Lauryn Hill closes out Essence Fest 2025…..to an empty New Orleans Super Dome

At midnight Friday during the 2025 Essence Festival of Culture in the Caesars Superdome, hitmaking R&B producer, songwriter and singer Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds confessed that he was "tired as hell.”

He wasn’t nearly as tired as the handful of hearty souls who stuck around to see both Maxwell and Lauryn Hill after him.

It was nearly 4 a.m. Saturday morning when Hill, who was quietly added to an already overstuffed opening night lineup just two days prior, finished her show.

By then, the Superdome – which was never more than half full at any point Friday – was essentially empty

It ranked as one of the latest nights in the 31-year history of Essence Fest. And unlike two infamously late Essence evenings years ago, this one wasn’t Maxwell’s or Hill’s fault – at least not entirely


Running late from the start
The entire night ran behind schedule starting with Psyrin, the contemporary R&B trio that opened the show. Lucky Daye and Coco Jones sang over prerecorded tracks during inconsequential sets.

The Memphis rapper GloRilla, the fourth of eight acts on the main stage – that was at least two acts too many – finished 45 minutes after the Isley Brothers were scheduled to start.


GloRilla, in a tight, pink cropped top that matched those of her dancers, was all tats and swagger as she gave a "middle finger to all my haters" literally in "Bad Bih 4 Ya" and figuratively in "F.N.F. (Let's Go)."

The Isley Brothers seemed determined to make up for the night's lack of live bands up to that point by cranking the volume to distortion levels. They bludgeoned an over-exuberant "That Lady," then settled down a bit for "Footsteps in the Dark."

Ronald Isley, in his seventh decade of fronting the band, now sports a close-cropped white beard; he spent part of the set sitting down. But he still exuded authority, looking sharp in a tuxedo jacket with bedazzled lapels.

+8   

She’s a professional to perform that early in the morning.

+37   

Smh

+2   

She keeps doing the same ish

+13   

yea heard it was a mess and the event started late.This wasnt on her

Damn shame.

+20   

3-4 fu#king AM WTF do they expect



Aunties attend these every year, said they was done once they added more Rappers

+35   

other countries party all night but drugs too abundant here old heads that made it to 1:30 was getting groggy reminds me of college remember those all night dance fundraisers

+8   

Mf's don't care bout Essence Fest anymore.. lineup was trash anyway

+14   

+3   

Nobody care about L Boogie in 2025

Her last album was over 25 years ago

+5   

…I mean, she probably enthusiastically prefers that, if we’re being real.

+8   

then why can't she be professional at all her performances?

+3   

I gotta go one day

While it’s still auntie fest

Manifest a sugar mama

+13   

I think Lauryn Hill shows up late like that to see who the real fans are

+6   

Essence Fest partnered with Target while black people are boycotting Target. Dumb move.

+7   

I saw Lauryn almost 2 years ago- She was only 30 minutes late to the stage, but she put on a great show.

+9   

People see her do this type sh1t online then buy a ticket, go and get disrespected. Who’s fault is that? She showed you who she is and doesn’t respect people’s time. Lauryn was never that nice to be always hours late, nobody is

+7   

Lauryn Hill is mad boring. Especially for this era's sh1t standards on top of it.

Even Harlem boo'd her sh1t off stage first 10 seconds of singing.

+6   

Bruh



I was going to say those empty seats were the fans from all those LH concerts getting their get back all these years later.

+3   

I had a ton of people on TL talking about they hope they bump into Hill during Essence, well this certainly would have been a good chance lol

+1   

bi#ches flop erryday b she be aight she got pu$$y right

+2   

Lineup looked like fire to me.

On Friday, July 4th, Maxwell, Babyface, Glorilla, The Isley Brothers

On Saturday, July 5th, Jill Scott will headline. Other performers include Jasmine Sullivan, Patti LaBelle, Davido, Erykah Badu, Buju Banton, Moliy, and Donell Jones.

Sunday, July 6th: Concert series performers include Boyz II Men, Master P's final show with The No Limit Soldiers, Dru Hill, Keri Hilson, and more. Nas, Doug E Fresh, Jermaine Dupri, A Quincy Jones Tribute (featuring Tyrese, Robin Thicke, Al B. Sure, SWV, Xscape, The Pharcyde, and Mobb Deep), and Muni Long

+11   

Sad to see

+2   

Reread it, breh.

+9   

She don’t give a damn