Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival once again transformed the sandy landscape of Indio, California, into a vibrant celebration of music, art, and culture from April 12-14 and April 19-21, 2024. The proclaimed “Biggest Stage in the World” pulled out all the stops for its 25th anniversary. Festivalgoers from around the globe came in the desert heat, ready to witness a stellar array of performers for the event’s multiple stages.
Skepta’s Epic Vibes on Day One
For the first day of Coachella, Skepta, a British Nigerian MC, producer, and rapper, performed some of his beloved songs such as “Tony Montana” and “Sahara.” Throughout his set, he interacted with the crowd, coming off stage to get closer to the barricade.
Spinall’s Nigerian Party
Nigerian producer and DJ Spinall took the stage on Day 2 of the festival, proudly repping the Nigerian flag. With him were sheet-covered dancers, and he brought the energy behind his massive DJ booth. Spinall brought on special guest Temi to perform their new single, “Psalm 23.” Spinall also brought in Nigerian artist Fireboy DML to thrill the crowd.
Kid Cudi’s Jump Oops
American rapper Kid Cudi broke his foot while jumping off the stage towards the end of his set on Sunday. While performing in the Sahara tent, he attempted to gain footing before hopping off the stage to land on the ground in front of the crowd barricade. With one song left in the set, he cut his time short and went to the hospital to treat his injury.
He thanked fans over social platform X, stating he was leaving the hospital this morning.
Mdou Moctar Rocks Coachella
Tuareg songwriter and guitarist Mahamadou Souleymane, known as Mdou Moctar, took the Coachella stage on Sunday. Performing songs from his 2021 “Afrique Victime” and 2022 “Niger” albums, his band brought their psychedelic rock sound at full blast.
Renee Rapp’s Star-Studded Set
Upcoming artist Renee Rapp had an eventful set for both Weekends. For her first set on Weekend 1, she brought 2000s pop artist Ke$ha on stage, who performed her 2010 song “TikTok” with a rewritten opening line, “Wake up in the morning like F*** P. Diddy” amidst recent controversy on the music mogul.
Coco Jones also made a surprise appearance for Renee Rapp’s second weekend due to her feature on her remix “Tummy Hurts” in November 2023. Coco Jones looked stunning a bedazzled split leg denim set, fighting laughter as she joined Rapp in a duet.
Chlöe Bailey’s Electrifying Performance
Chlöe Bailey made her Coachella solo debut with an energetic setlist of 12 songs for the Gobi stage.
She announced her sophomore album, “Trouble in Paradise,” during her second set on Friday, April 19th. Chlöe performed her new single “Boy Bye” for the first time, along with “Suprise”, “Body Do”, “Cheatback”, and an incorporated remix of female rapper Doechii’s “Persuasive” during her dance break.
On Weekend 1, she wore a light purple body-hugging two-piece set alongside her dancers rocking the same color. Her Weekend 2 outfit was the same set in black, paired with a different makeup look for the drastic color change.
Tems’ Came in Full of Surprises
Grammy-nominated Nigerian singer Tems performed nine songs, singing her biggest songs such as “Higher,” “Damages,” “Replay,” and “Crazy Tings.” Midway through her set, she debuted an unreleased single, “Love Me JeJe,” to set up for her next surprise.
Fans anticipated collaborating with Tyla for her recent single “No. 1”, but the South African artist canceled her appearance at the festival due to injury. This didn’t stop Tems from shocking the crowd, bringing on Wizkid for an appearance alongside a surprise serenade with Justin Bieber. Despite his feature in 2020, the appearance shocked both the crowd and the internet.
Victoria Monet’s Soulful Serenade
Victoria Monet rocked the stage as always, stunting a glittering black and orange leotard after her taking off her “Pimp Anthem” ensemble. While the performance was similar to her recent tour, the 40 minute performance contained a mixture of video visuals, a live band, multiple dance breaks, and Songs from both her first and second “Jaguar” album. Monet performed her songs “Smoke,” “Moment,” “On My Mama,” “Ass Like That,” and more, along with a cover of Usher’s “Let It Burn.”
During the outro for her song “Stop Asking Me For S**t,” she used the set to stand firm politically, stating, “Stop the wars, stop the hate, stop the genocides, stop motherf**ing hating.”
Days after her performance, she was gifted with a beautiful arrangement of white flowers from Queen Bey herself, excitedly letting her Grammy-nominated toddler read the card.
Ice Spice Heats Up the Stage
Bronx rapper Ice Spice shook the stage on an apparent “million dollar set,” performing through her well-known catalog with her songs “Munch (Feelin’ U),” “In Ha Mood,” and “Think You The S***.” Despite viral collaborations with artists like Nicki Minaj and Pink Panthress, she only debuted at Coachella with her producer Riot, who was hyping the crowd through remixes and adlibs behind the DJ booth.
After performing an unreleased single “Gimmie A Light”, she announced an upcoming album to complete her set, with “Y2K Album dropping soon” appearing on screen. Despite the announcement, her most viral moment was a short mention of her friend Taylor Swift, asking the crowd, “Yall heard Taylor’s new album yet?”
The two were seen at events like the Superbowl and Neon Carnival together after their single was released in May 2023, appearing to still be close friends.
Tyler The Creator’s Explosive Show
Tyler The Creator headlined for Day 2 of the Coachella weekend, leaving a viral impression even just for his explosive entrance. After blasting through his RV, he performed over 20 songs from his extensive catalog, with special guests in each set of the performance from Donald Glover, ASAP Rocky, Kali Uchis, and R&B legend Charlie Wilson.
On Weekend 2, he reunited with former group mate Earl Sweatshirt, letting fans relive the “Odd Future” era for a couple of songs. Referring to each other as “brothers,” they were in great spirits for “Bastard” and “Rusty.”
Doja Cat’s Viral Voyage
Doja Cat caught the internet’s attention while headlining for Day 3, going viral for her amazing set and stage mishaps. She initially started on stage in a white zip-up body suit with leg-length blonde hair but changed into a nude bodysuit she had underneath, paired with matching leg-warmer blonde strands that swept the stage.
Her 23 background dancers matched her in a monstrous version of the look, covered head to toe during her “Demons” performance. As an artist of South African background, she celebrated her background with a feature from South African acapella band “The Joy,” who sang a rendition of her deluxe song “Acknowledge Me.”
During her second set, her team seemingly forgot to hand her a microphone, leaving her stranded to jokingly interact with the crowd during her song “F*** The Girls.” After the intro passed, she was handed the microphone with it still turned off, stopping to switch it on before entering the zone. The crowd rapped along anyway, mostly unfazed by the mistake.
