NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The 24th annual Essence Festival returns to New Orleans next year after the official Fourth of July holiday.
Organizers on Wednesday said the dates for the 2018 event are July 5 – 8.
The 2017 festival drew more than 470,000 attendees to its nightly concert series inside the Superdome and the free workshops and entertainment at New Orleans' Convention Center. It featured first-time performances by Diana Ross and Chance The Rapper, plus keynote conversations with acclaimed director Ava Duvernay and many others.
The 2018 event is presented by Coca-Cola. The lineup hasn't been released, but is expected to feature a diverse roster of musicians and speakers for the concerts and daily empowerment programming. Limited advance tickets for the nightly concert series will be available starting Aug. 10 at 10:00 a.m. EDT.
