Each year, thousands of the world’s most famous influencers and celebrities come to Empire Polo Club in Indio, California to experience some of the best concert performances of the year. The festival’s landmark 25th edition, spanning two weekends from April 10 to 19, delivered history, nostalgia, and a whole list of surprise guests. This cemented Coachella’s place as one of the most talked-about music shows of the century.
The Main Trio
The scheduled headlining performers were Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G who all have generated enormous anticipation from their fans. Following Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Appearance in February, Karol G made history as the first Latina artist to headline the festival, turning her “Karolchella” into a celebration filled with Latin music. The Colombian star sang a variety of her hit songs ranging from her Grammy-winning “Mañana Será Bonito” to “Tropicoqueta”. Guest appearances included Mariah Angeliq and Becky G. Towards the end of the show, Cigarettes After Sex performed a debut piece called “Despues de Ti” which summarized the night very well.
Meanwhile, Justin Bieber surprised his fans by performing a majority of his songs from his latest album SWAG. His stage design was minimalistic because he preferred to focus on his vocal performance. In the second half of his performance, he brought out multiple special guests including Sexyy Red, Big Sean, SZA, and Billie Eilish who took part in the song “One Less Lonely Girl”.
Finally, Sabrina Carpenter’s Friday night headline set was packed with spectacles and aesthetics. Will Ferrell also showed up alongside Madonna who had a duet with Carpenter on hit songs like “Bring Your Love,” and “Like a Prayer.”
Surprise Guests
Coachella is not complete without its share of jaw-dropping, unannounced surprise artists. For instance, Camila Cabello came out to sing “Havana” for the first time in many years alongside Young Thug. Additionally, Thames and Wizkid showed up at Justin Bieber’s highly anticipated show to further fuel the energy of the crowd.
An unexpected artist came during Major Lazer’s performance when M.I.A. performed “Paper Planes” which sent the crowd into a frenzy. Addison Rae’s also pleased the crowd when pop star Olivia Rodrigo took the stage to perform “Headphones On” and “drop dead.”
On the other side, Sombr paid homage to rock icons including Billy Idol. The Strokes also delivered a strong performance by opening with “Hard to Explain” and fan favorites such as “The Adults Are Talking,” “Reptilia,” and “Bad Decisions.”
A Global Stage
The festival sold out within a week of its announcement. YouTube also streamed it on their platform for both weekends. With its 25th edition now in the history books, Coachella once again proved why it remains the best of the best in terms of music festival. It is a place where pop history is made and when a desert becomes the center of the music world.
