Ms. Lauryn Hill and Megan Thee Stallion to Headline 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans

The 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture will be held from June 29 through July 3

Ms. Lauryn Hill and Megan Thee Stallion. Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty, Denise Truscello/Getty

"Guys, you know you better watch out" — Ms. Lauryn Hill is set to headline the 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture alongside Megan Thee Stallion!

The 29th annual culture festival, presented by Coca-Cola, revealed its first set of performers for this year's iteration on Wednesday, and the two Grammy winners are at the top of the bill.

In celebration of hip-hop's 50th anniversary, rapper Doug E. Fresh will put together a lineup featuring some of the genre's performers for a special performance, while rapper and music executive Jermaine Dupri will take the stage alongside several Atlanta musicians to commemorate his So So Def record label's 30th anniversary.

Additional musicians set to perform at the 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture include "Essence" singer-songwriter WizKid, Grammy winner Monica and rising R&B star Coco Jones.

Comedians including Deon Cole, Affion Crockett, Spice Adams and Abbott Elementary star Janelle James will deliver performances during the festival, while DJ Spinderella, DJ Kid Capri and DJ Clark Kent will keep the music going with DJ sets.

Jermaine Dupri, Coco Jones, Monica. Shareif Ziyadat/Getty, Joe Scarnici/Getty, Prince Williams/Wireimage

The festival will be held from June 29 through July 3 in New Orleans, with the aforementioned performances going down from June 30 through July 2 at the Superdome. Tickets are currently on sale, with information available at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture's website.

"For nearly three decades, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture has been an international and joyful gathering that empowers community throughout the global Black diaspora," said the festival's vice president Hakeem Holmes in a press statement. "As the nation's largest festival by per day attendance, it continues to be a crown jewel of Black culture and plays a pivotal role in the amplification and celebration of the contributions of the Black community through business, music, and more."

Holmes continued, "As we gear up to celebrate the '50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop', we couldn't think of a better way to honor the contributions the genre has made on global culture and the impressions that these artists and their deep musical catalogs, which we all know so well, have been ingrained into the fibers of our day to day lives."

More performers for the 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture will be announced soon.