(Black PR Wire) NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- In celebration of Women’s History Month, ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® unveils the first wave of performers for its 2026 Evening Concert Series, leading with the LADIES welcoming Cardi B, Patti LaBelle, Kehlani, Latto, and former ESSENCE cover stars Brandy & Monica to the Caesars Superdome, July 3–5 in New Orleans. Together, the artist collection signals a stage shaped by women who have set standards, broken ceilings, and built careers on their own terms.

Grammy Award-winning artist Cardi B will make her ESSENCE Festival of Culture® debut, bringing a career that reshaped the commercial and cultural landscape for women in hip-hop. From record-breaking chart milestones to unapologetic authorship over her narrative, Cardi’s rise reflects a generation who turned visibility into leverage and influence into ownership.

Also, making her ESSENCE Festival of Culture® debut, Grammy-nominated rap phenomenon Latto represents a new era of Southern rap dominance. With multi-platinum hits and a growing global footprint, she has built her career with lyrical confidence and business clarity, carving space for women rappers to lead without compromise.

Kehlani, a Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter, has become one of contemporary R&B’s most emotionally resonant voices. Her catalog blends vulnerability, experimentation, and creative independence, cultivating a loyal audience that sees itself reflected in her storytelling.

Former ESSENCE cover stars Brandy and Monica return to a stage that mirrors their cultural imprint. Both Grammy Award-winning vocalists, their shared history helped define modern R&B collaboration while their individual careers set standards for vocal precision, longevity, and reinvention.

And Patti LaBelle, Grammy Award-winning soul legend and enduring live performer, returns to ESSENCE Festival of Culture® with a voice that has transcended eras. For more than six decades, she has shaped what stage presence and vocal mastery look like for generations of artists who followed.

This first wave spans eras, genres, and artistic approaches, reflecting women whose influence continues to resonate across audiences and industries. Additional performers, special guests, and expanded programming will be announced in a series of curated reveals leading up to July.

By day, the programming of the ESSENCE Festival of Culture® at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, will introduce a dynamic hub where culture and commerce meet. Across these platforms, founders connect with consumers, filmmakers debut new work, beauty innovators set trends, authors engage new audiences, and entrepreneurs scale their businesses in real time. Applications for vendors, creators, and founders interested in participating in SOKO MRKT™ by ESSENCE® and select daytime programming are now open. Entrepreneurs and brands ready to meet their audience face-to-face at ESSENCE Festival of Culture® are encouraged to apply early.

Building on the cultural creator model introduced in 2025, the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® will continue to bring together visionary voices who will shape programming and creative direction. Together, this group blends intention with community at the center of the weekend, expanding the stories told across every stage. Additional curator announcements will be shared in upcoming weeks.

The 2026 daytime programming footprint includes:

ESSENCE Food & Wine Festival™
BEAUTYCON™: @ESSENCEFEST Edition
AFROPUNK BLKTOPIA™
ESSENCE Film Festival® by ESSENCE STUDIOS™
ESSENCE Stage™
SOKO MRKT™ by ESSENCE®
ESSENCE Authors™
ESSENCE® GU® Kickback
GBEF® HQ

Tickets for the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® Evening Concert Series are on sale now. Festivalgoers are encouraged to secure accommodations early and begin curating their weekend through the E360 app, where personalized itineraries, exclusive offers, and real-time updates bring the full Festival experience to life.

Now is the time to plan your stay, gather your crew, and prepare for a celebration that extends far beyond the stage. Join the conversation on social at @ESSENCEFest on X, Facebook, and Instagram — and subscribe to ESSENCE Magazine and newsletter to stay connected all year long.

About Sundial Media & Technology Group

Sundial Media & Technology Group (SMTG) is a human connections platform redefining the future of media. With more than 100 years of storytelling expertise and audience insight, SMTG is transforming the traditional media model into a technology-enabled ecosystem designed to foster belonging, drive influence, and scale economic opportunity. Its portfolio includes some of the most iconic purpose-driven brands and experiences in culture today, including ESSENCE (Girls United, ESSENCE Studios, ESSENCE Festival of Culture®), Refinery29, AFROPUNK, Beautycon™, the Global Black Economic Forum, and the Academy for Advancing Excellence. Through strategic storytelling, data-powered platforms, and products built for cultural impact, SMTG is where connection becomes currency.

Source: ESSENCE