Tickets Go On Sale 11/11/11 for the 2012 ESSENCE Music Festival Taking Place July 6, 7 and 8 in New Orleans!

Tickets Go On Sale 11/11/11 for the 2012 ESSENCE Music Festival Taking Place July 6, 7 and 8 in New Orleans!

The 2012 ESSENCE Music Festival: Your Party. Your Purpose. The Place to Be!

NEW YORK, Nov. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Make the 2012 ESSENCE Music Festival your party, your purpose, and the place to be! Returning to New Orleans July 6, 7 and 8, 2012, be the first to purchase your weekend ticket package on sale tomorrow 11/11/11 at 11:00am EST. In celebration of the event's 18th anniversary, Festival organizers will offer an exclusive code for discounted weekend ticket packages to super-fans who like the ESSENCE Music FestivalFacebook page between November 11 and November 24. Prices for weekend ticket packages range from $120 to $750 and can be purchased at Ticket Master.

This past year, the ultimate destination for entertainment, empowerment and culture celebrated its 17th anniversary over the 4th of July weekend in New Orleans with over 422,000 attendees. What began in 1995 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of ESSENCE magazine has now grown into one of the country's "Top 10 Leading Brand Events" by Advertising Age. Heralded by the New York Times, as "the premier festival destination for fans of rhythm and blues, pop and neo-soul," the ESSENCE Music Festival is the nation's largest annual gathering of African-American music and culture.

With some of the biggest names in entertainment and the nation's most influential speakers, artists, authors and leaders, the ESSENCE Music Festival has featured an array of performers over its 17-year history including Mary J. Blige, Chaka Kahn, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, New Edition, Kanye West, Gladys Knight, Prince, Janet Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Earth, Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, Pattie LaBelle, Yolanda Adams, Destiny's Child, Jill Scott, Charlie Wilson and many more.

For information about ticket sales, accommodations and the latest news about the ESSENCE Music Festival go to http://www.essencemusicfestival.com. Join the Festival community: follow us on Twitter @essencemusic #EMF2012 and become a fan of ESSENCE Music Festival on Facebook.

The 2012 ESSENCE Music Festival is executive produced by Essence Festivals LLC, a division of Essence Communications Inc. (ECI).

ABOUT ESSENCE COMMUNICATIONS INC.:

Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) is the number one media company dedicated to African-American women, with a multi-platform presence in publishing, live events, and online. The company's flagship publication, ESSENCE magazine, is the preeminent lifestyle magazine for African-American women; generating brand extensions such as the Essence Music Festival, ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood and Black Women in Music, Window on Our Women and Smart Beauty consumer insights series, the Essence Book Club, Essence.com, and ventures in digital media (mobile, television and VOD). For 41 years, ESSENCE, which has a brand reach of over 8 million, has been the leading source of cutting-edge information and specific solutions relating to every area of African-American women's lives. Additional information about ECI and ESSENCE is available at www.essence.com.

SOURCE Essence Communications Inc.

Essence Communications Inc.

CONTACT: Dana Baxter, ESSENCE, +1-212-522-1634, dbaxter@essence.com; or Sheila Harris, ESSENCE, +1-212-522-1089, sharris@essence.com

Web Site: http://www.essence.com

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