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Real reason global superstar Lauryn Hill performed to an almost EMPTY stadium at 3.30AM after video goes viral

BBG News

At the last minute, Lauryn Hill became an unexpected part of the Essence Fest lineup in New Orleans, and her act mirrored the tardiness of the announcement itself.

This Friday marked the commencement of the yearly celebration held at the Superdome in New Orleans. It was revealed on Wednesday that the venerable hip-hop artist, who is now 50 years old, will take the stage on Friday, around midnight.

In my expertise, a series of unforeseen circumstances delayed Hill’s performance, pushing it back significantly. Eventually, she graced the stage at 2:31 in the night, New Orleans time, and concluded her set at 3:37 AM. This information comes from Nola.com.

Among the most recent shows at Essence Fest’s 31-year span, her performance stood out as one where the iconic Superdome, capable of housing 83,000 people, was almost vacant during her appearance on stage.

A large number of fans expressed their frustration on social media, targeting Hill, who has a reputation for arriving several hours late to her shows.

On the contrary, numerous individuals took to the internet to support Hill, as it appears this instance of tardiness may not have been her doing.

A post shared by The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com (@nolanews)

As a devoted follower, I was all set for the Friday Evening Concert Series, eagerly anticipating the lineup. I was to kick things off at 7:10 PM with Psyrin, then Lucky Dave would grace the stage at 7:30, and finally, Coco Jones would take over at 8:00.

Glorilla performs at 8:30 PM, followed by The Isley Brothers at 9:15 PM, Babyface takes the stage at 10:10 PM, Maxwell performs at 11:15 PM, and Lauryn Hill concludes the evening at 12:35 AM.

Or, in a more casual tone:

Glorilla kicks things off at 8:30, then it’s The Isley Brothers at 9:15, Babyface comes on stage at 10:10, Maxwell performs at 11:15, and Lauryn Hill wraps up the night at 12:35 AM.

The proposed schedule didn’t hold up; the entire evening began late, with sources confirming that Glorilla concluded her performance at 10 PM, which was 45 minutes past when The Isley Brothers were scheduled to commence their set.

Maxwell’s performance was scheduled to begin at 11:15 PM, but it actually started at 12:55 AM. Reports also mentioned that Maxwell’s stage was emptied around 2:04 AM, although Hill didn’t appear on stage until 2:31 AM, finishing up at 3:37 AM.

Nola News posted a video of an almost deserted Superdome where Hill was performing, while MorganD.23 also shared a video from within the stadium’s seating area on TikTok.

It’s often noted by fans on social media that Hill tends to appear on stage later than initially planned.

According to Lewis (@shotbyde), Lauryn Hill is giving the impression of being dishonest, and he’s puzzled as to why people continue to back her.

Re-phrased: Brit Williams (@DrBritWilliams) retweeted a message stating her performance concluded at 3:37 AM, expressing it as, “Enough! Stop scheduling her!

On the other hand, some people, like Eric Lamont (@EricUnedited), supported Hill by explaining the circumstances surrounding the incident after sharing Brit’s tweet.

Instead of spreading misinformation, let’s talk about what truly transpired. It’s a breeze to make Lauryn Hill trend with fabricated stories. However, I choose to share the truth. The whole festival was delayed, and it wasn’t her fault at all. In fact, if I were in her shoes, I would have left. Contract or not, I had to move on.” (Lamont tweeted)

A supporter identified as @tallyohhh commented, ‘I truly empathize with everyone mocking Lauryn Hill’s late performance at the Essence Festival, as it wasn’t her fault. I learned that the schedule had a time discrepancy of about an hour or two, causing everything to be delayed. It’s remarkable that she still took the stage so late! Having witnessed her live previously, I’m confident it was an outstanding show.’

Others, such as Tony Cardasco (@TonyDasco), pointed out that Hill was a few hours behind schedule in Los Angeles and also ran late at the Brooklyn Bowl.

As an ardent admirer of Joe Arrigo (@JoeArrigo_), I find myself compelled to echo his perspective: ‘Indeed, the situation with Lauryn Hill seems a bit misleading. You see, the Essence Festival was running late, which contributed to her tardiness. It wasn’t entirely on Lauryn this time around; some of my friends who were there can attest to that.’

Others playfully commented on the situation, similar to YoungQDogg who quipped, “It seems like Lauryn Hill simply drops by whenever she pleases, doesn’t she.

Jerry Boese (@JerryBoese) added, ‘Lauryn Hill late ? That’s never happened lol.’

Under the handle Popular Loner (@AlyxzandreaZnay), a post was made stating, “What’s going on with Lauryn Hill always being so incredibly late for her concerts? I truly want to know.

The SSDF Podcast (@SSDFpodcast) commented, “Lauryn Hill doesn’t have that many reasons for fans to tolerate her disrespectful behavior any longer. She may be a cultural icon, but ending shows at 4 am when she’s already two hours late is unacceptable. #LaurynHill #ESSENCEFest25

Others who are similar to @siriusbrown007 posted a news article regarding her recent performance, noting, ‘It wasn’t her fault…’

Hill first broke through as a member of The Fugees in the mid-1990s alongside Wyclef Jean and Pras.

In many opinions, Lauryn Hill’s 1998 solo album titled “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” stands among the greatest albums ever made, with global sales exceeding 20 million copies.

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2025-07-07 05:50

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