Janet Jackson Brings the Hits as She Headlines 2024 ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans

Janet Jackson brought the house down at the 2024 ESSENCE Festival of Culture!

The 58-year-old Grammy winner turned the Big Easy into Rhythm Nation with her passionate performance on the final day of the 30th ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans.

She kicked off her highly anticipated performance with "No Sleeep" and "Got 'til It's Gone" to a record-breaking crowd.

Her setlist featured some of her classic songs, including "All For You," "If," "Escapade," "Any Time, Any Place" and "I Get Lonely."

"Love Will Never Do (Without You)," a mashup of "What Have You Done for Me Lately" and "Get It Out Me," along with "The Pleasure Principle," "You Want This," "When I Think of You," "Control," "Alright" and "Miss You Much" were also part of her massive setlist.

A mashup of "Nasty" and "Back That Azz Up" by Juvenile was part of her ESSENCE performance. The MTV icon also covered her duet with her late brother Michael Jackson, "Scream."

To finish up her festival set, she wowed the crowd with her 1989 song "Rhythm Nation."

Jackson headlined the festival alongside stars like Usher and Birdman as part of the festival's star-studded 30th birthday celebration.

Other performers throughout the four-day festival included Victoria Monét, Charlie Wilson, T-Pain and Busta Rhymes.

Jackson recently told ESSENCE what she likes about the festival in particular compared to other performances. "I think the one thing people can expect more of that they really never got, I talk a little bit more during this show than I normally do," she said in an Instagram video collab with ESSENCE.

"So I've heard people say that they enjoy seeing my personality come during the show."

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The star's appearance at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture came during the last month of her 2024 Together Again Tour, which began on June 4. The 35-date tour was announced in January as an extension to her 2023 tour of the same name and will wrap in Amsterdam on Oct. 10.

According to a press release, Jackson’s 2024 tour “builds on the success of the 2023 run” and features Nelly as a special guest for the entire leg.

"The Together Again Tour will offer everyone the chance to reunite with Ms. Jackson in celebration of her 50th anniversary in entertainment and spotlight the milestones for three of Jackson’s most critically acclaimed albums - 25 years of 'The Velvet Rope', 30 years of 'Janet', and 35 years of 'Rhythm Nation' - featuring her biggest chart-topping hits," a press release statement said.