Janet Jackson was originally slated to headline the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on July 23 as part of her Together Again Summer 2024 tour. 

But her plans have changed. The Smoothie King Center show has been canceled. Instead, Jackson is slated to appear at the 2024 Essence Festival of Culture at the Caesars Superdome on one of the three nights of concerts July 5-7.

Essence did not reveal the specific date on which Jackson will perform. 

But given that she has a concert scheduled for July 5 outside Buffalo, New York, and another show on July 6 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, she's apparently playing Essence on Sunday, July 7, after flying to New Orleans from the northeast. The next date on her tour after that isn't until July 9 in Newark, New Jersey. 

This will be Jackson's fourth Essence appearance. She previously performed at the event in 2010, 2018 and 2022. That 2022 show sold out all 48,500 seats and was reportedly the highest-grossing night in the 30-year history of Essence. 

2022 essence fest

Thousands of 2022 Essence Festival of Culture attendees light up their cell phones in the Caesars Superdome at the request of entertainer Doug E. Fresh, who was killing time on the main stage before Janet Jackson's performance, on Saturday, July 2, 2022.

For 2024, the producers of the Essence Fest started the process of revealing the 30th-anniversary talent lineup much later than in past years.

Rather than announce the entire lineup at once, as most festivals do in order to maximize the initial marketing impact, Essence is rolling out the roster one act at a time throughout May. 

Initially, Essence revealed that a reunion of the Cash Money Millionaires collective of rappers affiliated with the New Orleans record label would take place at Essence. No artists for that reunion were specified beyond Cash Money Records co-founder Bryan "Baby" Williams, aka Birdman.

Som,e Essence fans still debating whether or not to buy tickets and book travel have taken to social media to express frustration with the late start to the rollout and the unusual one-at-a-time reveal. 

That Jackson had previously announced a New Orleans date for this summer indicates that she was a late addition to the Essence lineup.

Marketing materials on her website for the Together Again Summer 2024 with Nelly still list the New Orleans show at the Smoothie King Center, even though it has been canceled. 

The Together Again tour is being promoted by Live Nation, the world's largest producer of live entertainment. The independent Essence Festival is not affiliated with Live Nation, its rival AEG Presents or any other national promoter.

The festival's management team has said that can make booking superstar talent a challenge.

Some high-level negotiations were likely necessary for Essence to take "Control" of Jackson's New Orleans date this summer.

Email Keith Spera at kspera@theadvocate.com.