Dig, if you will ... these pictures of the greatest Essence Music Festival ever!

Prince and special guests set things off on the opening night of our tenth anniversary in New Orleans with a sizzling set of his funk-rock-R&B hits. Rocking the rest of the Festival were Mary J. Bilge, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly Gladys Knight, LL Cool J, New Edition and all the other great artists shown here.

A record-breaking 228,000 festivalgoers partied with us day and night, some from as far away as the Caribbean, Africa and Australia.

As we reminisce about the good times we had, it's not too soon to start thinking ahead to next year's Festival, set for New Orleans, July 1, 2 and 3, 2005. Join us for another all-star event as we take it to yet another level in celebration of the thirty-fifth anniversary of ESSENCE magazine.

Visit essencemusicfestival.com and sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest Festival information. Tickets on sale now!

Affectionately known as A Party With a Purpose, the Essence Music Festival also included a rich offering of free daily empowerment seminars at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, hosted by ESSENCE editorial director Susan L. Taylor and featuring CeCe Winans, Michael Eric Dyson, Iyanla Vanzant, Randall Robinson and many others. Also at the Convention Center, the vibrant ESSENCE Marketplace was the site for celebrity meet-andgreets, original arts and crafts, irresistible New Orleans cuisine and exciting sponsor activities and giveaways.

Special thanks to our sponsors, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, Kraft, Anheuser-Busch, Southwest Airlines, Army ROTC, McDonald's, Bank of America, Playtex, HBO and the City of New Orleans.

Prince

Morris Day and The Time

Prince and Chaka Khan

Additional performers (not pictured here) included Freddie Jackson, Lalah Hathaway, The Ohio Players, Millie Jackson, The Dazz Band, Ledisi, Kenny Lattimore and Chante Moore, and many more.

Sheila E

Larry Graham

Dionne Farris

New Edition

Donnie McClurkin

Gladys Knight

Maze featuring Frankie Beverly

The O'Jays

Solomon Burke

Sinbad

Mary J. Blige

Common

Anthony Hamilton

Goapele

LL Cool J

Tyrese

ESSENCE Empowerment Seminar Theater

Jill Marie Jones, "Toni", and Golden Brooks, "Maya," both of UPN's Girlfriends, had fun with attendees as they hosted the "How Well Do You Know Your Girlfriend" game show at the Coca-Cola booth.

Susan L. Taylor, Michael Eric Dyson and Iyanla Vanzant