Lauryn Hill thanked the 2025 Essence Fest for taking responsibility for her late set time at 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 5, at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

Lauryn Hills is off the hook as Essence takes blame for a set that wrapped after 3:30 a.m. Stephanie Mills, however, is still hot over how the festival was run.

Fans who stuck around for Hill’s performance got a treat. A robust band of more than 10 members played as Black history montages filled the background screens. Hill emerged in a blue polka dot full-length dress wearing a gele atop her head and a low-hanging statement necklace showcasing what appeared to be fertility figurines.