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Star-Studded Coachella Weekend 1 Wraps
Reports of slow ticket sales, a weather forecast of high winds and a 3.8 earthquake during the weekend didn’t discourage the stars from coming out to play during the first weekend of a star-studded Coachella at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.
The 23rd edition of Coachella Valley Arts and Music Festival, produced by Goldenvoice, dominated social media feeds throughout the weekend with notable performances and surprise appearances from A-listers, including one from winner Billie Eilish, who showed up the first night as a guest during Lana Del Rey’s set to perform a few duets with the headliner as well as her Academy Award-winning song, “What Was I Made For?” Eilish made another appearance at the Do LaB stage on Saturday night to give fans a taste of her upcoming new album by performing three tracks from her upcoming album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, which drops May 17.
Lana Del Rey made her way to the main stage riding on a motorcycle, setting the tone for the grandiosity of the event. Tyler, the Creator followed suit with a visually striking desert-themed set with him dressed as a park ranger and a canyon backdrop on Saturday night. He also brought out Donald Glover, who also goes by as Childish Gambino, and A$AP Rocky as guests.
Doja Cat, who is the second Black woman to headline Coachella, added some weirdness to the event on Sunday night with a set that included a hazmat suit, alien-themed and yet outfits, which perfectly complemented J Balvin’s set that took place just before her set. The Colombian star had people dressed as extraterrestrials on stage and then introduced actor and rapper Will Smith to perform his hit song “Men in Black” in what was one of the most bizarre and interesting moments of the weekend.
Another major highlight (especially for fans from Southern California) was the reunion of No Doubt, whose performance was made extra special by Olivia Rodrigo. The young superstar joined the rock band hailing from Anaheim for a rendition of the group’s 2000 hit “Bathwater.”
Even Taylor Swift made an appearance at the festival but not in the way you’d expect. The megastar was spotted in the crowd alongside her boyfriend Travis Kelce watching Bleachers, which includes her producer Jack Antonoff, and Ice Spice.
With an increasing number of music’s most popular artists embarrassing on lengthy, worldwide stadium tours playing to 50,000-plus fans per night — and those fans putting down money solely to see one particular artist’s standalone production and music — music festivals are leaning into genre niches, special occasion headliners and brand recognition to remain successful in what is considered one of the most volatile sectors of the live entertainment industry. And what better example than Coachella, known for showcasing the hottest new talent while maturing into an upscale destination event decidedly different from the European-style camping festival of yesteryear.
One of those major talents was Peso Pluma, who showcased his talent and Mexican music on one of the biggest platforms in all of music. The young corridos singer featured some of Latin music’s rising acts like Becky G, Junior H and Santa Fe Klan and also took the time to honor his Mexican heritage and those who came before him, including legends such as Joan Sebastian and Jenni Rivera.
Another Latin artist who created a buzz last weekend was Shakira. The Colombian pop star dropped by during Bizarrap’s set to perform two songs and announced she will be hitting the road this year.
Not everything went according to plan for a few artists during the first weekend of Coachella. Grimes experienced equipment malfunctions. She apologized to fans via social media on Sunday and explained that the issue was due to outsourcing “essential things like rekordbox bpm’s and letting someone else organize the tracks on the sd card etc.” There were also reports of microphone issues during Lana Del Rey’s set.
The crowd was also not receptive to everyone on stage. Blur frontman was dismayed by the lack of participation and reaction while performing their hit song “Girls & Boys” from the fans and told the audience, “You’re never seeing us again, so you might as well fucking sing it.”
For any talk of a “soft festival year” or lack of compelling headliners across the board at major music festivals, it’s possible the touring industry is super-serving fans, bringing superstar production and talent to all corners of the globe year-round to the point that fans expect comfort, proximity and good value for their ticket buying money.
The best music festivals will show strength by providing not only great music and a fair ticket price but an unparalleled experience to ensure that the fan sees the modern multi-day destination festival as a trip worth taking, despite travel costs as well as the potential that your favorite artist may be headed your way on tour (or another festival) in the not-too-distant future. Last weekend, Coachella demonstrated that it still has the respect of the biggest players in the entertainment industry and continues to move the needle in music.