The ESSENCE Festival of Culture is the largest African-American culture and music event in the United States. The New York Times called it "an important event in non-hip-hop black pop for an entire generation," citing its high-profile music stages, its panels and keynotes by leading community figures, and its annual turnout of over 400,000 attendees, among other offerings.

The annual music festival started in 1995 in New Orleans, Louisiana, as the Essence Music Festival, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence magazine and provide an event commemorating Black culture.

In 2006, it was held in Houston, Texas, due to Hurricane Katrina's effect on New Orleans.

In 2016, a spinoff iteration of the festival was held in Durban, South Africa.

In 2013, Solomon Group became the producer of Essence Festival, and MSNBC broadcast the event live. MSNBC returned for the 2014 festival.

Much of the 2017 film Girls Trip was filmed on location during the 2016 festival, casting over 5,000 extras.

The 2020 festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2022, The Walt Disney Company served as the exclusive entertainment sponsor.