Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige to Headline 2018 Essence Festival -- See Who Else!

janet jackson mary j blige
Getty Images

The star-studded lineup for the New Orleans festival also includes Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Snoop Dogg, The Roots and more.

The 2018 Essence Festival attendees are in for a treat!

The initial star-studded lineup has been announced for the New Orleans, Louisiana, festival, taking place July 5-8, and will feature headliners Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige and an additional headlining set by Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, along with special guests Snoop Dogg and many others in a special curation by The Roots, Xscape, Fantasia and Miguel.

Music festival frequenters will note how female-heavy the top of the bill is, a refreshing change amid many other festivals that are still primarily dominated by all-male headliners.

“In 2018, women are at the forefront of a seismic shift reverberating across the cultural landscape, and this movement comes to life for our community at the Essence Festival,” Essence Communications president Michelle Ebanks said in a statement. “Some of the most iconic female artists and powerhouse performers of this generation -- Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Fantasia and others -- embrace Essence and the Festival as a sacred space to entertain, inspire, revel in culture and be renewed.”

For more information on tickets for the three-day event, go here.

Meanwhile, watch the video below for how Justin Timberlake addressed his infamous Super Bowl halftime moment with Jackson.

RELATED CONTENT: