Last October, we dished that the Essence Festival was going big and going global for 2016, and setting its sight on none other than South Africa to chart its expansion. Today, Essence announced that the inaugural South African festival will be held November 8 -13, 2016 in the city of Durban, and the buzz around this trek across the ocean is already brewing into overdrive.
“New Orleans and Durban are sister cities, and we are thrilled to present these sister festivals—both in 2016,” said Essence President Michelle Ebanks. “As Essence converges on Durban during South Africa’s beautiful summer season, we are creating a week-long experience that will inspire women globally and convene our communities across the diaspora.”
Essence scoops that the format for Durban’s Essence Festival will follow a similar track as the widely successful New Orleans festival to feature international performers, world-renowned speakers, and local artists. While each festival has its advantages, travelers are already geared up for what is being anticipated as the must-attend attraction for the Durban community.
“This partnership will have a host of benefits for residents, starting with the Durban Business Fair program, which strives to connect local businesses globally. We have no doubt that through the festival jobs will be created and our cultural economy enhanced,” Mayor Nxumalo said.
Besides the rudimentary entertainment attractions, the Durban Essence Festival will bring heavy emphasis to the advancement of small businesses and importantly women-owned businesses through empowerment seminars, career guidance workshops and other initiatives aimed at youth.
For more information on Durban’s Essence Festival, visit Essence.com. We’ll be keeping close tabs on the development of this festival, so you’ll want to be subscribed to Inspire N Style to get the ultimate dish on the festival line-ups, speakers, and performance roster.
