Essence will be bringing in musical royalty for their 2014 festival in New Orleans, and while some call him the Purple One, many know the singer-songwriter simply as Prince.
The trailblazing icon will be commemorating the 20th Annual Essence Music Festival with a Superdome-headlining performance over Fourth of July weekend (from July 3rd through the 6th) down in New Orleans. Essence broke the big news earlier today, which couldn’t have been a better choice, considering that the “Purple Rain” singer rung in the brand’s 10th anniversary showcase in 2004.
Returning to the Big Easy a decade later, we can only imagine that Prince will be rocking the country’s largest celebration of black music and culture with a performance like no other.
In addition to the big news, Essence and Prince have also partnered together for a special community initiative ran by the Rebuild The Dream Innovation Fund’s founder Van Jones, called #YesWeCode. Their vision is to “encourage young people to use the power of media and technology, and channel their creativity into computer coding.”
Prince’s headlining gig comes just days after the legendary musician announcement of a three-day Connecticut takeover at the Mohegan Sun Arena, which kicks off Friday, December 27, before closing out on Sunday (December 29).
Via a press statement, Essence’s Communications President, Michelle Ebanks, had this to say about the 2014 announcement:
“Welcoming an artist as iconic as Prince back to the Essence Festival for a 20th anniversary performance is incredibly exciting. The Festival is where we come together to connect to both our culture and our community, so we are pleased to support Prince and the Rebuild the Dream Innovation Fund in advocating for our youth.”
Additional performers and speakers for the festival will be announced soon. To purchase tickets, head over to their website now, and for Prince’s Mohegan Sun three-day gig, tickets go on sale Friday (December 6).