*The Essence Festival is NOT going to happen in July as originally planned after all. Earlier this month, organizers of the event said they were moving ahead with the festival despite the coronavirus.
Now that the situation has worsened and New Orleans, where the festival is held annually, has become a deadly hotspot for the virus, those officials changed course and announced the 2020 Essence Festival is being postponed.
Friday on the Essence website, organizers said the festival is now planned for a time “closer to the fall.”
Based on developments over the past couple of weeks, including updates from our city and health partners, we are officially announcing that we will move the 2020 ESSENCE Festival of Culture closer to the fall. Visit https://t.co/xhrTNEmoKN for the full statement. #EssenceFest pic.twitter.com/7WB1QBCh0y
— ESSENCE Festival (@essencefest) March 28, 2020
It’s the latest festival change in the New Orleans area as COVID-19 cases in the state swelled to 2,746 with 119 deaths, with the highest concentration in Orleans and Jefferson parishes.
Essence Communications Inc., the festival’s parent company, said the decision was made to move the five-day multifaceted event from its original July 1-5 schedule “based on developments over the past couple of weeks, including updates from our city and health partners.”
If you’re wondering, previously announced talent, which includes headliners Janet Jackson and Bruno Mars, will remain on the lineup for the postponed dates, and tickets sold for the originally scheduled performances will still be honored on the new dates.
The exact new dates for the festival will be announced “shortly.”
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Here’s more via Nola.com:
The 26th edition of the Essence Fest is set to include two extra days of activities to commemorate the 50th anniversary year of Essence magazine, along with the annual three-night evening concert series in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Tens of thousands of attendees fill the Morial Convention Center for free daytime activities that include panel discussions and product presentations.
Essence Fest organizers previously said they intended to move forward with the July 1-5 timeframe, but also said they were already looking to identify and secure alternate dates.
One possible alternative is Labor Day weekend in early September. That weekend, however, is already filling up, with the Buku Music + Art Project at Mardi Gras World moving their weekend festival to that date. The annual Southern Decadence festival is also held over Labor Day weekend.
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The site also noted that the Essence Fest is the latest major New Orleans festival to be delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
The free French Quarter Festival, originally scheduled for April, is now slated for Oct. 1-4.
Also, the 2020 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, originally scheduled for late April and early May, is also moving to the fall. Producers have not specified the exact dates, but they are expected to be in early to mid-October, after the rescheduled French Quarter Festival.
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