30th annual Essence Festival of Culture kicks off in New Orleans

The City of New Orleans welcomed thousands of radical descending connected the Big Easy for the 30th yearly solemnisation of the Essence Festival of Culture

NEW ORLEANS -- The City of New Orleans connected Thursday officially welcomed thousands of radical descending connected the Big Easy for the Essence Festival of Culture.

The solemnisation has been astir for 3 decades — nary casual feat, Essence CEO Caroline Wanga said Thursday during a quality league astatine Gallier Hall to footwear disconnected the event, which runs done the Fourth of July vacation weekend.

“Part of wherefore that happens is due to the fact that of wherever we are — the taste mecca called New Orleans," Wanga said.

The mag unveiled 4 caller covers for its July and August issue, which commemorates the festival and its narration with the city. Its screen story, “Dear New Orleans,” is simply a emotion missive to the people, places and spaces of New Orleans, institution executives said.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell thanked Essence for the longstanding partnership, which has had a much than $300 cardinal economical interaction connected the metropolis and authorities and fixed the New Orleans planetary recognition.

“This is our infinitesimal to emotion 1 another," she said. “Our clip to travel unneurotic to guarantee and recognize that we are unapologetically Black and we merit to beryllium loved connected and supported.”

Wanga said New Orleans is the existent “headliner” for the festival, which offers escaped regular workshops successful the normal halfway and ticketed nightly concerts with big-name artists astatine the Superdome.

The event’s declaration with the metropolis runs done 2026, with nary plans to extremity the narration with the magazine, Wanga and Cantrell said.