Lauryn Hill plays to near-empty stadium at Essence Festival in New Orleans

Lauryn Hill performed to a near-empty Caesars Superdome during the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans after her set was delayed by hours due to scheduling issues.

The eight-time Grammy winner was scheduled to perform on Friday, July 4, but did not take the stage until 2:30 a.m local time on Saturday, July 5, according to Nola.com and Stereogum. 

By the time Hill began her set, only several hundred people remained in the stadium, which could accommodate up to 83,000 attendees.

Despite the sparse crowd and late hour, Hill engaged with the audience, bantering and taking requests during her performance. She was also joined on stage by her sons, Zion Marley and Joshua “YG” Marley for parts of her set, which concluded at 3:37 a.m.

Hill, who has previously been known for late arrivals, appeared to handle the situation calmly, with reports indicating that the festival’s schedule had run behind throughout the evening. Some performances finished almost an hour later than planned.

Videos shared on TikTok showed the near-empty venue, prompting many fans to defend Hill on social media, stating the delays were beyond her control and expressing support for the singer of “Doo-Wop (That Thing).”

The Essence Festival 2025 is set to conclude on Sunday, July 6, with a lineup including Jill Scott, Boyz II Men, Summer Walker, and Jazmine Sullivan.