Coachella 2019

Coachella 2019

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Breaking Down The Coachella 2020 Lineup: Rage Against The Machine, Frank Ocean, Calvin Harris & More Announced

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From hip-hop headliners to K-pop comebacks, the Coachella 2020 lineup reflects the current state of the music industry
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Jan 3, 2020 - 2:24 pm

The world-leading Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival is back with the much-anticipated lineup announcement for its upcoming 2020 edition. Returning to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., across two weekends—weekend one takes place Friday, April 10, through Sunday, April 12; weekend two takes place Friday, April 17, through Sunday, April 19—Coachella 2020 will feature headlining performances from the recently reunited Rage Against The Machine (Friday), hip-hop giant Travis Scott (Saturday) and R&B avant-gardist Frank Ocean (Sunday). Other artists rounding out the lineup include Calvin Harris, Lana Del Rey, FKA twigs, Flume, Thom Yorke, Lil Uzi Vert, Run The Jewels, Megan Thee Stallion, Disclosure, 21 Savage and many others. 

Coachella, the most successful reoccurring festival franchise, is known for its wide-spanning annual lineups, which regularly predict and solidify music trends while also reflecting the current state of the industry. This year's artist roster continues the trend. 

Here's a quick breakdown of the Coachella 2020 lineup and what it means for the year ahead. 

Hip-Hop And R&B Lead The Way

With hip-hop and R&B surpassing rock as the most popular genre in the U.S., it's no surprise that Coachella, once a rock-centric festival in its early years, is leaning heavily into those dominating scenes. Two of the festival's main headliners, Scott and Ocean, come from the rap and R&B worlds, respectively. Even Friday headliners Rage Against The Machine, who headlined the first-ever Coachella in 1999, feature hip-hop elements in their rap-rock sound. 

The Coachella 2020 lineup also features rising hip-hop and R&B artists and bona fide stars including Roddy Ricch, 21 Savage, DaBaby, Megan Thee Stallion, Brockhampton, City Girls, Doja Cat, Pink Sweat$, Princess Nokia, Summer Walker and others. This year's lineup expands Coachella's large bet on hip-hop and R&B as the de facto sound of the new decade, a continuation of previous years, with a larger focus on emerging artists and global acts. 

Reunions, Surprise Acts And Comebacks

The big reunion at Coachella 2020 is the return of Rage Against The Machine, who last performed at the festival in 2007 and last played together as a group in 2011. Elsewhere, K-pop fans worldwide are ecstatic for the return of South Korean boy band BIGBANG, who are reuniting as a group for the first time since 2018, the year the act went on official hiatus after some of its members enlisted in their homeland's military and another member retired from the entertainment industry amid criminal and legal investigations against him. The BIGBANG booking continues Coachella's expansion into K-pop, which last year welcomed BLACKPINK as the first K-pop girl group to perform at the festival.

Read: Why is K-pop's popularity exploding in the United States?

The biggest surprise act to wow Coachella fans is Danny Elfman, the former Oingo Boingo frontman who's since become a film and TV score composer virtuoso. (You might know him best as the man behind the everlasting theme song of "The Simpsons" as well as the scores and music for major blockbuster films like Planet Of The Apes (2001), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) and many others.) While Elfman may be the odd man out at this year's lineup, he joins fellow film score composer Hans Zimmer, who performed at the festival in 2017, in Coachella history.

Read: "The Simpsons" At 30: A Complete History Of Every Band That's Ever Rocked Springfield  

Latin Music Comes Back Strong

The influence of Latin music at Coachella 2019 was undeniable. Last year's lineup featured Latin pop's heavy hitters like J Balvin, Bad Bunny and Rosalía. As well, Coachella welcomed Los Tucanes De Tijuana, a legendary band from Tijuana, Mexico, who became the first-ever norteño act to perform at the festival in 2019. 

This year, Coachella continues the Latin music spree with confirmed performances from Brazilian pop superstar Anitta, Mexican banda group Banda MS and Brazilian drag star and pop singer Pabllo Vittar. The lineup also features rising Latinx indie pop and rock artists like Jessie Reyez, Cuco, Chicano Batman, Omar Apollo and Inner Wave. Ranking as the fifth most popular genre in America, Latin music continues its global domination on the charts and again at Coachella 2020.

The Many Flavors Of Pop

Ever since Drake headlined Coachella in 2015, the festival has experimented with mainstream pop headliners over the past five years: Calvin Harris in 2016, Lady Gaga (replacing Beyoncé) in 2017, Beyoncé (actually) in 2018 and Ariana Grande in 2019. For 2020, Coachella enlists a wide array of pop artists, each offering a distinct take on the genre. Acts like Lewis Capaldi, Alie Gatie and Marina lead the pack for the vocal pop singer-songwriter bunch. Lana Del Rey and FKA twigs, both billed as subheadliners for Sunday, will offer a moodier, more experimental pop experience. Then there's Charli XCX and Kim Petras, two alt-pop auteurs taking the genre to the future. Finally, Lil Nas X and Carly Rae Jepsen, both pop giants who tout global crossover appeal, will undoubtedly bring their viral sound to the festival masses. Coachella 2020 is a pop lover's dream come true. 

Experiences As Artists

While not officially billed on the lineup, Kanye West stole the show at last year's Coachella with an Easter Sunday performance from his gospel group, Sunday Service Choir. The event was one of the most talked-about performances at Coachella 2019, essentially becoming an "experience within an experience." This year, Coachella continues the trend via two standout bookings: Emo Nite and 88rising's Double Happiness.

Emo Nite, which takes over on Saturday, is the wildly popular emo-themed event series from Los Angeles that has largely sparked the emo and pop-punk revival and emo nostalgia trend of the past decade. The throwback dance party has hosted performances, surprise DJ sets and full-on tours from the genres' mainstays, including 3OH!3, Blink-182's Mark Hoppus, Dashboard Confessional and From First To Last, featuring frontman Sonny "Skrillex" Moore. That's all to say you can expect a star-studded roster at the Emo Nite gig this April. 

Elsewhere, 88rising, the hybrid management and multimedia production company and record label globalizing rap artists and hip-hop culture from the wider Asian-American and Asian markets, is presenting its Double Happiness event series at the festival. While the event, scheduled for Saturday, is featured as a standalone experience at the bottom of the bill, 88rising has confirmed several of its artists across the Coachella 2020 lineup, including Indonesian rapper Rich Brian (Friday), Japanese R&B singer/rapper Joji (Saturday) and Indonesian singer NIKI (Friday).

With Coachella leading the way, festival lineups this year may feature more experiences-as-artists bookings. 

Tickets for weekend one of Coachella 2020 are now sold out, but presale registration for weekend two is now open. A first-ever presale for weekend two begins Monday, January 6, at 12 p.m. PT. 

View the full Coachella 2020 lineup and register for the presale via the festival's official website.

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Coachella 2019

Coachella 2019

Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images

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Report: Coachella Postponed To 2021

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As parent company AEG lays off 15 percent of its workforce, the festival's officials are considering a potential limited-capacity event next April or a higher-capacity event in October 2021
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Jun 10, 2020 - 12:10 pm

Update Thursday (June 11) at 6:09 p.m. EST: In a press release, Goldenvoice officially announced the rescheduling of the 2021 installments of Coachella and its country music festival counterpart, Stagecoach, stating, "Under the continuing health guidance of the County of Riverside, Coachella and Stagecoach 2020 will not take place this October as previously rescheduled. This is not the future that any of us hoped to confront, but our main focus remains the well-being of our fans, staff, artists, desert partners and everyone involved in the festival." The press release states Coachella is scheduled to now take place across two weekends next April, with the first weekend happening April 9–11, followed by weekend two on April 16–18; Stagecoach will take place the following weekend, April 23–25. According to the announcement, all festivals will feature new lineups and all 2020 passes will be honored for 2021. 2020 ticket-holders will receive an email about refunds or ticket rollovers Monday (June 15).

Update: On Wednesday (June 10), the 2020 editions of Coachella and Stagecoach, both of which are Goldenvoice festival properties, were officially canceled "due to county and state restrictions" related to the coronavirus pandemic, Billboard reports. "I am concerned as indications grow that COVID-19 could worsen in the fall," Riverside Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser wrote in an official statement from Riverside County where both festivals take place. "In addition, events like Coachella and Stagecoach would fall under [California] Governor Newsom’s Stage 4, which he has previously stated would require treatments or a vaccine to enter. Given the projected circumstances and potential, I would not be comfortable moving forward."

After being rescheduled from April to October, this year's installment of Coachella has been postponed once again to 2021, largely due to major financial problems caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

According to Billboard, which broke the news Tuesday (June 9), officials at Goldenvoice, the organizers behind Coachella, are determining whether the festival will return next April, potentially in a limited capacity, or as a higher-capacity event in October 2021; the three-day festival typically attracts 125,000 people per day across two weekends.

At the time of this writing, Coachella has not made an official announcement about the postponement. 

The cancelation follows a major wave of cost-cutting initiatives at AEG, the global concert promoter and parent company of Goldenvoice. On Monday (June 8), AEG laid off 15 percent of its workforce, furloughed more than 100 employees and instituted significant pay cuts, which collectively mark the "deepest staff cuts in the company's history," as noted by Billboard.

"It is clear now that live events with fans will not resume for many months and likely not until sometime in 2021," Dan Beckerman, a chief executive at AEG, wrote in a note to employees ahead of the layoffs, according to Billboard. He also said every employee worldwide "will be impacted in one form or another" by the staff cuts, calling the decision "agonizing" but "necessary" for the company's long-term success. 

Read: Recording Academy And MusiCares Establish COVID-19 Relief Fund

According to Billboard, approximately 40 percent of Coachella ticket-buyers requested refunds for this year's festival. AEG officials believe they can produce the festival next April at 60 percent capacity, but they will not commit to rescheduling the 2021 event until they know more about the pandemic's trajectory.

The festival's postponement and the company's staff cuts come as the coronavirus pandemic has virtually shut down the global concert business following strict stay-at-home orders and closures of nonessential businesses worldwide that have caused many live music venues and events companies to shut their doors—some permanently.

Rumors surrounding Coachella's 2020 postponement first surfaced in early March, just when the COVID-19 pandemic began to severely impact the music industry. Since then, businesses and several U.S. states have begun to open their doors nationwide. The live music industry has since implemented novel ideas, such as drive-in concerts, virtual festivals, and socially distanced events, but large-scale festivals and gatherings are not likely to return this year. 

Read: Lollapalooza 2020 Canceled, Along With Other Chicago Summer Fests, Due To Coronavirus Concerns

AEG could potentially begin to reintroduce concerts across its many venues around the world as early as the fourth quarter of 2020 or early 2021, Billboard reports, which will help the company rehire its furloughed employees once it locks in a timetable and solidifies an approach. 

"It is our responsibility as a management team to protect our company and make sure that we are positioned for long-term success, and we are focused on this critical objective," Beckerman wrote in the note to staff, according to Billboard. "The world is slowly re-opening, and our industry will re-open later and more slowly than most. As a result, our organization and workforce have to adapt and evolve to meet the demands, challenges and economic circumstances we are likely to face when we emerge from this crisis."

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Beyoncé headlines Glastonbury 2011

Beyoncé headlines Glastonbury 2011

Photo: Samir Hussein/Getty Images

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BBC To Air Classic Glastonbury Sets From Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Adele, David Bowie, Jay-Z And More In June 2020

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Airing June 25-29, the expansive programming slate celebrates what would have been the festival's 50th anniversary this year
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
May 27, 2020 - 4:53 pm

U.K. broadcaster BBC has announced it will air an expansive slate of classic Glastonbury performances next month in celebration of what would have been the festival's 50th anniversary. Airing June 25-29, the weekend the festival was supposed to take place before it was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic in mid-March, the multi-day broadcast will feature performances from David Bowie, who's 2000 headlining set will air in full for the first time ever, as well as full headlining performances from GRAMMY winners Beyoncé, Adele, Jay-Z and Coldplay, The Guardian reports.

Other performances confirmed to air include sets from Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Amy Winehouse, The Rolling Stones, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, R.E.M., Arctic Monkeys and many more. 

The broadcast will air in the U.K. on BBC Two and BBC Four as well as on a new pop-up channel on BBC iPlayer, the latter of which will feature more than 60 sets, according to BBC.

The broadcast block will also feature The Best Of BBC Music Introducing At Glastonbury, a specially commissioned film chronicling the rise of several major stars who played the festival's new music stage earlier in their careers like Sheeran, George Ezra, NAO and Celeste, according to The Guardian. BBC will also air Glastonbury, the 2006 documentary and concert film. 

As well, national and local BBC radio stations and the BBC Sounds app will air and feature archived performances and new interviews.

Read: U.K.'s Wireless Festival Announces Wireless Connect Virtual Reality Festival, Set For July 2020

"I'm looking forward to a weekend of reflecting on the history of our festival and going back to some classic performances from David Bowie, Adele, REM, Beyoncé, the Rolling Stones, Jay-Z, Billie Eilish and lots more," Glastonbury organizer Emily Eavis told The Guardian. "Me and my dad will definitely be watching." 

Originally set to take place June 24–28 at Worthy Farm, Somerset, U.K., Glastonbury 2020 was to feature headliners and major artists like Kendrick Lamar, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift and Diana Ross, among many other acts.

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Crowd shot at Primavera Sound Barcelona 2019

Crowd shot at Primavera Sound Barcelona 2019

Photo: Xavi Torrent/WireImage

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Primavera Sound Barcelona 2021: Bad Bunny, Charli XCX, Tyler, The Creator, The Strokes, FKA twigs And More Confirmed

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Following a recent postponement, the celebrated Spanish festival has announced the first 100 artists for its 20th anniversary next June
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
May 27, 2020 - 1:24 pm

After its 2020 edition was postponed to next year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Primavera Sound Barcelona has today (May 27) announced the first 100 artists confirmed for its 2021 installment. The initial lineup features "a majority of artists who reconfirm their presence at the festival," according to a blog post shared on the event's official website announcing the 2021 artist roster, including Bad Bunny, Tyler, The Creator, The Strokes, Pavement, Bikini Kill and several other previously announced artists. Newly added artists include Charli XCX, Tame Impala, Gorillaz, FKA twigs, Jamie xx and Jorja Smith, among many others.

The five-day festival, now taking place June 2-6, 2021, in Barcelona, Spain, was originally scheduled to celebrate its 20-year anniversary next month (June 3-7). In late March, the festival was postponed to August due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this month (May 11), Primavera Sound Barcelona 2020 was ultimately postponed to next year, with the festival citing force majeure. The festival will now celebrate its 20th anniversary during the newly rescheduled dates in June 2021. 

More artists, including acts confirmed for the original 2020 lineup and new additions, will be announced over the next few months, according to the Primavera Sound Barcelona website. 

In the blog post, festival organizers addressed the impact the coronavirus pandemic has made on Primavera Sound Barcelona and the "hard times" it has caused for everyone involved.

"The entire Primavera Sound Barcelona team would like to acknowledge that we really appreciate all the messages of support, for the understanding and encouragement that we have received over the past few weeks," the post reads. "These are hard times for everyone and to feel that so many people are looking forward to collective events like our festival pushes us to work with more passion than ever …

"Whoever said that the second chances are never good did not imagine that we would experience something like what is happening this 2020. With the whole world on pause due to the evolution of the global pandemic and with the live music sector holding its breath facing a summer without festivals, we can only look forward: towards 2021, specifically, the year in which we are going to recover everything that will be pending from 2020."

Read: Recording Academy And MusiCares Establish COVID-19 Relief Fund

The 2021 installment of Primavera Sound Barcelona will debut Brunch -On The Beach, a brand-new closing party on the beach. The inaugural event, which was originally announced for the 2020 iteration of the festival this past February, will now take place Sunday, June 6, 2021, and will feature DJ sets from Disclosure, Nina Kraviz, Amelie Lens and Black Coffee. 

Tickets for Primavera Sound Barcelona 2021 will go on sale June 3 at 6 a.m. EST/noon CEST. All tickets purchased for the 2020 festival are valid for the 2021 edition. That same day, the festival will begin to offer exchanges and refunds for those who purchased tickets for the 2020 festival. 

To view the full lineup and to purchase tickets for Primavera Sound Barcelona 2021, visit the festival's official website. 

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Coachella 2019

Coachella 2019

Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella

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Report: Coachella & Stagecoach 2020 Rumored To Be Postponed Due To Coronavirus Concerns

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Riverside County, home to the fests' famed Empire Polo Club, has already declared a public health emergency following the first locally contracted case of coronavirus last week
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Mar 10, 2020 - 1:39 pm

Amid the rampant spread of coronavirus fear, more domestic cases and the cancelation of Ultra Miami, SXSW and a growing number of events, rumors abound over the possible cancelation of Coachella 2020. At the time of this publishing, Goldenvoice, the organizers behind Coachella and Stagecoach (which is also rumored to be in the works for postponement) have not officially canceled or postponed either event, although many outlets have spoken to sources who claim that a plan will be announced soon.

Read More: Going Viral: The Music Industry Grapples With The Worldwide Coronavirus Outbreak

Over the weekend, Riverside County, home to the fests' famed Empire Polo Club, officially declared a public health emergency, following the first locally contracted case of coronavirus. A total of three cases are currently reported in the county, while the California total has hit the 174 mark. According to Billboard (dated March 9), conversations between Goldenvoice, local Riverside officials and artists' talent teams began this weekend in an attempt to save the fest.

The outlet alleges that the two-weekend event, currently slated for April 10-12 and 17-19, may be rescheduled to Oct. 9-11 and Oct. 16-18. Stagecoach, which is slated for April 24-26, may be moved to Oct. 23-25. According to sources, organizers hope to make a final decision by tomorrow, March 11, around whether the event should be pushed to the fall or will need to be canceled this year.

Other outlets, as well as users on Reddit and Twitter, have also widely reported on this rumor over the past 12 hours or so, including the music writer who claims to have broken the rumor in the tweet above.

In the case of both Ultra (and the adjacent Winter Music Conference in Miami) and SXSW, which were canceled on March 6, both events were previously still slated to occur later this month until local officials declared a state of emergency. Coachella Valley news outlet Desert Sun notes that while the county has declared a state of emergency, as of today, local health officials are not urging for cancelation of either Coachella or Stagecoach, as scheduled for April. While Coachella has not issued an official statement on the event's status yet, they have been keeping a winking eye on the Twitter talk.

Frank Ocean, Rage Against The Machine, Travis Scott, Calvin Harris, Lana Del Rey, FKA twigs, Flume, Thom Yorke are all are on the bill as major performers at Coachella 2020. Carrie Underwood, Thomas Rhett and Eric Church are slated to headline Stagecoach 2020. Whether the events continue as planned or are rescheduled or canceled, it is not yet known who will perform. At the time of this publishing, no artists have officially dropped out of either event.

A growing number of artists, including Madonna, Khalid, BTS and many others have postponed or canceled some of their 2020 tour legs and/or other shows due to all the uncertainty around the coronavirus and ability to travel and gather in large crowds.

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