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R&B legend Stephanie Mills published an open letter to Essence Music Festival organizers to complain about this year’s disorganized Essence Fest.

In her letter, Mills said she was writing to share feedback following her performance. “My overall experience was unfortunately marred by significant production issues that negatively impacted both my performance and the artist experience as a whole,” she wrote.

Mills went on to explain that she encountered many challenges, including technical issues and time management problems that created a “chaotic and stressful environment backstage.”

She wrote that the “lack of technical preparedness is unacceptable for an event of Essence Festival’s caliber and prestige.”

Photo Stephanie Mills letter

R&B icon Lauryn Hill showed up 2 hours late to close out the 2025 Essence Music Festival after 4 a.m. on July 5 in New Orleans.

Paras Griffin/WireImage

According to reports, Lauryn hit the stage just after 3 a.m. to perform for a nearly empty Superdome.

Singer/songwriter Babyface was forced to finish his set around midnight after many delays by artists performing earlier.

The festival was poorly attended this year due to the economy and high ticket prices. According to Nola.com, the entire festival ran behind schedule.