Cardi B, Patti LaBelle Lead All-Women Essence Fest Lineup
Brandy & Monica, Latto, are also among the performers announced for this year’s festival.
Cardi B at the "Little Miss Drama" Tour held at Kia Forum on February 16, 2026 in Inglewood, California.
Photo by Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images.
Cardi B has been announced as a headliner for the all-women lineup of performers at this year’s ESSENCE Fest. Latto, Kehlani, Brandy, Monica and Patti LaBelle are also among the first artists announced for the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture.
This will be Cardi B’s ESSENCE Festival debut, alongside fellow first-timer Latto. LaBelle will be appearing just as her Queens tour wraps in May. Monica made the announcement on Instagram, where she posted a photo of herself and Brandy.
“@brandy and I are SO happy to announce that WE #Bronica are headlining @Essence Festival 2026…on Saturday, July 4th,” she wrote.
According to Essence, additional talent, special guests, and programming will be rolled out in a series of curated reveals that lead up to the Festival in July.
The 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture returns to New Orleans from July 3 to 5, 2026. The nighttime events will unfold at the Caesars Superdome. The festival is back at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center for daytime programming, and will feature interactive moments for guests to hear from innovators in the beauty space, burgeoning and established filmmakers, politicians, activists and entrepreneurs, as well as best-selling authors and A-list talent.
