Famous girlfriends spotted at ESSENCE Festival of Culture
NEW ORLEANS, LA – JULY 4: (L-R) Kelly Rowland, Missy Elliott, Solange Knowles and Beyonce Knowles pose for a photo at the St. Heron’s ’17 Wards’ Weekend Wine & Grind for Essence Festival at Etoile Polaire No 1 on July 4, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Josh Brasted/Getty Images)
Besides the gorgeous guys and spoiled couples you’ll find in New Orleans at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture, we can’t forget that our annual event, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in July, is probably attended mostly by friends. On a flight to NOLA just before the ESSENCE Festival, you’re likely to see lines of Black women traveling with their best friends, their sisters, and other women’s groups to arrive in the city in time to enjoy all the fun they’ve had. They arrive in festive shirts, with their hair covered, full of joy, ready to make memories and show up.
In our 2022 EFOC issue, women talked about how they made lifelong friendships at the event. In “It’s the Sisterhood for Me,” Nabila Belgrave and Tinika Thomas, whose idea to go to the festival together came in 2004, said the trip eventually evolved into a huge girls’ trip with their colleagues and friends. More than 20 flew to New Orleans to have a good time, including seeing the late Prince in concert.
“We had a lot of people who were definitely Prince fans, and that was the highlight,” Belgrave said. “To this day, we call ourselves the ESSENCE Crew.”
Celebrity girlfriends are also frequent visitors to EFOC. They co-host panels, perform on stage, and are in the audience at Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night concerts. They’re also captured by EFOC photographers living life to the fullest and enjoying the good vibes that reign in the Crescent City this time of year. As the clock ticks down and we get ready to head to New Orleans with one goal in mind to party this year, check out all the BFFs and good friends caught on camera at ESSENCE Festival and hanging out at all the parties and events that happen while we’re in town.
01
Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah in 2017
NEW ORLEANS, LA – JULY 01: Jada Pinkett Smith (left) and Queen Latifah from the movie Girls Trips speak during the Essence Music Festival at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 1, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images for Universal)
02
LeToya Luckett and Keri Hilson in 2016
NEW ORLEANS, LA – JULY 1: Singers LeToya Luckett and Keri Hilson attend the 2016 ESSENCE Festival presented by Coca Cola at the Louisiana Superdome on July 1, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Essence Festival 2016)
03
Kelly Rowland, Missy Elliott, Solange and Beyoncé in 2015
NEW ORLEANS, LA – JULY 4: (L-R) Kelly Rowland, Missy Elliott, Solange Knowles and Beyonce Knowles pose for a photo at the St. Heron’s ’17 Wards’ Weekend Wine & Grind for Essence Festival at Etoile Polaire No 1 on July 4, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Josh Brasted/Getty Images)
04
Simone Smith and Mary J. Blige in 2018
NEW ORLEANS, LA – JULY 06: Simone I. Smith (L) and Mary J. Blige attend the 2018 Essence Festival – Day 1 on July 6, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
05
Missy Elliott and Tweet in 2015
NEW ORLEANS, LA – JULY 4: Missy Elliott (left) and Tweet pose for a photo at the St. Heron’s ’17 Wards’ Weekend Wine & Grind for Essence Festival at Etoile Polaire No 1 on July 4, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Josh Brasted/Getty Images)
06
Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold in 2018
NEW ORLEANS, LA – JULY 07: Tisha Campbell-Martin and Tichina Arnold attend the 2018 Essence Festival – Night 2 at the Louisiana Superdome on July 7, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/WireImage)
07
Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey in 2016
NEW ORLEANS, LA – JULY 2: Director Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey speak onstage during the 2016 ESSENCE Festival presented by Coca-Cola at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 2, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Essence Festival 2016)
08
Sanaa Lathan and Gabrielle Union in 2009
Sanaa Lathan and Gabriel Union attend the 2009 Essence Music Festival presented by Coca-Cola at the Louisiana Superdome on July 4, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
09
Taraji P. Henson and Danielle Brooks in 2023
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JUNE 30: Taraji P. Henson and Danielle Brooks attend the 2023 Essence Festival Of Culture on June 30, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
10
Chloe and Halle Bailey in 2022
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 2: (LR): Chloe Bailey and Halle of Chloe and Halle Bailey perform during the 2022 Essence Festival of Culture at Caesars Superdome on July 2, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Erika Goldring/WireImage,)
11
“P-Valley” co-stars Brandee Evans and Shannon Thornton in 2023
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JUNE 30: Brandee Evans and Shannon Thornton attend the first night of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Caesars Superdome on June 30, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
12
Evelyn Lozada and Shaunie O’Neal in 2012
NEW ORLEANS, LA – JULY 8: Television personalities Evelyn Lozada and Shaunie O’Neal attend the 2012 Essence Music Festival at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 8, 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/WireImage)
The ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ presented by Coca-Cola® takes place from July 4 to 7. For more information and news about the festival, visit our website and follow us on social media @ESSENCEFest on X, FacebookAnd Instagram.
Execution of Texas death row inmate Ramiro Gonzales planned
Arsenal’s Amario Cozier-Duberry will leave the club when his contract expires this month
Infer.so and ElevenLabs unveil groundbreaking multimodal AI voice bot
About The Author
