Diana Ross, Mary J. Blige Among Lineup for 2017 Essence Festival in New Orleans

Essence today announced the initial lineup for the 2017 Essence Festival Concert Series in New Orleans featuring headliners Diana Ross and Mary J. Blige, among many others. The 23rd annual event will take place June 30-July 2, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The initial performance lineup is outlined below. Additional acts will be announced in the coming weeks.

Artists confirmed to perform at the nightly Essence Festival concerts over Fourth of July weekend at the Louisiana Superdome include: Diana Ross, Mary J Blige, Chaka Khan, Doug E Fresh, Erykah Badu, India.Arie, Jazmine Sullivan, John Legend, June's Diary, Lalah Hathaway, Lizzo, Master P, Michel'le, Moses Sumney, Ro James, Shaggy, Sir the Baptist, Solange, Teyana Taylor, The Jones Girls Feat. Shirley Jones, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Tweet, Yuna, and many more to be announced soon.

"This year's Festival lineup puts women at the forefront of an incredible weekend of entertainment featuring more than 40 of the world's most gifted artists and performers," said Essence President Michelle Ebanks. "It is an honor to welcome the inimitable Diana Ross to the Festival for the first time. Plus, Festival veteran Mary J. Blige is back to share 'Strength of a Woman' with her most passionate fans."

The A-list nighttime concerts will feature more than 40 acts and will take place across five stages - including the Festival's renowned Mainstage and four intimate Superlounges. Mary J. Blige will headline a special night, themed My Path to Strength, introducing her highly anticipated album "Strength of a Woman."

Weekend ticket packages are on sale Friday, December 16 at 10am CT with prices starting at $126. For information about ticket sales, accommodations and the latest news about the Essence Festival visit Essence Festival. Join the Festival community: follow us on Twitter @essencefest #EssenceFest and become a fan of 2017 Essence Festival on Facebook.

The 2017 Essence Festival is presented by Coca-Cola.

ABOUT ESSENCE COMMUNICATIONS INC. Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) is the number one media company dedicated to African-American women, with a multi-platform presence in publishing, live events and online. The company's flagship publication, Essence magazine, is the preeminent lifestyle magazine for African-American women, generating brand extensions, such as the Essence Festival, Essence Black Women in Hollywood and Black Women in Music, Window on Our Women and Smart Beauty consumer insights series, Essence.com, and ventures in digital media (mobile, television and VOD). For 46 years, Essence, which has a brand reach of 14.2 million, has been the leading source of cutting-edge information and specific solutions relating to every area of African-American women's lives. Additional information about ECI and Essence is available at www.essence.com.

ABOUT TIME INC. Time Inc. (NYSE:TIME) is a leading content company that engages over 150 million consumers every month through our portfolio of premium brands across platforms. By combining our distinctive content with our proprietary data and people-based targeting, we offer highly differentiated end-to-end solutions to marketers across the multi-media landscape. Our influential brands include People, Time, Fortune, Sports Illustrated, InStyle, Real Simple and Southern Living, as well as more than 50 diverse titles in the United Kingdom. Time Inc. has been extending the power of our brands through various acquisitions and investments, including Viant, an advertising technology firm with a specialized people-based marketing platform, The Foundry, Time Inc.'s creative lab and content studio, and the People Entertainment Weekly Network (PEN). The company is also home to celebrated events, such as the Time 100, Fortune Most Powerful Women, People's Sexiest Man Alive, Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year, the Essence Festival and the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.

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