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    Want To Be On Stage At ESSENCE Fest? Here's The Real Way In NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: Keshia Knight Pulliam attends a panel discussion at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center during the Essence Festival of Culture on July 05, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Josh Brasted/FilmMagic) By Kimberly Wilson ·Updated May 5, 2026 Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…

    Every July, New Orleans >ESSENCE Festival of Culture. 

    While the main stage will light up this year with artists such as Cardi B, Latto, Public Enemy and Kehlani, there’s an entire ecosystem of programming happening throughout the weekend that features emerging artists, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and creators who may not have platinum plaques but definitely have something important to say. Are you a foodie? The Food and Wine Festival has you covered. We’ve even got something for the fellas at Suede.

    As an editor at ESSENCE, I constantly get asked: How do you get booked at the festival if you’re not already famous (or know someone, who knows someone that’s famous)? The truth is, getting programming at ESSENCE Fest is more accessible than most people think, but it requires a completely different approach than what most talent tries (and that does not involve sliding in my DMs or approaching me when you see me at a party!).

    First and foremost, asking me this question in June, when the festival is in July is problem #1. Behind the scenes at one of the world’s largest festivals means programming decisions aren’t happening over last-minute pitch emails. They grow out of relationships we’ve built with sources, experts, and voices throughout the entire year. When we’re sitting in programming meetings months before the festival, we’re not scrolling through random Instagram DMs or cold emails. We’re thinking about the people who have consistently shown up as valuable contributors to our content.

    As my colleague, Nandi Howard, former VP of Content at ESSENCE, put it, “The best way to get booked at festival is to reach out to an editor beforehand. Form a relationship with the staff, work on other projects, lend yourself as a source. A lot of times, when talent is booked for festival it’s because they have fostered a relationship internally.”

    This means thetarget="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">now. Follow @ESSENCEFest on X, Facebook, and Instagram to stay connected.

    The post Want To Be On Stage At ESSENCE Fest? Here’s The Real Way In appeared first on Essence.

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