The Essence Festival, sometimes known as “the party with a purpose,” is an annual music festival that began in 1995 as a one-time event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Essence, an African-American women’s magazine. It grew to be the largest gathering of African-American culture and music in the United States.
It has been hosted in New Orleans, Louisiana since 1995, with the exception of 2006, when it was held in Houston, Texas owing to Hurricane Katrina’s impact on New Orleans, and 2020, when it was cancelled. In 2016, it was also held in Durban, South Africa. The festival offers performers playing on a main stage as well as four standing-room-only superlounge stages at the same time.
For the first time since its beginning in 1995, the festival was not produced by the original producer team in 2008. Instead, Essence Communications, which owns both the event and the magazine, hired Rehage Entertainment Inc.
Solomon Group took over as producer of the Essence Festival in 2013.
MSNBC streamed live from the Essence Festival in 2013. MSNBC returned to the festival in 2014. The event was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 epidemic; the 26th has been pushed back to 2021. The Walt Disney Company has announced that Essence will return to live events in 2022.
The Essence Festival Will Be Live Streamed by the Walt Disney Company
The ESSENCE Festival of Culture is the country’s largest celebration of all things Black and beautiful, and as we all know, music is one of our favourite methods to celebrate our excellence. With the Festival returning to New Orleans in person after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, you know we had to go big. How big is it, exactly?
Even if you can’t make it to New Orleans for the ESSENCE Festival Of Culture 2022 this weekend, much of the festival’s activities will be available live on Hulu for the first time. From July 1-3, Hulu, ESSENCE’s official streaming partner, will broadcast a live stream of select performances and panels branded “ESSENCE FEST PRIMETIME.” The live feed, which is free for Hulu subscribers, will begin at 8 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. CT | 5 p.m. PT each night and last for five hours.
The Essence Festival Confirms That the COVID Vaccine Is Still Required for Entry
The festival’s coronavirus safety procedures remain in place after a social media announcement stating that a negative COVID test result would allow admittance to its activities was sent in error. The 2022 Essence Festival of Culture amended its admittance policy on Friday (July 1), saying its coronavirus safety measures remain in place following an error in a social media announcement that a negative COVID test result would be allowed for entrance to its activities.
According to a festival official, documentation of a COVID vaccination is still required for entrance. Negative test results will not be accepted, according to the organisers. The festival’s admittance policy messaging has been puzzling from the beginning. According to auto-generated material included with computerised Ticketmaster receipts for comedian Kevin Hart’s Thursday event, either evidence of vaccination or a negative COVID test result was required for entry. That, however, was not the case.
Essence administrators and the event’s messaging on the “frequently asked questions” section of its website stressed that only proof of vaccination was accepted in the days leading up to the festival. Organizers reiterated Friday that this policy was still in effect.
This comes as the number of COVID-19 cases in Louisiana continues to climb. As of Friday, there had been 2,237 additional cases reported. According to the Louisiana Department of Health, those who were not fully vaccinated accounted for 57 percent of the cases reported between June 16 and June 22.
In the Festival, Vice President Kamala Harris Will Address the Audience
According to a White House official, Vice President Kamala Harris will attend the festival on Saturday. She will participate in a fireside chat with Emmy-winning actress Keke Palmer, where she will discuss the most pressing issues confronting Black women, including the ramifications of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
According to the official, it will be the largest crowd the vice president has addressed since the court’s judgement last Friday. Harris, who spoke at the 2019 ESSENCE Festival, will also meet privately with reproductive justice groups while in New Orleans.
“ESSENCE Fest Primetime” is also available on Hulu starting at 8 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. This year is especially noteworthy since The Walt Disney Company is the sole entertainment partner, and audiences will be invited to experience the theme, The Power of Joy.