NEW ORLEANS – The night-by-night lineup for the 2026 Essence Festival has arrived. The iconic Babyface is returning to the Superdome, as is R&B juggernaut Leon Thomas and many more exciting new additions added to the weekend. Single-night tickets are on sale as of May 13.
FRIDAY
Cardi B is bringing her larger-than-life personality and powerhouse performance style to the Superdome for her ESSENCE Festival debut, closing out the night in unforgettable fashion. Joining the lineup are fellow Grammy winner Kehlani, chart-topping rapper Latto, who will be fresh off the release of her album “Big Mama,” and rising R&B and soul vocal group SZN4, of Netflix’s “Building the Band” fame. And opening the Evening Concert Series, a major global voice will take the stage in a moment guaranteed to have people talking all weekend long. That announcement, festival organizers share, is coming soon.
SATURDAY
The night is packed with powerhouse talent, from the legendary Patti LaBelle returning to the stage ready to show up and show out, to Grammy-winning crooner Leon Thomas delivering a performance fans won’t soon forget. Rising R&B star Josh Levi will kick off the evening, while recent ESSENCE cover stars Brandy and Monica close out the night by bringing the magic of their successful tour, and their many hits, to the Superdome.
And the lineup doesn’t stop there. Another groundbreaking artist is set to take the stage in celebration of the anniversary of a landmark album. That announcement is also coming very soon.
SUNDAY
Put on your whitest of whites and come on through.
Sunday night closes the Festival experience with a legendary bang. The lineup is packed with icons who have helped shape the sound of funk, rap, and R&B. Doug E. Fresh returns to do what he does best, and that’s command the stage and the crowd every time he hits it. Public Enemy will perform selections from their iconic music collection, including Fear of a Black Planet. Babyface is set to remind audiences just how deep his pen—and catalog—runs, while George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic bring The Mothership back to New Orleans 50 years after it first touched down.
They’ll be joined by special guests Big Boi, Scarface, Big Freedia, Nona Hendryx, and Durand Bernarr, with a few more names to come.