The 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture kicks off this week in New Orleans, and fans who can’t make it to the three-day event can sit back at home to watch live performances from this year’s concert headliners including Lauryn Hill, Megan Thee Stallion, and Missy Elliott. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the ESSENCE Fest livestream at home this year, including how to stream the annual event for free.
The answer: Watch ESSENCE Fest with a Hulu free trial.
When Is the 2023 ESSENCE Fest? Headliners, Schedule
Following last year’s ESSENCE Fest, headlined by Janet Jackson and Nicki Minaj, the 2023 ESSENCE Fest Primetime livestream kicks off on Friday, June 30 starting at 7 p.m. CT, and runs until Sunday, July 2. Stream ESSENCE Fest Primetime with a Hulu free trial.
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Hosted by Rocsi, Ed Lover, Big Tigger, and Pretty Vee, the ESSENCE Fest Primetime stream kicks off Friday with five hours of live music and a look inside each day’s events at the Superdome. Along with each night’s headliners — Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott, and Megan Thee Stallion — Doug E. Fresh, Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, Eve, Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick, Salt-N-Pepa, Gucci Mane, Big Boi, Lil Jon, Monica, T.I., Ice Cube, Ice-T, Remy Ma, Trina, and Jagged Edge are also slated to perform during this weekend’s livestream show.
“It is great to be reteaming with our incredible partners at ESSENCE,” says Adia Matthews, Hulu’s vice president of brand partnerships and synergy, in a statement. “We are thrilled to join them in celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop throughout the festival weekend by bringing this iconic event back into the homes of our viewers, once again.”
As far as the general schedule for the weekend’s concert series goes, Lauryn Hill will play Friday, Missy Elliott will perform on Saturday, and Megan Thee Stallion will headline Sunday evening’s concert.
How to Watch ESSENCE Fest 2023 Online for Free
If you want to catch the ESSENCE Fest Primetime livestream online, you can tune into the exclusive stream on Hulu. You’ll need a Hulu subscription to watch Lauryn Hill, Megan Thee Stallion, and Missy Elliott’s performances, as well as the rest of the weekend’s artists.
Hulu subscriptions start at $7.99/month (Hulu With Ads) and $14.99/month (Hulu No Ads). Both of Hulu’s plans come with a 30-day free trial, before you’ll start paying the monthly subscription fee.
Buy Hulu Subscription $7.99/month
With your new Hulu subscription, you’ll get access to watch ESSENCE Fest Primetime, as well as livestreams for future music festivals like Lollapalooza, plus exclusive Hulu content like The Bear. Get a Hulu 30-day free trial HERE.