NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)— It’s official: ESSENCE Festival is back like they never left.
On Wednesday, December 15, the ESSENCE Festival announced the return of its live gathering since the pandemic.
On June 30 – July 3, 2022, the festival will celebrate the culture and resilience of the Black community with the theme, “It’s the Black Joy for Me!” In addition, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture will continue to deliver a comprehensive and engaging digital experience to attendees both live and around the world.
“The reimagining of the 2022 ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans as a phygital – fully physical and fully digital – experience will be epic,” said Caroline Wanga, CEO, Essence Communications, Inc. “Given what we have collectively experienced over the last two years, the opportunity to convene and uplift in the spirit of culture, equity, celebration – and joy – is more of a privilege and honor than it has ever been. We look forward to our homecoming in the City of New Orleans and to strengthening our impact as a cornerstone of Black culture, entrepreneurship and economic inclusion – working always to serve Black women and communities deeply.”
According to an ESSENCE Festival spokesperson, The unparalleled live experience will include almost one million square feet of space for empowerment programming (networking, finance, career, wellness, fashion, beauty and more) at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, nightly concerts at Caesar’s Superdome and other entertaining and inspirational activations in venues across the city. The Festival’s robust digital programming will include live streaming of select on-the-ground activities in New Orleans, as well as new and exclusive digital content and experiences created for the live and virtual audiences.
“We are elated to announce the return of the ESSENCE Festival to New Orleans in the Summer of 2022,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “ESSENCE brings so much to our city and our economy, and I can’t wait to see what this year has to offer. The City of New Orleans and the ESSENCE Festival are inextricably linked through our remarkable history and our steadfast focus on and commitment to culture, community, and economic inclusion. We look forward to continuing this partnership to create an even deeper legacy of impact and inclusion for our city and for all who will join us in July to make this experience the best yet.”
Additional details regarding the 2022 ESSENCE Festival of Culture – including ticketing, schedules, talent line-up, COVID protocols (based on recommended guidance from Public Health Agencies and the City of New Orleans), and more – will be released in January 2022.
For more information, visit www.essencefestival.com.
