Stephanie Mills Pens Open Letter to Essence Festival Organizers Due to “Disorganization”

This morning (July 8), Stephanie Mills posted an open letter to the Essence Festival organizers in which she details her disappointment on how the event was run this year.

Full story below…

In the letter, the ‘Home’ singer expressed gratitude for being given the opportunity to perform. However, she says she could not enjoy the performance or engage with the crowd because of major production issues. She shared:

“The challenges I encountered were multifaceted and, in my view, indicative of broader organizational shortcomings. The scheduling and time management were severely lacking, creating a chaotic and stressful environment backstage. This disorganization cascaded onto the stage, impacting the flow of the event and ultimately diminishing the quality of the performances.”

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The songstress wasn’t the only one who felt this way. Some attendees also echoed the same sentiment along with claims that the festival lacked Black American cultural representation. One X user tweeted:

“Essence Fest lost its essence this year. I’ve always respected what the Essence Festival stood for — celebrating Black culture, community, music, and excellence. But this past weekend was off. From the performances starting late, to the questionable artist selections, to the lack of inclusivity in the convention center programming — it just didn’t feel like the Essence I’ve known and loved. It felt commercial. Disconnected. As if the soul of the festival got lost in the noise. If Essence is truly “for the culture,” then it’s time for a real revamp. Rethink the lineups. Prioritize the experience for all attendees. Recenter the mission. Because the community deserves better. We don’t want a watered-down version of something that was built to uplift us. We want the real Essence back.”

Essence Fest lost its essence this year.

I’ve always respected what the Essence Festival stood for – celebrating Black culture, community, music, and excellence. But this past weekend was off.

From the performances starting late, to the questionable artist selections, to the…

— Shawn White (@A_King_Of_1Self) July 7, 2025

This letter follows the events of Saturday night (July 5), when Lauryn Hill‘s set didn’t start till 2:30 a.m. and didn’t end till after 3:30 a.m.. Long critiqued for her tardiness with her performances, but this time it  reportedly was not her fault. The Essence Festival organizers clarified that, and another X user backing up these claims. This X user tweeted:

“And for once it wasn’t her d**n fault. The event was run terribly, everybody’s sets were insanely delayed and most ALSO ran long. They been doing essencefest for eight trillion years now, there’s no reason for it to be this disorganized.”

and for once it wasn’t her damn fault. the event was run terribly, everybody’s sets were insanely delayed and most ALSO ran long. they been doing essencefest for eight trillion years now, there’s no reason for it to be this disorganized. https://t.co/hrXPfpc0Wg

— champagne and cherri, baby (@cherrilizabiff) July 5, 2025

Additionally in the letter, the R&B legend touched on her concerns regarding the level of professionalism, and how (for her) it fell short to the festival’s expected standards. She also called for a review of the festival’s organizational structure, operations, and management. She states:

“I sincerely hope that my feedback will be taken seriously and utilized to address these significant concerns, ensuring a vastly improved experience for both artists and attendees in the years to come.”