ESSENCE Festival

Who runs the world? ESSENCE Festival! The big event, long a summer tradition in New Orleans, will be expanding to the international stage with the first-ever ESSENCE Festival in Durban, South Africa Nov. 8-13.

ESSENCE Durban, the sister festival to the Fourth of July weekend extravaganza in NOLA, will showcase international perfomers, world-famous speakers, and local artists and experts. It will also pump up small businesses through empowerment seminars, career-guidance workshops and other programming.

EThekwini Mayor Nxumalo says the City of Durban is ready for its global close-up, continuing on its international surge. “This partnership will have a host of benefits for residents, starting with the Durban Business Fair program, which strives to connect local businesses globally,” he says. “We have no doubt that through the Festival jobs will be created and our cultural economy enhanced.”

Tickets and more information can be found at essence.com.