From gumbo ramen to graffiti nails, Cardi B turned her ESSENCE Festival debut into a full sensory experience for New Orleans.
From gumbo ramen to graffiti nails, Cardi B turned her ESSENCE Festival debut into a full sensory experience for New Orleans.
Cardi B made her first appearance at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture count, closing out opening night at the Caesars Superdome with a headlining set that paired her usual stage command with one of the boldest beauty looks of the weekend.
A New Orleans welcome before the show
The rapper arrived in New Orleans a day ahead of her performance and spent her time soaking up the city. She shared updates from rehearsals inside the Superdome, admitting the size of the venue felt a little intimidating even for a performer of her stature. She promised fans an energetic show built to shift the mood of the room, regardless of how anyone walked in feeling.
Cardi also made time for local food, sampling gumbo ramen and chargrilled oysters from Morrow’s and posting her reaction online. It marked her first ESSENCE performance, though not her first trip to the city. She had visited previously for Super Bowl festivities tied to her Whipshots brand.
Opening night draws a stacked lineup
Cardi closed a night that also featured Michelle Obama in conversation with Keke Palmer about fashion and her latest book, along with performances from Latto and Kehlani. Teyana Taylor, this year’s curator of culture, appeared alongside her creative collective, while hosts Kenny Burns and Danielle Brooks kept the evening moving between acts.
Latto delivered one of the night’s most high-energy sets against a pink cheetah print stage design, while Kehlani leaned on material from her recent self-titled album alongside older fan favorites. Cardi took the stage shortly before midnight, working through a catalog that included some of her best known records, backed by an elaborate wardrobe built for the size of the room.
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A beauty look built for the stage
Earlier in the day, Cardi appeared on a festival panel to discuss her haircare line, Grow Good Beauty, before switching from a sleek black bob into vivid yellow curls for the show. Her nails matched the intensity of the rest of the look. Nail artist Coca Michelle, an OPI global ambassador, built the set around a patchy black ombré base using a sponge technique, then added chrome graffiti style lines running from cuticle to tip.
An orange crème polish was splattered across the design for contrast, and the set was finished with small metal accents, including rings and spikes, glued on to echo the hardware on Cardi’s stage outfit. Michelle described the collaboration as relaxed and fun behind the scenes, noting the team rarely takes itself too seriously despite the dramatic results.
A festival still in motion
Cardi’s set marked just the start of a packed weekend at the Superdome, with additional performances and appearances continuing through Today. Between the food stops, the beauty debut and the late night set, her first ESSENCE Festival appearance managed to fold several storylines into one night, giving attendees plenty to talk about before the rest of the weekend even got underway.
