Essence Music Festival
The Essence Festival, known as "the party with a purpose", is an annual music festival which started in 1995 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence, a magazine aimed primarily towards African-American women. It is the largest event celebrating African-American culture and music in the United States. Locally referred to as the Essence Fest, it has been held in New Orleans, Louisiana since 1994 except for 2006, when it was held in Houston, Texas due to Hurricane Katrina's effect on New Orleans. It was also held in Durban, South Africa in 2016. It features artists simultaneously performing on a main stage as well as four standing-room only superlounge stages.
During the 90s, the lifestyle magazine for African women, Essence, decided to run an annual music event devoted to contemporary black music and culture. The chosen place was naturally New Orleans as it’s the birthplace of jazz and has a stronghold of rhythm and blues, rap and other music genres related to African American culture. Since then every July, and for three days, the city of New Orleans welcomes famous and upcoming performers to the Superdome stadium. Similar musical and cultural activities can be seen across the city with an outdoor market to be held in the Central Business District featuring art, books, food, business and educational information while at the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center, the Essence Marketplace holds a distinct exhibit of top-quality fine arts and crafts.