Essence Music Festival is an annual music festival celebrating contemporary African American music and culture. It is the largest event celebrating African American culture and music in the United States. It has been held in New Orleans, Louisiana every year since 1995 except for 2006, where it was held in Houston, Texas due to Hurricane Katrina. Essence Music Festival, known locally as Essence Fest, is sponsored by Essence, a magazine aimed primarily towards African-American women.

The 14th Essence Music Festival, held from July 4 to July 6, 2008, featured several chart-topping artists and some Essence favorites, among them Beyoncé, Chris Rock, Kanye West, Patti LaBelle, Chris Brown, LL Cool J, Grand Master Flash and Mary J. Blige.^{[citation needed]}

Beyonce headlined the 2009 Essence Music Festival, which would make her the longest-headlining female.

• Knowles had over 72,000 attendees, making Essence's first sell-out concert in its 15-year history.

For the first time since its 1995 inception, the festival was not produced by the original producer team. Instead, Essence Communications, owner of the festival and the Essence magazine, contracted Rehage Entertainment Inc., to help reinvigorate the festival's presentation and marketing. A new main stage face-lift was designed by production designer Stefan Beese and instituted by the new regime at Essence Communications & Rehage Entertainment for the 2008 Essence Music Festival.

Traxx Girls Inc has partnered with Studfish productions to offset the first annual Essence Weekend for Ladies edition of Essence music festival by hosting events for the alternative lifestyle women who enjoy attending Essence Music Festival weekend but want to attend events that cater to alternative women.