Coachella
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Starting early Thursday morning (April 10), Coachella campers arriving a day early to set up their campsites and attend the festival’s first-ever Day Zero dance party took to social media to post troubling dispatches about long lines and a lack of bathrooms or shade as they waited for hours to get in. According to sources close to the festival, the likely culprits for the traffic jam were two small changes at the festival’s popular car camping ground.
The first change was that the campgrounds began letting people in on Thursday at 9 a.m. this year, which is later than in past years, according to sources and fans posting on social media. The second was the festival’s launch of a preferred campsite program for the campground closest to the festival entrance.
On its website, Coachella describes the Preferred Front Row Car campground as an upgraded experience where attendees can “arrive at your leisure in a guaranteed spot in the front row of the lot closest to the venue.” The cost for a preferred car campsite is $462.17, while the cost for a regular car campsite is $179.37.
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Administering the new preferred campsite program, which replaced the traditional first-come, first-served system with a reservation-based system, took a little more time per camper to manage, sources tell Billboard — and that extra few minutes per camper quickly mushroomed into extra hours as the day wore on.
Slowing things down even more was that many diehard fans arrived as early as 2 a.m. to get first crack at the best campsites in the general camping area. On social media sites like Reddit and TikTok, some fans have claimed that Goldenvoice opened access to the camping area as early as 3 a.m., with many sharing tips on when to arrive; sources close to the festival say the festival sometimes opened as early as 6 a.m. The official entry time for the campgrounds in both 2024 and 2025 was listed as 9 a.m.
Whatever the case, the decision to open the campground no earlier than 9 a.m. this year created a large backlog of fans who had to wait hours to go through the festival’s check-in process, which often includes a security screening for all campers.
The changes caused frustrating delays for fans as they waited in their cars for hours to get in, sitting in the hot desert sun with temperatures peaking at 100 degrees and no options for shade or public bathrooms.
There was a small silver lining to this year’s changes that many fans embraced. For the first time in Coachella’s 25-year history, organizers added a live performance on the opening Thursday of the festival, known in Coachella fan parlance as Zero Day. For some fans, the hours-long set by veteran electronic artist Chris Lake helped balance out the difficult start to the day.
“[The traffic jam] doesn’t take away from this,” one festival goer told the Los Angeles Times. “That’s in the past. We’re about to see the G.O.A.T. and we’re living in the present now. It’s all right.”
Guest artists, surprises and lots of fun. That’s how Rawayana‘s debut at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is shaping up. The band will perform this and next Saturday (April 12 and 19) on the Gobi stage. According to lead vocalist Beto Montenegro, it will be a true tribute to their home country, where their last tour was canceled late last year amid political turmoil.
“Honestly, we’re scratching the itch after not being able to play in Venezuela,” Montenegro told Billboard Español on Friday (April 11) in an exclusive interview. “Our idea is to bring the Venezuelan Caribbean to Coachella. That’s the concept of the show. And to dedicate this to all the people who couldn’t see us in December.”
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Both performances will be streamed live on Coachella’s YouTube channel.
Rawayana will bring a total of ten special guests for their two shows, Montenegro shared. While he preferred to keep their identities a surprise, he revealed that this weekend’s performance will feature three Venezuelan and two Puerto Rican artists, and next week’s will include three more Venezuelans, a Colombian, and a Puerto Rican. “Our guests are the best of Venezuela,” he added enthusiastically. “They’re all from different worlds, but very important in our career and in Venezuelan music.”
And Rawayana won’t just be performing at the prominent festival in Indio, California. They’ll also premiere a music video during Coachella’s livestream: the clip for their viral hit “Veneka,” with Venezuelan rapper Akapellah, which was released last October. Filmed in November during the Caracas-Magallanes baseball game at loanDepot Park in Miami with the participation of many Venezuelan female figures from pop culture, the video will have its world premiere tonight (April 11) at 11:05 p.m. ET (8:05 p.m. PT) on the Main Stage YouTube channel, one week before its official release.
The festival announced it earlier today with a fun video on social media featuring another famous Venezuelan: Hollywood actor Edgar Ramírez.
“I mean, honestly, this Coachella is completely dedicated to Venezuela, and that makes us very happy,” Montenegro said, explaining that the song and the concept for the “Veneka” video were inspired by the baseball games they used to watch in their home country. “We used to go to the stadiums, and this type of music, raptor house [a dance electronic music genre originating in Caracas], would play. When the game ended, [the cameras] would always look for women in the crowd, and ‘Caracas de Noche’ would play. It was very iconic.”
Montenegro expressed his pride in performing at Coachella, the same festival where decades ago their fellow Venezuelans Los Amigos Invisibles — whom he said they were “ultra mega fans” of — played, and where this year they share the lineup with Gustavo Dudamel, “one of those little geniuses Venezuela has produced in recent times,” and Arca, “who is also a genius.”
“We feel amazing. It’s a privilege.”
Lady Gaga is set to make her headlining performance at Coachella on April 11, and we’re breaking down what the pop star could have in store for festivalgoers. Keep watching for all the details!
Are you excited for Lady Gaga’s performance? Let us know in the comments below!
Tetris Kelly:Gaga is returning to the desert before she embarks on her world tour. She’s bringing Mayhem to Friday night at Coachella, and we’re telling you everything you need to know. It isn’t Mother Monster’s first time at the rodeo — she headlined Coachella back in 2017 when Beyoncé had to bow out due to pregnancy. But this time around will likely be all about her album Mayhem that she told us all about.
Lady Gaga: It started to slowly remind me of, like, my earlier work, the mayhem of my approach to pop music, which is like something that, like, is mine, that I feel proud of.
Tetris Kelly:The set contains No. 1 single “Die With a Smile,” the bombastic track “Disease” and the viral smash “Abracadabra.”
Lady Gaga:I tried to really, like, own who I am, and just be proud of, like, my approach to music, my approach to pop music, and then also, like, even through “Abracadabra,” which is very different from “Perfect Celebrity,” take ownership over something that I started a long time ago
Tetris Kelly:Right after Coachella, she’s embarking on the Mayhem Ball and had this to say about the outing: “This show is designed to be the kind of theatrical and electrifying experience that brings Mayhem to life exactly how I envision it.”
And we should be ready for surprises. In 2017, she premiered the new song “The Cure.” What Mayhem song can’t you wait to see live in Indio? Let us know in the comments.
As artists and fans from across the globe are flocking to the desert for this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, African music is set to make its biggest splash yet. South Africa’s Tyla, Nigeria’s Rema and Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 and Ghana’s Amaarae will take over the festival this weekend and next. […]
Junior H is set to take the stage at Coachella, just a year after debuting at the event as a guest of his friend Peso Pluma. One of the most important exponents of new regional Mexican music today, Junior, known for global hits such as “Lady Gaga,” ‘Ella,” and “Tres Botellas,” will debut his own set on April 13 and 20.
“It’s a pride, it’s very nice to represent Mexico, represent the genre and share with people who like my music — although the goal is to go and win new fans,” Junior H tells Billboard Español ahead of the festival’s first weekend. “Coachella is a stage where artists from many countries perform. So, I’m very excited and of course it’s a challenge and a great opportunity.”
Although he said that he will not have guests and that his show will be shorter than what he normally presents in his concerts, the artist behind Hot 100 hits such as “Y Lloro”, “Fin de Semana” and “Bipolar” promises to give “the best of my repertoire.”
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Over the past five years, Junior H (whose real name is Antonio Herrera) has been carving a steady path since the days when he was discovered by the Los Angeles-based independent record label Rancho Humilde. Today, he has his own label, Sad Boyz Entertainment.
“La Letra Muda”, as he is also known, knows what it is like to be in front of large crowds. In May 2023, he twice packed the Plaza Mexico in Mexico City, with its 50,000 capacity — a long way from his early days of having a mostly social media-based following.
“That moment was really the beginning, where we realized we have real fans — not followers. It was awesome,” he says. “Then we jumped to the Foro Sol and it was beautiful. Later we came to the United States to very big places, so I’m infinitely grateful.”
With the concept of his 2023 album Sad Boyz 4 Life II, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums and Top Regional Mexican Albums charts, Junior H had a quick connection with young people — who had known him as a performer of corridos tumbados, but found his new style to have deeper, more sentimental themes. The 23-year-old singer was born in Guanajuato, also the land of singer-songwriter José Alfredo Jiménez, so ranchera music was part of his childhood. And as a teenager, thanks to his sisters, he listened to Edén Muñoz — with whom he collaborated on “Abcdario” a couple of years ago, fulfilling a longtime dream in the process.
More recently, the group Máximo Grado, considered a standard-bearer in corridos, released his Somos Leyenda album, on which Junior H made an appearance. “Since I was a kid I’ve been a fan of theirs. The song I participated with, ‘El Hombre del Equipo,’ I used to sing it when I was doing lives during the pandemic,” he recalls. “[The group’s leader] Christian Felix used to see them, and that’s why he invited me. I’m fortunate to have accomplished things I never imagined. That’s why now I want to help other artists who are starting out with my record label.”
Junior H will now add CEO of Sad Boyz Entertainment to his career resumé. His first signed talent is the artist Gael Valenzuela, on whose new song (“El Chore,” released Apr. 10) he also appeared. Find that below.
The show must go on. Weezer has not canceled its plans to perform at Coachella this Saturday (April 12) after the wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner sustained non-life-threatening injuries during a bizarre run-in with Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers that ended in a dramatic shootout. A source linked to the festival tells Billboard […]
The desert will be the place to be this weekend and the next with Coachella in full swing in Indio, Calif. This year’s two-weekend festival will run April 11-13 and 18-20, and will be co-headlined by Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone and Travis Scott.
While the aforementioned artists are top billings, there’s a handful of Latin artists that you’ll want to check out if you’re attending this year. From Venezuelan band Rawayana to corridos hitmaker Junior H, indie pop artist Judeline and música mexicana star Ivan Cornejo, there’s something for everyone throughout the three days. Other Latin acts on the roster include, Arca, The Marías, El Malilla, Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, Alok and Gustavo Dudamel with the LA Phil. Check out the artists’ schedules here.
Anitta was set to perform this year but pulled out of her performance slot last month over “unexpected personal reasons.”
“I was really looking forward to being at Coachella this year, but due to unexpected personal reasons, I won’t be able to perform,” the Brazilian superstar wrote on X. “I’m truly grateful to the festival for the invitation, their understanding, and continued support. I hope to have the opportunity to join you all in the future and share that special moment together.”
In previous years, Bad Bunny, Karol G, Becky G, Natanael Cano, Kali Uchis, Peso Pluma, Eladio Carrión, Carla Morrison, Banda MS, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and Grupo Firme, among many other Latin artists, have performed at Coachella.
Below, find the ultimate guide to Latin artists at this year’s Coachella in alphabetical order:
Alok
Tens of thousands of music fans will descend on the California desert this weekend for the first of two iterations of the Coachella Music and Arts festival outside of Palm Springs, Calif.
Approximately 80,000 to 100,000 fans each weekend will have coughed up the $599 ticket price to see headliners Lady Gaga, Travis Scott, Green Day and Post Malone. But ticket price is often just the cost of entry — many of those fans will spend more than a $1,000 per weekend on lodging and cough up hundreds of dollars more for food, drinks and merchandise. It’s a substantial spend for any of the 20-somethings in Coachella’s target demographic. But festival organizers have increasingly helped finance their purchase through payment plan programs.
Approximately 60 percent of general admission ticket buyers at this year’s festival opted to use Coachella’s payment plan system, which requires as little as $49.99 up front for tickets to the annual concert. The desert festival isn’t alone — Lollapalooza, Electric Daisy Carnival and Rolling Loud all sell the majority of their tickets using some kind of payment plan system.
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Representatives at Goldenvoice, which puts on Coachella, declined to comment for this story. One source, who asked to remain anonymous because they weren’t authorized to speak to the media, told Billboard that payment plans have fundamentally changed how festivals are marketed to the public.
“Festivals are now marketing a cheap down payment as their main call to action,” the source says. “The messaging is $20 down gets you in the door, or $50 down gets you started. It’s no longer about the artists, or the festival lifestyle — the message is, ‘You can afford this if you act today.’”
The same source told Billboard it’s not uncommon for some fans to have four or five different festival payment plans hitting their accounts at one time. Typically, fans pay as little as $19.99 to get started on a payment plan that’s extended over a period of several months — three months generally for Coachella, since most buying happens after the lineup is announced, which until 2025 took place in early January. This year, fans who signed up before Jan. 25 had their payments split into three payments, with the last payment hitting a user’s account in March.
The system is different than those of popular fintech payment-plan firms like Klarna, Affirm and Sezzle, which pay out the vendor in full and reimburse themselves by collecting the remaining payments from buyers. These firms make money from merchant and processing fees they collect from vendors and, in some cases, interest payments charged to customers that go beyond the terms of their original payment plan. Because firms like Klarna and Affirm essentially grant buyers credit, and often run credit histories on their users, they are heavily regulated under a number of state and federal financial frameworks.
The payment systems used by festival promoters are administered by ticketing companies like AXS, Ticketmaster and Frontgate, and are offered as a service in exchange for the festival promoter’s business. These systems are not considered credit providers since there’s no third party fronting the vendor the full price of the transaction. Instead, the vendor is paid out over time, as each payment goes through.
Ticket buyers are charged a $41 fee for using Coachella’s payment plan, similar to what other festivals charge fans for the use of payment plans. The fee is equivalent to approximately eight percent of the ticket price, which is still far cheaper than what a fan might pay for financing a ticket on their credit card. The revenue generated from this fee is split between the ticketing company and the promoter.
While some have criticized festivals for using fees as a revenue generator, fest organizer Bob Sheehan with the California Roots Festival in Monterey, Calif. tells Billboard that payment plans “are a critical link between fan affordability and generating the revenue needed to finance a modern multiday festival.”
Sheehan estimates that 65 percent to 70 percent of his festival attendees use payment plans to pay for their tickets and adds “the entire system is built upon trust — trust that we will deliver the experience we promised and trust that our fans will make their payments on time.”
If Coachella attendees miss their scheduled payments — typically, the attempt to debit their account is declined for insufficient funds or having an expired credit card — they are given 10 days to bring their account current. If the 10th day passes and the payment is not received, then the order is cancelled and the fan is issued a credit that can be used towards next year’s festival.
“Credit expires 12 months from issuance,” Coachella officials explain on their website. “No exceptions.”
Expired monies and credits — often referred to as “breakage” in business — are governed by state law, though one source says the revenue generated from breakage is miniscule.
“Most defaults happen after the initial deposit is made on the first payment — it’s very rare that a fan will default on tickets after two payments have been made, so the revenue from breakage is very low,” explains one source familiar with how festivals operate their payment plans. “All of the incentives for the promoter are that the fan pay off their ticket in full and attend the event so they can spend money on beer and parking and merchandise.”
With Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival just around the corner, things are heating up in Indio, Calif. Lady Gaga, Green Day, Travis Scott and Post Malone are headlining the main Coachella stage at the festival taking place over the next two weekends, April 11-13 and April 18-20. Missy Elliott, Benson Boone, LISA, GloRilla, Tyla, Artemas […]
REVOLVE Festival is heading back the desert. The eighth annual edition of the invite-only festival, which takes place April 12 in Thermal, Calif., over Coachella weekend 1, will feature an all-star performance lineup including Lil Wayne, Tyga, Gelo and Uncle Waffles, plus DJ sets by Hunny Bee, DJ Lex and Quinn Blake, as well as special guest Cardi B, Billboard can exclusively reveal.
This year’s theme includes an immersive Desert Mirage experience, which promises a “fusion of chrome and organic elements, inspired by the desert sunset and the beauty of a bold yet serene landscape,” per a press release.
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“Every year, we aim to deliver a lineup featuring the best of the best artists in the game, and this year is no exception,” Raissa Gerona, chief brand officer of REVOLVE Group Inc., said in a press statement. “We’re excited to bring an incredible mix of performers, making this our best festival yet. REVOLVE Festival continues to raise the bar, and we can’t wait to bring unparalleled energy to the desert.”
REVOLVE Festival will spotlight exclusive collections in collaboration with brands including Leslie Amon, AKNVAS, Understated Leather and 8 Other Reasons, as well as the REVOLVE-owned brands GRLFRND, Camila Coelho and Superdown. You can visit The Festival Shop edit now to see styles curated for the event.
Affirm will provide guests with exclusive deals and a desert oasis lounge to escape the heat, and Vivrelle will host carnival game experiences where guests will have the chance to win luxury designer accessories from their closet. Guests will enjoy gifted REVOLVE BEAUTY products from Ole Henriksen, Bask Suncare, Perelel Health and NOYZ Fragrance; plus, a K-Beauty World convenience mart will feature products from Mixsoon, Rael Beauty, I’m From, Sungboon Editor, Some by Mi and Tocobo. Beverages will include Sprinter Vodka Soda, 818 Tequila, Heineken and SipMARGS. Warner Bros. Pictures will host a bar activation with cocktails inspired by the film Sinners from Ryan Coogler starring Michael B. Jordan and Hailee Steinfeld. BODYARMOR FLASH I.V. will offer rapid rehydration beverages and electrolyte slushies, and LaCroix will debut its newest sparkling water flavor Sunshin. Food options will include Irv’s Burgers, Yeastie Boys x Prince St Pizza, Raising Cane’s, Hot Girls Pickles, Beignet Box and more.
Last year’s Revolve Festival lineup included T-Pain, Ludacris, Sean Paul, the Ying Yang Twins, Nina Sky, Siobhan Bell and Kim Lee.