Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson surprises Essence Fest

Axios

07-07-2025

Another Essence Fest is in the books for New Orleans, complete with a few surprises and a little drama.
Why it matters: The nation's largest Black culture festival generates more than $300 million for the city's economy, organizers say.
The big picture: Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was a welcome last-minute addition to the schedule, telling a standing-room only crowd at the convention center about her time so far at the highest court in the land.
At the Caesars Superdome, Lauryn Hill and Doug E. Fresh surprised the crowd.
And, Master P gave the final performance of his career Sunday night.
Zoom in: Attendance levels were the talk of Essence.
Hotel bookings leading into the weekend were down compared with last year, which was the fest's 30th anniversary, writes Desiree Stennett with the Times-Picayune.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell tells Axios New Orleans in an exclusive interview Saturday that "the national narrative" affected festival sponsorship and travel interest. The city will work with the festival to improve next year, she says.
She spoke at several events, including one Sunday, where she told the audience being mayor goes from "celebration to crucifixion real fast," according to Fox 8.
Friction point: Attendees were upset about the pricing structure this year for the return of the popular Superlounges.
In the past, they were included with tickets. This year, they were only open for VVIP ticket holders, which attendees say wasn't explained early enough.
Essence organizers apologized on social media, saying they didn't get it right.
Attendees also had a lot to say about Target, one of Essence's major sponsors that's facing a national backlash after recently rolling back its DEI efforts.
Target had a massive, prominent exhibit at last year's festival with long lines to get in. This year, the now-pink installation was scaled back. Plus, protesters outside the convention center were encouraging attendees to skip it.
Fun fact: TikTok food critic Keith Lee was on an Essence panel and stopped by Spicy Mango, Larry Morrow's new restaurant on Frenchmen Street.
He hasn't reviewed it yet, but the plates are empty in his video so we're taking that as a good sign.
What's next: Organizers say they expect to release final numbers for ticket sales and attendance in coming days.