Overview

• On July 7 Essence Festival posted on Instagram that scheduling overruns, not Lauryn Hill, caused her 2:30 a.m. start time and apologized to fans and the artist
• Lauryn Hill thanked the festival for clarifying that production missteps—rather than her—led to the two-hour setback in the nearly empty Caesars Superdome
• Stephanie Mills issued an open letter detailing chaotic scheduling, backstage disorganization and persistent sound system failures that undermined her own performance
• Festival organizers have not addressed Mills’s critique or outlined any plans to review and upgrade their production processes
• The incident has reignited calls from fans and performers for stronger event management and clearer accountability at major music festivals