NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JULY 04: Ms. Lauryn Hill performs onstage during Day 1 of the 2025 ESSENCE Festival of Culture presented by Coca-Cola at Caesars Superdome on July 04, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Josh Brasted/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Lauryn Hill headlined the first night of the 2025 Essence Festival Of Culture at the Caesars Superdome on Friday, just days after being added to the lineup. When she took the stage at around 2:30 a.m., two hours behind schedule, the New Orleans stadium was nearly “empty,” NOLA.com reports. Hill has a reputation for going on late, but this time it wasn’t her fault. The whole show ran behind schedule, with performers including GloRilla, the Isley Brothers, Babyface, and Maxwell going on over an hour after their announced set times. Hill finally wrapped up at 3:37 a.m.
