The ESSENCE Festival of Culture just added even more star power to its 2026 lineup.

This week, organizers announced that Babyface, Public Enemy, and Leon Thomas are among the latest artists joining this year’s stacked Evening Concert Series. These new additions come alongside previously announced performers like Cardi B, Latto, Kehlani, Patti LaBelle, Brandy and Monica.

For this year’s festival, Essence is leaning heavily into the evolution of Black music, blending today’s biggest names with legendary acts that helped shape the sound of multiple generations.

Friday night is all about the current era of culture and music. Cardi B will make her Essence Festival debut in New Orleans, while Latto is set to hit the stage just ahead of the release of her upcoming album, Big Mama, which drops later this month.

Kehlani will also perform, bringing the emotionally raw R&B that has made her one of the genre’s defining voices. Rising vocal group SZN4 is also slated to appear after gaining traction through Building the Band.

Going into Saturday’s lineup, the festival shifts toward classic and contemporary R&B. Brandy and Monica, whose hit song “The Boy Is Mine” became one of the defining collaborations of the late ’90s, are both set to perform, while Patti LaBelle returns once again with her signature powerhouse stage presence.

The newer generation of R&B will also take center stage that evening. Josh Levi joins the bill alongside Leon Thomas, who has steadily emerged as one of contemporary R&B’s most compelling artists in recent years thanks to his moody, layered sound and intentional songwriting.

Sunday night closes things out with a celebration of musical legacy.

Babyface joins the lineup carrying one of the most influential catalogs in modern R&B history, with songwriting credits that helped define decades of love songs and quiet-storm classics. Public Enemy will also take the stage, bringing the politically charged energy and urgency that made albums like Fear of a Black Planet culturally defining works in hip-hop.

That same evening, George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic will celebrate 50 years of the Mothership with a special performance featuring collaborators including Big Boi, Scarface, Big Freedia, Nona Hendryx and Durand Bernarr.

Doug E. Fresh is closing out the weekend, whose influence on hip-hop performance remains foundational decades after his rise.

While the musical performances are certainly the main event, that’s only part of what makes Essence Festival a cultural mainstay. Throughout the weekend, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center will host conversations and experiences centered on beauty, business, wellness, entertainment and community. Additional performers and special guests are still expected to be announced ahead of the festival’s return to New Orleans this July.

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