15th ANNUAL ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Essence Music Festival slated for July 3-5 at the New Orleans Superdome, will include events marking the festival's 15th anniversary and President Barack Obama's inauguration. Headliners for the festival — billed as one of the nation's largest annual events celebrating black music and culture — will include Maxwell, Anita Baker, Al Green, John Legend, Robin Thicke, Salt-N-Pepa, Ne-Yo and En Vogue will join previously announced headliner Beyonce. Rounding out the bill are Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars, Teena Marie, Eric Benet, Jazmine Sullivan, Janelle Monae, Raphael Saadiq, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Zap Mama, The Knux, Irvin Mayfield, Lalah Hathaway, Blind Boys of Alabama, Ledisi, Marva Wright, Big Sam's Funky Nation, Brand New Heavies, Dan Dyer, DJ Soul Sister, Keri Hilson, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Rebirth Brass Band, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave. The Essence Festival is also known for its empowerment seminars, which are free and open to ticket-holders on a first-come, first-served basis. Among the personalities participating in these events are Bill Cosby, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Donna Brazile, Tom Joyner, Hill Harper and Donnie McClurkin.

The format for this year's festival will be the same as in years past: Ticketed musical performances are slated at night and free empowerment seminars will be held during the day. The festival began in 1995 as a one-time celebration of the 25th anniversary of Essence magazine. Over the years, it has hosted performances by Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, LL Cool J, the Isley Brothers, Lionel Richie, Luther Vandross, Mary J. Blige, the O'Jays, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Toni Braxton and Patti LaBelle, among others.

In honor of Essence's 15th anniversary, the festival is offering a 15 percent discount on select tickets through Friday. General admission tickets range from $51 to nearly $175.An estimated 200,000 people attended the festival in 2007, the year it returned to New Orleans after being held in Houston in 2006 because the city was still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. The festival had one of its biggest turnouts last year with more than 270,000 attendees.


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