Hulu will livestream the annual Essence Festival of Culture music event beginning June 30.
The streaming service’s Essence Fest Primetime will feature three nights of live coverage of the music festival, including performances from Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott and Megan Thee Stallion, Hulu said. Also scheduled to perform during the event are Doug E. Fresh, Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, Eve, Salt-N-Pepa, T.I., Ice Cube, Ice-T, Remy Ma and Lil Jon.
Hulu aired last year’s Essence Fest Primetime, the first time the festival had been made available on a streaming platform. “It is great to be reteaming with our incredible partners at Essence,” Hulu VP of brand partnerships and strategy Adia Matthews said in a statement. “We are thrilled to join them in celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop throughout the festival weekend by bringing this iconic event back into the homes of our viewers, once again.”
Added Essence Ventures chief revenue officer Pauline Malcolm-Thorton: “The partnership between Essence and Hulu is a perfect example of the media industry moving toward a ‘phygital’ future. We’re thrilled that Hulu’s viewers will get to experience a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop, produced as only Essence can.”
