Essence Festival Defends Lauryn Hill’s Delayed Performance To Near-Empty Stadium

Lauryn Hill latest “late” performance at the 2025 Essence Festival was reportedly not her fault, and under circumstances out of her control. According to attendees, Hill didn’t hit the stage at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans until 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning (July 5) — well after most fans had called it a night. By the time she launched into her set, only a few hundred people remained in the “nearly empty” venue that holds more than 80,000. According to NOLA.com the evening ran off-schedule from the start, with multiple acts finishing almost an hour behind. And to be fair, the eight-time Grammy winner wasn’t just fashionably late — she was added to an already jam-packed lineup that included performances by Jill Scott, Davido, Donnell Jones, Moliy, and Buju Banton. For the fans who stayed, Ms. Hill made it count. She spoke to the intimate crowd, took a song request or two, and even brought her sons, Zion Marley and Joshua “YG” Marley, on stage for a family moment. Her set ended around 3:30 a.m.

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