Afrobeat sensation, Davido, alongside American singers like Nas, Boyz II Men, Maxwell, Master P, GloRilla, The Isley Brothers, and Summer Walker have been listed as the first wave of performers for the 2025 Essence Festival.
Slated to hold from July 4 to 6 in New Orleans, Louisiana, the 2025 Essence Festival is a celebration of African-American culture, community, and heritage.
Essence is an American monthly lifestyle magazine covering fashion, beauty, entertainment, and culture. First published in 1970, the magazine is written for African-American women.
The Essence Festival was first created by Essence magazine in 1995 to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
The festival aims at celebrating, uplifting, and promoting African-American culture, community, and heritage through music, art, and storytelling.
In a post on X, the organisers wrote “We know. You were refreshing our feed. You were texting the group chat like, ‘They better not play with us this year’.
“The first wave of the lineup is here. Boyz II Men. Davido. Maxwell. Master P. GloRilla. The Isley Brothers. Nas. Summer Walker.
“Jermaine Dupri presents an “ESSENCE Flowers” tribute to Quincy Jones. And that’s just the beginning. You know we love a surprise.
“Text your people. Lock in your PTO. Get your tickets. We’ll see you in New Orleans.”
Originally planned as a one-time celebration, it has grown into a major annual cultural event.
The announced performers include: Davido, Nigerian afrobeats sensation known for his high-energy performances; Nas, legendary American rapper and hip-hop icon; Boyz II Men, classic R&B group famous for their soulful harmonies; Maxwell, the Grammy-winning R&B singer-songwriter; Master P, renowned rapper and entrepreneur; GloRilla, rising star in the rap scene; The Isley Brothers, the legendary R&B group; and Summer Walker, the American R&B singer.
