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Essence Fest has released a statement following Lauryn Hill’s very-delayed performance at Caesars Superdome
The singer was meant to take the stage at 12:30 a.m. but didn’t go on until closer to 2:30 a.m.
Hill performed songs from her Grammy-winning album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and chatted with audience members during her set
Essence Fest is taking responsibility for Lauyn Hill’s late set time.
The 2025 Essence Festival of Culture posted a statement on Monday, July 7, addressing Hill’s performance at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans to a near-empty stadium in the early morning hours on Saturday, July 5.
“Family is family and around here we protect our own no matter what the PEOPLE have to say,” began the statement shared on Instagram.
“Let’s be very clear— WE don’t play about Ms. Lauryn Hill. Not for clicks. Not for headlines. She arrived on schedule, stepped on that stage, and delivered the kind of performance only a legend can.”
The festival addressed the setback on Hill’s performance, which began at 2:30 a.m. and concluded at 3:37 a.m. “The delay? Not hers. We will take that. The moment? One for the books. The legacy? Still unmatched.”
“Put some respect on her name. Keep the takes, but keep her out of them,” concluded the statement. “All love and deep profound admiration for Ms. Lauryn Hill. #ESSENCEFest25.”
Paras Griffin/WireImage
Lauryn Hill in 2025
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Fans were grateful for the festival organizers taking responsibility for the delayed run of the show. “ACCOUNTABILITY!!! Thank you for addressing this for her 🙌🏾 all 50 of us enjoyed her that stayed til 3:30 am!!!!! Thank you Lauryn Hill!!,” one fan wrote on Instagram.
“👏👏👏👏👏👏,” Erykah Badu chimed in.
“Accountability is everything. 🙌🏾 No event is perfect. ❤️ and our good sis has a bad rap for being late – thanks for setting the record straight,” another fan wrote, alluding to Hill being known for late performances in the past.
Per Nola.com, the festival was running late from earlier in the evening, with the lineup also featuring Maxwell, Babyface, the Isley Brothers and GloRilla. Hill was a late addition to the festival’s run of show that evening, Stereogum reported.
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The “Everything Is Everything” artist’s original time slot was at 12:35 a.m., according to Essence Fest’s Instagram, making her performance two hours behind schedule.
Erika Goldring/Getty
Lauryn Hill in 2025
Despite the late-night performance, Hill, 50, spent her set chatting with the remaining audience members at the Superdome, which can hold over 70,000 people.
She took requests to sing “I Gotta Find Peace of Mind” and “Tell Him,” per Rolling Stone, and also performed songs from her Grammy-winning album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Hill also sang with her sons, Zion Marley and Joshua “YG” Marley.
The 2025 Essence Festival of Culture took place from Thursday, July 3 to Sunday, July 6.
Read the original article on People
