Lauryn Hill performs to almost empty stadium after delays at Essence Festival 2025

Lauryn Hill played to a largely empty stadium at the 2025 Essence Festival of Culture over the weekend after taking to the stage hours after her scheduled performance.

• READ MORE: Why ‘The Score’ is one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever

It comes after the event found itself running behind on the opening night (July 4) with a number of acts including GloRilla and the Isley Brothers going on an hour after their allotted set time at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

By the time the Fugees singer went on at 2.30am, footage shared by fans showed that most of the venue was empty.

During the set, Hill did a handful of highlights from ‘The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill’ as well as a couple of Fugees’ hits from ‘The Score’. She also brought out her sons Zion Marley and YG Marley to do a few of their own songs.

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Following the performance, organisers for the event apologised for putting Hill on later than scheduled.

Taking to Instagram they wrote: “Family is family and around here we protect our own no matter what the PEOPLE have to say. Let’s be very clear – WE don’t play about Ms. Lauryn Hill. She arrived on schedule, stepped on that stage, and delivered the kind of performance only a legend can. The delay? Not hers. We will take that. The moment? One for the books. The legacy? Still unmatched.”

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Hill and the Fugees have had a recent chequered past when it comes to touring.

Last year, her tour with the band in the US was cancelled which led to Hill being sued by Fugees co-member Pras Michél who claimed that their comeback tour was sabotaged by Hill’s “arrogance” and “narcissistic tendencies”.

Pras said at the time that he related to the fans’ feeling of frustration and thought that the band’s chequered past with touring – namely Hill’s reputation for showing up to shows hours late – may have impacted the poor sales.

This led to Hill hitting back through her own statement saying that the lawsuit was “disheartening” and “some facts need to be presented”.

Elsewhere, Hill and fellow band member Wyclef Jean teamed up for a performance at Roberta Flack’s memorial earlier this year.

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