The ESSENCE Festival of Culture presented by Coca-Cola is expanding its creative team for 2026 by bringing in Cultural Curators to shape different parts of the festival experience. They join Chief Curator Teyana Taylor, who oversees the overall vision and direction of the event.

Three curators will each lead a key area of programming, building experiences that reflect storytelling, food, and culture:

Nikole Hannah-Jones will lead nonfiction programming, focusing on real-life stories, history, journalism, and conversations about how Black life is documented and understood.

Mara Brock Akil will lead fiction programming at the Book Festival @ ESSENCE Authors, shaping storytelling through books, creative discussions, and conversations about how Black stories are imagined and passed down. She also draws from her work in television and her upcoming debut novel.

Nina Compton will curate the ESSENCE Food & Wine Festival, designing a culinary experience influenced by her Caribbean roots and New Orleans background, highlighting both tradition and the evolution of Black food culture.

Together, their work is built to connect across the entire festival weekend. Instead of separate events, each area is designed to flow into the next, so attendees move through storytelling, food, and cultural conversations as one unified experience.

Check out past interviews from Essence Festival 2025: