Aaliyah received a seismic tribute at the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture
Curated by the late icon’s longtime collaborator Missy Elliott, the showcase saw an eclectic array of names show up and show out with anthems from the beloved R&B singer.
Housed at the Super Dome in New Orleans, the ESSENCE special brought with it performances from the likes of Normani, Chloé Bailey, Ryan Destiny, and Mya.
Individually and collaboratively, the group powered through classics such as ‘Rock The Boat,’ ‘One In A Million,’ ‘More Than A Woman,’ ‘We Need a Resolution,’ and ‘4 Page Latter.’
Check out highlights below…
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One thing about this industry I see is they will always find a way to make a check off the dead Chile smh. MJ, Whitney, Prince, Aaliyah, Elvis, Marilyn, Selena, Aaliyah…so many more! Let these folks rest.
*Side Bar* Normani girl, what was that? It wasn’t bad but it seemed so low energy for her standards. 2 years later and still no videos 😢
Proud of ALL the girls!!!!! This tribute is proof of what happens when the vision aligns. May each of these girls find an expression of themselves that withstands the test of time as Aaliyah did.