Lauryn Hill is no used to running on her own time, but her recent “late” performance at the 2025 Essence Festival was supposedly not her fault and occurred due to circumstances beyond her control.
According to attendees, Hill did not take the stage at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans until 2:30 a.m. on Saturday (July 5), well after most fans had gone to bed. By the time she began her concert, only a few hundred fans remained in the “nearly empty” venue, which seats more than 80,000.
According to NOLA.com, the event was off schedule from the start, with many acts finishing over an hour late. To be fair, the eight-time Grammy winner was not only fashionably late; she was added to an already packed roster that included Jill Scott, Davido, Donnell Jones, Moliy, and Buju Banton.
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Ms. Hill made the most of the time she had with the fans. She addressed the intimate crowd, took a few song requests, and even brought her boys, Zion Marley and Joshua “YG” Marley, on stage for a family moment. Her set finished about 3:30 a.m., according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Videos of the almost empty stadium have circulated on TikTok, as have clips of her performing an emotional performance despite the small attendance.
Hill played famous favorites including “Tell Him” and “Zion,” while her son delivered a live rendition of his viral song “Praise Jah In The Moonlight.”
READ MORE: Low Ticket Sales Forced Lauryn Hill To Cancel The North American Fugees Reunion
Some supporters defended her on social media, claiming that the scheduling snafu was not her fault and complimenting her for continuing to show up with grace.
A post shared by ESSENCE Festival (@essencefest)
“It was a phenomenal set! I’m glad and grateful that I stayed. Still feeling inspired!!!” One individual responded on Instagram, while another added, “This is seriously wrong that someone is exposing information like this. She was not late; the entire event began late, and she did not get to start at her planned time since two artists before her were still performing when she should have been on stage.”
They continued, “I was there and saw everything, from Glorilla to Lauryn. That woman does not deserve this negative narrative, as if’she did anything wrong’ or her followers aren’t behind her. It was late, and many were tired. Give her a break. A third individual added, “And this is my song, too!! I would have been up at 4 a.m., watching her set.”
Watch Lauryn Hill perform above.
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