NEW ORLEANS – As the City of New Orleans and Essence Festival of Culture continue their partnership, Mayor Helena Moreno is launching the Essence Festival Steering Committee.
For the past 30 years, Essence Festival of Culture has remained a premier event in New Orleans and the mayor’s office shares that this committee will be tasked with ensuring progress toward a successful 2026 experience. The committee mirrors similar groups formed during other major events such as last year’s Super Bowl.
“Essence Fest is an iconic event, and I look forward to help make it the best it’s ever been,” said Mayor Helena Moreno in a statement about the committee. “Bringing together city, civic and Essence leaders will provide enhanced coordination and collaboration to achieve necessary goals and benchmarks. Looking forward to all that this group will accomplish.”
The steering committee includes:
- Kevin Ferguson, Deputy Mayor & Chief of Staff
- Charline Gibson, City Attorney
- Renee Lapeyrolerie, Deputy Mayor of External Affairs
- Walt Leger, III, New Orleans & Company President and CEO
- Marc H. Morial, National Urban League President and Former Mayor of New Orleans
- Cedric Richmond, Former U.S. Representative and White House Senior Advisor
- Doug Thornton, Legends Global Venue Planning Services President
- Essence Fest Leadership
The Essence Festival of Culture will be held July 3-5, 2026, in New Orleans. The Superdome remains home for the festival’s biggest events, while programming across the city rounds out the full experience.