Essence Festival organisers have taken full responsibility for a disastrous scheduling mishap that left Lauryn Hill performing to a nearly empty venue at 2:30am during the event’s opening night.
The 31st annual Essence Festival in New Orleans faced significant delays last week (July 4th), with eight acts scheduled to perform, including Hill who was added to the lineup just two days before the concert. As the evening progressed, scheduling issues snowballed, creating a domino effect that pushed performances well into the early hours of Saturday morning.
According to reports from Nola.com (as per Rolling Stone), the scheduling chaos was evident early in the night when GloRilla, the fourth performer, finished her set 45 minutes after The Isley Brothers were originally scheduled to begin. The delays continued to worsen, with Maxwell taking the stage at 12:55am, nearly two hours after his scheduled 11:15pm slot.
By the time Hill appeared onstage at 2:31am, most attendees had already departed, leaving the arena largely vacant. Despite the circumstances, the former Fugees member made the best of the situation, engaging with the dedicated fans who remained and taking unexpected requests including “I Gotta Find Peace of Mind” and “Tell Him”. Her performance concluded at 3:37am.
While Hill has previously gained a reputation for tardiness at her concerts, Essence Festival organisers made it clear this incident was not her fault. They addressed the situation on Instagram, stating: “She arrived on schedule, stepped on that stage, and delivered the kind of performance only a legend can. The delay? Not hers. We will take that.”
They further defended the artist, adding: “The moment? One for the books. The legacy? Still unmatched. Put some respect on her name. Keep the takes, but keep her out of them. All love and deep profound admiration for Ms. Lauryn Hill.”
The subsequent nights of the festival reportedly ran more smoothly. Saturday’s performances featured Davido, Buju Banton, Erykah Badu, and Jill Scott, with Scott closing the evening at the comparatively reasonable hour of 1:30am.
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