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ESSENCE FESTIVAL OF CULTURE PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA ANNOUNCES 2021 VIRTUAL DAYTIME AND NIGHTTIME LINE-UP

ESSENCE, the leading and only 100% Black-owned media, technology and commerce company at scale dedicated to Black women and communities, announces its daytime and nighttime schedule for its virtual 2021 ESSENCE Festival of Culture Presented by Coca-Cola—the world’s largest cultural, entertainment and empowerment experience. With the theme “Live Loud,” ESSENCE curated an invaluable hybrid experience that offers the best of in-person and virtual worlds via a celebration of the resilience, power and achievement of Black communities and the omnipresence of our culture. Under strict adherence to guidance from local health agencies, ESSENCE produced live-to-tape activations in early June available only to New Orleans and Louisiana residents honoring essential workers and first responders. As a result, the entire Festival will present a “taste of New Orleans” with a full schedule of can’t-miss content centered around culture, equity and celebration—and a tribute to the city that the Festival has always called home.

It will be broadcast on ESSENCEStudios.com and ESSENCE.com–Friday-Sunday over two weekends, June 25-27 and July 2-4. In addition, for the first time, this year’s Festival will host a live Verzuz battle to remember on Thursday, July 1, with soon to be announced guests. For more details, visit ESSENCE.com.

The Festival’s virtual programming will include powerful daytime interactive sessions and star-studded evening concerts and connections. The star-studded lineup will feature performances by: Jazmine Sullivan, DJ Khaled & Friends, Ne-Yo, Amerie, Tank, Kirk Franklin, Davido, Lucky Daye, Carl Thomas, D-Nice and more. The Festival’s powerful interactive sessions will also showcase leading voices throughout the two weekends including: Mary J. Blige, Angela Yee, Michelle Williams, Adrienne Bailon, Sarah Jakes Roberts, Tracy G., Tiana Major9, Big Freedia, Miss Lawrence, Supacent, Shantrelle P. Lewis, Jesseca Dupart and more. See below for highlights across the two weekends: 

THURSDAY, JULY 1: 

  • ESSENCE Dear Black Men (6 PM-8 PM): ESSENCE Studios presents Dear Black Men—an all-male summit that salutes the contributions of our brothers who speak vulnerably about their respective experiences as family men, community advocates and leaders of this generation.  
  • ESSENCE Festival Verzuz Battle (LIVE at 8 PM-10 PM) 

FRIDAYS: 

  • PITCH, Please! New Voices Pitch Competition (3 PM-4 PM EST): Tune in to PITCH PLEASE!, powered by Pull Up for Change’s Impact Fund and the New Voices Foundation to watch up-and-coming Black women-owned beauty brands make their pitch to change the beauty business game! During this pitch competition, eight Black women founders will compete for cash prizes ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, plus valuable business coaching to launch and execute or grow and scale their beautiful entrepreneurial dreams.
  • Coca-Cola Juke Joint Kick Off with D-Nice (6/25 ONLY 5:30pm-6pm EST) : D-Nice kicks off the party with a set of our favorite songs from New Orleans at the historic Howling Wolf Venue.
  • ESSENCE Beauty Carnival [6 PM-10 PM (ET)]: Enjoy presentations from industry insiders and top brands on makeup, skin, body, and hair care that provide a fresh perspective on caring for and embracing the hair and skin you’re in. Speakers include: Adrienne Houghton, Melyssa Ford, Claudia Jordan, LisaRaye, Supacent, Miss Lawrence, Big Freedia, Demetria Lucas, India.Arie, Tina Knowles and more.
  • ESSENCE GU After Dark [10PM-11 PM (ET)]: Tune in for music curated by ESSENCE’s Girls United brought to you by your favorite rising stars. Featuring performances by Raiche, Tayla Parx & Makenzie and also a world premiere music video by MuMu Fresh.

SATURDAYS:

  • Wealth & Power [1 PM-5 PM (ET)]: Discover how to be an agent of change during this virtual town hall. Topics include tools for investing, business, entrepreneurship, policy, voting and more. Speakers include: June Ambrose, Jemele Hill, Tamika Mallory, New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell, Angela Yee, D-Nice and others.  In addition, watch a  special segment featuring our Black Female Mayors.
  • Entertainment All-Access [5 PM-7 PM (ET)]: Catch your Hollywood faves in Q&A’s and be the first to watch exclusive sneak peeks of the hottest upcoming releases! With appearances by: Gina Torres, Lil Rel, Yvonne Orji, Yandy Smith, Mary J. Blige and more.
  • Evening Concert Series [7 PM-10:30 PM (ET)]: ESSENCE® is giving you Saturday Night Vibes with our legendary evening concert series with a must-see lineup (*scroll down for talent line-up.)

SUNDAYS:

  • ESSENCE Wellness House [10 AM-1 PM (ET)]: A multi-faceted collective of self-care resources for you! Through our curated sessions, you will walk away equipped with the resources to prioritize your nutrition, spirit, relationships, and more.
  • Get Lifted Gospel Sunday Celebration [1 PM-3 PM (ET)]: Get your spirits lifted as the annual all-star Gospel tribute hits your screen for two Sundays back to back! Tune in for powerful words of praise by your favorite spiritual leaders and music by your favorite gospel artists. Performances by Kirk Franklin & Friends, Israel Houghton and more.

WEEK 1 (Saturday Evening Concert Line-up): 

SATURDAY, 6/26: 

  • Ha Sizzle 
  • Teedra Moses 
  • KES 
  • Lucky Daye 
  • Tank 
  • Jazmine Sullivan 

WEEK 2 (Saturday Evening Concert Line-up): 

SATURDAY, 7/3: 

  • Case 
  • Carl Thomas 
  • D-Nice, Ne-Yo and Amerie 
  • Davido 
  • DJ Khaled and Friends 

*Artists and schedules are subject to change. 

For more information, pick up the July/August “ESSENCE Festival of Culture” split-cover issue, featuring headliner Jazmine Sullivan on the cover. To register or for a full line-up, visit www.essencefestival.com. Join the conversation via social @EssenceFest. The ESSENCE Festival of Culture Presented by Coca-Cola® is executive produced by ESSENCE Festivals LLC, a division of ESSENCE Communications Inc. Sponsors of the 2021 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® include presenting sponsor Coca-Cola and major sponsors Estée Lauder, Ford, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Walmart as well as premium sponsors AT&T, Disney and UnitedHealthcare.

Style+Life+Fashion is the brainchild of Kimberly West, a consultant, and on-air lifestyle expert. Although Kim started blogging as a hobby due to her love for Fashion, she quickly gained a loyal following as a respected industry expert and contributor for numerous fashion websites. She seeks to provide the latest trends as well as educate consumers about all aspects of fashion. Kim has hosted television segments as a fashion and lifestyle expert with ABC 33/40, WBRC Fox6, ABC2 News, Fox 45 WBFF, The List Baltimore, and WBAL News. Her fashion interviews include well-known industry experts such as Tai Beauchamp, Tomima Edmark, Julie Weiss, Clinton Kelly, Gianni Rich, Darius Gibbs, Dean Banowetz, and Lilliana Vazquez. In addition, she’s interviewed reality star Queensly Felix and R&B Artist, Keyshia Cole. She has also collaborated with online features for Glamour Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and Macy’s, and worked to stream digital content and video for New York Fashion Week 2010.