The 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture came to a close on Sunday after another full day in New Orleans. Shamea Morton, Mario, LeToya Luckett, Reginae Carter, Yandy Smith-Harris, Lance Gross, and other familiar faces appeared at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center as daytime programming wrapped for the weekend.
Sunday night, Festival attendees headed to Caesars Superdome for the final installment of the Evening Concert Series. T.I. took the stage before an audience ready to celebrate the last night of EFOC. George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic also performed, while Public Enemy brought Chuck D and Flavor Flav back to the Superdome. The show also featured Mýa, Chlöe, Normani, Ryan Destiny, Sevyn Streeter, Tevin Campbell, MC Lyte, and Scarface.
As another ESSENCE Festival weekend comes to an end, take a look at some of the celebrities spotted during the final day of this year’s celebration.
Shamea Morton
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: Shamea Morton seen backstage during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
T.I. performs during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: T.I. performs during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture® Presented By Coca-Cola® at Caesars Superdome on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Josh Brasted/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Mya, Ryan Destiny, and Chlöe
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: (L-R) Mya, Ryan Destiny, and Chlöe during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture® Presented By Coca-Cola® at Caesars Superdome on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Josh Brasted/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Mya
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: Mya performs during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture® Presented By Coca-Cola® at Caesars Superdome on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Normani, Ryan Destiny, Mya, Chlöe, and Sevyn Streeter
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: (L-R) Normani, Ryan Destiny, Mya, Chlöe, and Sevyn Streeter perform during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture® Presented By Coca-Cola® at Caesars Superdome on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Flavor Flav and Chuck D of Public Enemy.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: (L-R) Flavor Flav and Chuck D of Public Enemy perform during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture® Presented By Coca-Cola® at Caesars Superdome on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
MC Lyte
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: MC Lite performs during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture® Presented By Coca-Cola® at Caesars Superdome on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Tevin Campbell
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: Tevin Campbell performs during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture® Presented By Coca-Cola® at Caesars Superdome on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Scarface
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: Scarface performs during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture® Presented By Coca-Cola® at Caesars Superdome on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
George Clinton
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic perform during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture® Presented By Coca-Cola® at Caesars Superdome on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Josh Brasted/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
DJ Trauma, Kenny Burns and LeToya Luckett
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: DJ Trauma, Kenny Burns and LeToya Luckett perform during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture® Presented By Coca-Cola® at Caesars Superdome on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Charles Beloved hosting.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: Charles Beloved Kuykendoll performs onstage during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Peter Forest/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Mario
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: Mario performs onstage during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Peter Forest/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
LeToya Luckett
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: LeToya Luckett speaks onstage during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Pastor Mike Jr.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: Pastor Mike Jr.
performs onstage during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
performs onstage during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Reginae Carter
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: Reginae Carter speaks onstage during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Peter Forest/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Miles Minnick
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: Miles Minnick attends the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Yandy Smith-Harris
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: Yandy Smith-Harris speaks during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Rodney Rikai, Lance Gross and Julian Horton
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: (L-R) Rodney Rikai, Lance Gross and Julian Horton pose onstage during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Lance Gross
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 05: Lance Gross speaks onstage during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola® at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
