NEW ORLEANS (AP) - This year’s Essence Festival had a record-breaking $280 million economic impact on New Orleans and the state, organizers said Wednesday.
Essence Communications CEO Michelle Ebanks said growth in festival attendance, which reached more than 510,000 this year over a 4-day period, sparked the increase making it the highest fiscal input in the event’s 24-year history. Previously, organizers have said the festival’s impact on the city’s economy was about $200 million.
Ellen Lee, director of Community and Economic Development for New Orleans, said the economic impact rivals those of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival held in the spring and Southern Decadence, which is held at the end of August.
“Essence fills that gap between festival seasons and is held at a time in the summer that can’t be measured,” Lee said. “It’s held during what had been a down time for the city and continues to help us have this year-round big event activity that we’re known for.”
The festival features free daytime entertainment, cultural and empowerment programs at New Orleans’ convention center as well as ticketed concerts at the Superdome. Headliners included Janet Jackson, Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Fantasia, Snoop Dogg and a New Jack Swing reunion.
Ebanks said the festival has emerged as the leader in size and economic significance among the country’s largest live events and a top destination for tourism during Fourth of July weekend. She said the festival’s average daily attendance was about 130,000, leading events including Coachella and SXSW.
“This year’s Fest generated tremendous economic activity for the City - money that went to our large and small businesses and to the working men and women who make them run. We look forward to another historic year in 2019,”?Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in a news release.
Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, who leads the state’s Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, said the news is not surprising.
“We knew the movie industry had a great impact on tourism in Louisiana. Nine percent of people say they come to New Orleans or the state because of something they saw on television or the big screen. That translates to about 5 million people. And this year’s festival came right off the heels of that blockbuster movie ’Girls Trip,’ which we believe had a huge impact on attendance this year.
“Everyone we came across was asking us ’Where’s that zip line on Bourbon Street?” said Nungesser, referencing a scene from the movie in which one of the characters swings across the infamous street on a zip line. “Essence knocked it out of the park this year with help from the timing of that movie.”
Nungesser said that kind of national exposure for the city and state can’t be measured. “I believe many of the Essence Festival attendees will be returning to our state for years to come,” he said.
The festival marks its 25th anniversary in 2019 and will be held July 4-7.
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