“It wasn’t even her fault”: Internet reacts as Lauryn Hill performs for sparse crowd after late set at 2025 Essence Festival

Lauryn Hill’s headlining appearance at the 2025 Essence Festival of Culture didn’t go quite as planned. The Grammy-winning artist didn’t take the stage at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans until 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 5, hours after her originally scheduled Friday night slot. Her performance wrapped up around 3:37 a.m.

By that time, much of the 83,000-capacity stadium had cleared out. Only a few hundred attendees reportedly remained for her set. Delays began early in the evening, with acts running behind by nearly an hour, creating a ripple effect throughout the night’s packed lineup.

Despite the near-empty audience and late hour, Lauryn Hill still delivered a spirited set. She shared the stage with her sons, Zion Marley and Joshua “YG” Marley, and even took a song request from the crowd.

Nevertheless, Lauryn Hill appeared unfazed by the turnout. She kept the mood light and engaged with fans who stuck around.

One fan reacted to Hill's late performance: “Yall would do anything to discredit a black woman. It wasn’t even her fault,” @78kmartin1 wrote.

“The entire festival was late as f—k”: Lauryn Hill’s near-empty Essence Fest set sparks online reactions

Social media responded swiftly as soon as footage of Lauryn Hill performing to a sparse crowd circulated on the web. Videos of the empty stadium circulated online, and many fans came to Lauryn Hill’s defense. Several commenters pointed out the stacked schedule and festival logistics, arguing she wasn’t responsible for the delay.

Reports also noted that she was a late addition to an already tight festival program.

“Babyface gettin on at MN? The last performer hittin the stage at 3:57 AM? Why did Lauren agree to be a last-minute add-on anyway? Sounds like the disorganized mess they call Essence Fest has gotten much worse over the years,” @notaproviderMD said.

“It’s sad that you guys being an actual news outlet would report this as if she’s at fault. You know damn well the entire festival was late as f—k. She is not at fault here. Using the name as bait is crazy,” @EricUnedited said.

“It wasn’t Lauryn’s fault THIS time. The show started an hour late and was two hours behind schedule by the time it was her turn. This is what happens when you try to fit eight acts into one night and need to change the sets between performances,” @SibleyWorld commented.

“The messed up thing is painting the perception that it was her fault, and not that the entire event was running late,” @Pantha266 chimed in.

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“I was there. It wasn’t even her fault. The tear down and setup took way too long between acts. The one I dint understand was Coco to Gorilla. There wasn’t anything to tear down or setup and still took 30 min between acts, if not longer,” @Duco1550 added.

The Essence Festival, a major celebration of Black culture and music, continues through Sunday, July 6. This year’s lineup features Summer Walker, Boyz II Men, Jazmine Sullivan, and Jill Scott.

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