year or every other year.

It was Outstanding !!! I will be returning next year My First experience with essence and it was the Bomb

My friend and I went to Essence for the first time. If I could change one thing I would have purchased access passes for the other activities. Overall the performances were amazing! We throughly enjoyed the show and we will return next year.

OMG !!!!!!! I totally love Essence Festival!!! This year was extra special because Oprah Winfrey made her first ever appearance to the Essence Festival and spoke at the one of the Empowerment sessions!!!! I also enjoyed the other empowerment sessions like- Rev. Al Sharpton, the Panel of city Mayors, and Educator w/ Dr. Steve Perry!!! Other highlights was getting an opportunity to meet and take a picture w/ "Uncle Charlie"!!! I saw him in concert on Saturday and purchased his book on Sunday!!! The concerts were outstanding!!! Some of my favorites were "Babyface", Maxwell, Common, Andra Day, Lalah Hathaway, Judith Hill and Uncle Charlie!!! I can't forget about the awesome Prince tribute by Marsha Ambrosia and a host of other artists. The Cajun cuisine at the conference center was delicious!!! The Sunday morning praise & worship was awesome and I enjoyed the various tributes to the Clark Sisters! My faves were Yolanda Adams and Brian Courtney Wilson:)

The show was of the chain, I really enjoyed myself this year!!!

My Family and I had an awesome time again this year. Charlie Wilson (forever young), Ciara (classy and beautiful) brought their A game! Faith Evans and Lailah Hathaway (awesome) did not disappoint. I also enjoyed New Edition but if I could change their disjointed show - They should always come out swinging with NE hits first, then introduce themselves - 1st intro, 2nd intro,3rd into, 4 intro and then I'm Johnnie Gill he sings his songs, Bell sings, then Ralph sings his songs, then we are Bell, Biv, Devoe do their songs, and end the finale with the sweetness of "Still In Love"! That would have been awesome! Mariah Carey did her best, she was raw and I appreciated that she was not lip singing for a change, but word to her - "Do not take your gift for granted, practice, practice, practice if you want to stay in the game!" Puff could have really surprised us with Carl Thomas and/or 112 which could have sweetened the blow of French Montana using the "B" word in every song, and Puffy apologizing for it.... SMH! Tyrese was MIA - not good. But having Oprah at the Convention Center was EPIC!!! Last but not least: The back FLOOR sections should be on risers. A rule should be "no standing up impeding the vision of others" make a section for people who want to dance! I didn't pay $1600 for seats to stand up most of the night because others are dancing the entire night in front of me... NOT!

It was amazin, unforgettable and the most AMAZIN musical event I've ever attended in my life!!!!!!!

I have never attended the Essence Mudic Festival before. It was so awesome!!!! It's so much to do. The only thing I hated was you can't do it all.

I have not attended any other festival, this would be my first. If they're all like this, I would attend a festival teice a year. Each set had performers that I love and respect and kept me on my feet dancing or had me singing along. I loved every person I got to see and I would highly reccomend this event to all of my friends.

This was my first Essence Music Festival and it was all I dreamed off and more! There were artist to fit everyone's taste. The music was nonstop , there was the main stage and four super lounges with various artists and show times --which you could keep up with by downloading and using the Essence Music Festival app. To give an honest review I must give the pros & cons.... CONS: 1. Tyrese missed his performance because he was filming F8 and could not get away..a lot of folks were looking forward to seeing him perform. 2. Mariah was late and changed clothes way too many times, way too many interludes--after a long day of festival events were tired and just wanted her to sing. But she is a DIVA! And that's what DIVAS do. 3. Because I wanted to see all 3 nights of shows I had to go with the upper level price point and sit way up top....THANK GOD FOR JUMBOTRONS!! Surprisingly the sounds was great in the nosebleed section. But next year, I will have floor sections and party amongst the celebrities that were just randomly walking around like real people. 4. Some of the acts forgot there were older people and kids in the house and spewed too much profanity for my taste ( French Montana) Now for THE PROS: Attending Essence Music Festival is like attending a family reunion! Nothing but positivity and good vibes in the air! Everyone in our section came all three nights so we made friends and partied, danced, and sang together !! There were so many amazing artists and performances but my stand outs were : Faith Evans(she is who I came to see- she performed her set one night and performed again with Bad Boy), Babyface (he came out of his shirt and ran thru the Superdome & his has written hits for everyone), Charlie Wilson (no words needed for Uncle Charlie), Maxwell (no words needed here) , New Edition (no words), The Prince Tribute was "okay" --Larry Graham made up for that., Andra Day(dropped some Nina Simone on us), Bad Boy Reunion(awesome) and Kendrick Lamar (we gon'be alright) I never made it to see any acts in the Superlounges because the main stage had me so occupied!! Almost forgot, Tyrese showed up on Saturday to explain is absence on Friday and to apologize, he did that by sernading us with " Shame"-- I accepted his apology and moved on. To summarize, Essence Music Festival was EVERYTHING!! I didn't even talked about the 3 day FREE events and performances that went on during the day at the Ernest Morial Convention Center!

I really enjoyed the Essence Festival. It was my first time going and my first concert and it was nice. It was easy to find everything and everyone I spoke with was extremely helpful. I'll definitely be going again, maybe even the whole entire weekend.

KDot & The Bad Boy family was awesome! The whole place was rocking! If I could rewind I'd do it sll over!

I was so disappointed in her show because I had seen her in Houston and she was outstanding but at Essence I left after the second Dejay came on to fill in the spot of her cloth change. It seemed to me that she was not prepared. First she was 45 minutes late and the show was a miss for me. Thank God for a great show from Charlie Wilson _ now this man gave his all and I would go to his show anytime and I have for the last 4 years.

Loves it. Mariah, Common, and Jidenna were great. Would come back again if they perform. Mariah was a highlight. Vocals on point. Diva and all. Loves it. Also Dougie Fresh was hype and put on a great show

The Essence Festival was wonderful. Charlie Wilson was the BEST and I would love to see him again. I thinks he should be the closing act of the night.

I cannot wait to see New Edition in concert again! They were all that I had expected them to be and a lot more. Some of the songs like, Sorry and Is This The End, brought me wayyyy back bc I forgot about those songs. I knew I wanted to hear Mr. Telephone Man and Candy Girl but the other two were a pleasant surprise. Babyface is the other artist I bought my ticket for. My favorite time was in the Babyface era. I use to listen to his CDs in the car with my then boyfriend who is now deceased. It just brought back some fun memories and some happy times. I could just sit back and listen to Babyface in concert by himself for at least 4 hours due to the many songs he wrote and produced. This man took me back with his songs as well as the songs he didn't sing but worked on. My only complaint is that maxwell closed the show. Maxwell, the amazing singer that he is, sings slow songs. There should never be a closing singer who sings love songs. It's already late when that person comes on so the ballads along with the drinks and the long day, just relaxed a lot of people and they start walking out on the artist to get in their beds. Now if New Edition or Babyface would've closed, I'm sure that me along with many others, would have danced out the door with their music playing in the background. I am sorry maxwell but I am one of those people who walked out on u. I was tired and u relaxed me for sleep so I had to leave. Overall, I had a great time. I made it to essence @ 8:30 just in time to see Babyface perform, that was my plan and it worked. Thank u essence

Although Tyrese did not perform; Babyface, Maxwell and New Edition made up for it. All had great performances.

We were disappointed that Tyrese was advertised but then didn't perform and his replacement did a good job but just wasn't him. BabyFace was awesome also but if I had to rank in order from best to least it would be New Edition, Baby Face, Avery Wilson, V Bozeman and then Maxwell.

This was my first Essence festival and I really enjoyed all the events and expos. I will make this an annual event!

Concert was good but felt cheated because Faith Evans and Tyrese were advertised as a part of the line up for the night but they ended up not performing...but they did on another night.

The 2015 Essence Music Festival Line up was GREAT! The artist brought their A game. All of the artist sound incredible live. The performances were upbeat and lively. From Frankie Beverly and Maze to Mary J. Blige. It was a dance party all nights. Thursday started the party with Trey Songz and Kevin Hart starting the Festival off. Kendrick Lamar closed out the party Sunday night. It definitely warrants a return visit!

Essence fest was awesome. I really enjoyed every artist that night. The sound and the performance was just great. Every thing was on point.

This was me and the hubby first essence experience, he has been wanting to go for years, with that being said here are a few things to know if you plan on going next year and hopefully it helps you out. IG page @SheGotsSneakerGame for event clips. Pros: So many artist to see in three days it was great, it was like a black Coachella LOL. only thing is having to decide who you want to see the most as they may have the artist you want to see all performing at the same time. You have the main stage which you have a seat assignment for & you have smaller stages on the 2nd floor which is first come first serve standing room only, so if you want see someone performing in the superlounge get there early or you will be standing in the back. We enjoyed: Charlie Wilson, Erykah Badu, Missy Elliott, Goapele, Sommore, Floetry, Kindrick Lamar, Jeff Bradshaw, Tweet. we wanted to see Robert Glasper but for some reasons they were having issues with his sound ect so we had to leave to catch Kendrick Lamar. Cons: The sound system they use for the main stage was horrible . . 2nd If you don't stay at a hotel close( walking distance) to the Mercedes superdome you have to leave after a few songs in with the last performer or you will have a hard time catching a cab. The first night we had no problem getting a cab (Friday July 3rd) as me and the hubby left when Maze went up to perform cause he didn't sound all that great. The 2nd night we left after Usher sung You remind me which was four songs in and we got turned down by cabs due to them wanting more people or they were not going in our direction (mind you we stayed at the Springhill Suites near the convention center) . . ultimately we got got a cab by the grace of God. 3rd night we left two songs in with Kendrick Lamar on stage and we couldn't get a cab, my husband thinking fast went across the street from the superdome to see if a cab would take us as everyone was waiting for the cabs to come around . . .once he did that a whole bunch of people started to do the same thing, we were able to get our selves and a few other people in one cab. Lesson learned, we were thankfully our cab driver who drove us from the airport to our hotel Friday warned us to leave early or we would be stuck. Get a hotel close to venue or rent a car, we spent about $200 on cab rides alone. Bring cash . . a lot of vendors only take cash. be at the venue early, 30 to 40 minutes as they open it a hour before the first performer is on stage. All in All we enjoyed our self, there was no drama or fights and we walked into a lot of stars, me and the hubby didnt know it until the next day but we were standing next to Chrisette Michele for the entire Jeff Bradshaw performance and didn't realize it lol. . .her hair is different now. took pictures with tweet who was amazing . . . .AMAZING performance. Good to see all our people having a good time.

There were too many stars on Friday night together! By the time the last person performed everyone was leaving. Essence Festival needs more new face and not the same old one, some are there every year! You need to try and bring back Prince of Beyoncé!!! I was very disappointed that I purchased the 3-day Weekend Package for what I spent. I could have gotten tickets on the streets for $50 for where I was sitting! I sold my Sunday night concert ticket for $50 but paid $70 for it.

Amazing!!! From the Morial Convention center to to the Super Dome, amazing atmosphere!!

I loved it! Live music is one of my favorite activities ever, thus going to Essence is magical! This is my second back to back year. Loved MJB, Charlie Wilson, Kendrick Lamar, and Nico and Vinz especially! I wish we didnt have to pay extra for Trey Songz though. That's my biggest complaint. Other than that--two thumbs up. Bring back August Alsina please!!!

This was my first time attending the Essence Festival and had an amazing time. I would definitely go back again and again.

It's a great value. You get a chance to see a lot of high caliber stars for cheap! The event was well organized and aesthetically beautiful!

Ithe festival was remarkable. Every artist performed outstanding. The time was control and started on time and they stayed on point.

As always, Essence was amazing. Everyone that performed on that stage did a great job. Usher, Mary J Blige, Missy Elliott, Erykah Badu, Kendrick Lamar and Common were all incredible.. After seeing their performances, I'm now a bigger fan of their work. Can't wait to see what will be in store for next year...

I love all of it .everyone look good and it was just alot of fun .can't wait for next year! It get's better every year

First time at the Essence Fest n I really enjoyed the concert although I missed Kem I still had a good time relaxing with India, partying with Charlie n reminiscing with Frankie.

This was my first time at essence fest and boy I had a blast. Kevin hart and the plastic cup boyz had me rolling out my seat. U really got ur money worth and lacrae and Trigga did there thang and we even had a surprise guest N.O. own Juvenile performed slow motion for me, slow motion for me, loll!! All in all really good show.

Kevin's "What Now" show was awesome. The comedian reached a whole new level of crazy that many comedians can not achieve in a lifetime. He was a great opener for the festival and I would love to see him again on the main stage. WE LOVE YOU KEVIN. #FANtastic

Kevin Hart and Trey Songz killed it. I haven't laughed that hard in years. Ticketmaster made it sooo easy. Next up, Saints v Patriots.

This was me and my husband's first time attending the Essence Music Fest and I must say we truly enjoyed ourselves and already we are looking forward to attending the 2015 Fest! Awesome event!

I would highly suggest getting to a Prince performance, he is amazing. Being that I had just arrived on the scene when Prince released "When Doves Cry" it was extra special seeing him perform live and from what others are telling me he ain't missed a beat since 1984. His energy was breath taking and energized the entire Superdome. If you haven't seen him, get on it, a performance not like any others especially not today. My seats were on the side of the stage but still pretty good, glad I did not purchase tickets facing stage as they were further away from the stage.

Overall I liked the floor plan this year, it provided more options for those in a different financial bracket to participate and feel inclusive. I feel that the 3-three day package should be offered longer as most people get the income tax returns after April; which would allow more affordable seating. I would continue to put the big name such as PRINCE and CHARLIE WILSON as bookend performers to keep the crowd. CHARLIE WILSON should have closed the show, regardless of LIONEL RICHIE's tenure....

I had a great time. I love the crowd setting. It was a lot of energy with Charlie Wilson performance.

With Prince, MJ Blige, Charlie Wilson, Jill Scott and more...how could you go wrong!!! Fabulous time at Essence. Not only were the concerts outstanding, but the Empowerment sessions and panels were fantastic. I will attend again and would certainly recommend. However, the City of New Orleans has to do better with it's transportation system, primarily trolley availability after concert. It was extremely difficult getting back to hotels in the Garden District on St. Charles Avenue after the concert. With all the revenue that's brought into the city by Essence Fest there should be some accommodations for extra service at night. This was my only complaint.

OMG.....I got to see Prince LIVE!!! I was just a few feet away from the stage and he rocked it for a good 2 1/2 hours!! The whole Superdome was on its feet the whole time. I was too hype I didn't even realize I was dancing the entire time....the next day my legs burned so bad....lolol! Definitely will never forget this!!

I love Tank but Mary j Blige was awesome can't wait till next year

This was the last night of three for the Essence Festival and I should have been burned out by now but I was just as hyped up as the first night! Erykah Badu did an "interesting set" but Charlie Wilson tore the roof off the SuperDome!! Lionel Richie is an awesome entertainer and he performed all my favorite songs!

My husband and I attended the festival for the first time and it didn't disappoint! We purchased the 3-day package in the "cheap" seats. Besides the walk, the view was great. We were able to see the entire show on the monitors and got some great shots. Janelle Monet & Prince rocked us on Friday night! Although Prince didn't do all of his hits, he still knows how to put on a show...and the surprise of Trombone Shorty sitting in with the band was the bomb! Jill Scott & MJB turned us all the way up on Saturday & Erykah Badu & Uncle Charlie did the dang thing on Sunday!!!!!

Everything was electrifying at 20th Anniversary. I was so happy to attend. People were everywhere. Plenty of Activities, Good Food and Great Music! The Concerts were unbelieveable and plenty of (good & bad) sights to see :) :) :)

I loved everything! The Superdome was realy nice but the air conditoiner was freezing!

The Essence 20th Music Festival Anniversary had a very weak lineup considering it was thier 20th. Prince was off the chain as always, Chic, Jill Scott, Charlie Wilson, Raheem De Vaughn, Kelly Price and the host Nephew Tommy was outstanding. How they determine who goes in the superlounge and the main stage I don't know. However who ever put this years artist together shouldn't be able to do it again. I was very disappointed in the Essence line up this year. A lot of us were expecting a power house of artist taking it back to the old school of artist that Essence had had over the last 19 years. I will be back next year to support Essence.

Everything was great except for Lionel Richie after Charlie Wilson. Who does that? That was painful....Closing show on your 20th anniversary should have been Prince!!!!!

My first time attending the event and enjoyed every bit of it. Will be back next year! Mary J brought the house down. Loved it all

My first time and it wont be my last. Had a blast!

I attended the series of concerts on the 5th as well as day parties and other events over the weekend. Had one of the best vacations ever, had not been to this event in about 15 years; will not miss it from here on out!

All the artist was good. Concert was very organized. Seeing all the people excited to see their favorite artist.

Loved Prince,Niles Rodgers & Chic 7/4/14 as well as Erykah Badou and Charlie Wilson 7/6/14 . Loved the tributes to Rev. Sharpton from the wives of Amadou Diallo,Shawn Bell and Trayvon Martins mother.. Lionel Richie was ok, we love him and his music,but the portion of his show was putting alot of us to sleep.

His Royal Badness Prince gave a performance for the record books!!!! I attend concerts often and Essence Festival every year. This was easily one of the best I've ever been to. Prince engaged the crowd from beginning to end performing for almost 3 hours. Even with a 3 hour performance there were still so many of his hits we would have loved him to sing. Our view of the stage was good and we were not forced to view the performance on jumbotron. Not only did he give an awesome performance but he made a surprise visit and did a guitar solo with both JanelleMonae and Nile Rogers. To sum it up: AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING!!!!

The Festival was awesome. We enjoyed it to the fullest. Im already looking forward for Essence 2015.

Prince, that's all I have to say,thank you for an EPIC experience from your little surprise appearances on stage with Janelle Monane and Nile Rodgers to the 2 plus hr show!!!! I will remember this night for a long time, I have been a Prince fan since the early 80's!!!

The Prince concert on Friday July 4th brought back fire to the Essence concert series. I had gotten bored with the same old performers and had made the decision to stop going but when I heard that Prince would headline on Friday, I bought a ticket and was amazing excited and happy that I did. Essence still has a ways to go with their lineup but if having Prince is an indication that things are about to change, then I am back on board for all three nights.

The artist were great but i am not understanding the use of this facility with it's outdated A/V equipment! Feedback during Prince's performance, really?!?!

The singers were excellent The atmosphere was fun and engaging . Facilities were clean and safe for concert goers My first time and not my last. Word of advice arrive early to guarantee entry into superlounge.

It was all worth it! Magnificent event. This was my first time and I am planning for 2015 already!!!!!

The most amazing performance I have ever seen! Prince sang over 20 all time favorite hits. The New Power Generation as well as his new bands were incredible. He set fireworks to the entire stage. Dancing, singing, playing every instrument known to man...his voice is better than ever. Only one word describes July 4th at the Mercedes Benz Superdome...EPIC!!!!

I'm still riding high from the Essence Festival. New Orleans was a beautiful & welcoming. if i were to hope for more, it would b more late night restaurants for concert goers.All events were organized. I must repeat my Essence experience.