Lauryn Hill performs to largely empty stadium at 'Essence' Festival of Culture

Monday, July 7, 2025 at 12:40 PM

Lauryn Hill performed at the 2025 Essence Festival of Culture early Saturday morning in front of a nearly empty stadium. She took the stage at 2:30 a.m. local time, according to Nola.com, with a set that included appearances from her sons Zion Marley and Joshua Marley. She also sang unplanned renditions of "I Gotta Find Peace of Mind" and "Tell Him" at the request of remaining fans in the crowd.

Hill played to a crowd of several hundred people at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, which has a capacity of 83,000 people. Although her tardiness has been a running joke, Nola.com reports Hill wasn't to blame for her late set time, as festival was behind schedule from the start.

Essence also took accountability for the delay, noting Hill "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," it continued. "The moment? One for the books. The legacy? Still unmatched."

"Put some respect on her name," Essence wrote. "Keep the takes, but keep her out of them. All love and deep profound admiration for Ms. Lauryn Hill."

Lauryn's set followed performances from Psiryn, GloRilla, The Isley Brothers, Babyface, Maxwell, Coco Jones and Lucky Daye.