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Day three of Coachella is a wrap.
Festival-goers trekked to the desert for the final day of weekend one, which was headlined by Frank Ocean. But before the artist, who gave his first live performance in six years on Sunday (April 16), took the main stage, artists such as Kali Uchis, Björk, Willow and Latto performed noteworthy sets of their own. For those at home, YouTube streamed live from all stages of the festival — and will continue to do so during the fest’s round two April 21-23.
Kali Uchis’ show-stopping performance featured a parade of surprise guests, including her pals Tyler, the Creator and Omar Apollo. She was also joined by her significant other, rapper Don Toliver, to perform “Fantasy” together. The night’s biggest moment was, of course, Frank Ocean, who was originally set to headline the fest in 2020. A huge crowd gathered at the main stage to welcome the acclaimed artist back to the desert after 11 years (he first performed in 2012) — and only those in attendance were able to experience Franks’s nearly 90-minute set, which wasn’t live-streamed.
After fans patiently waited for Frank to take the stage, he finally appeared (almost an hour late) and wasted little time before telling the crowd what they all wanted to know: “I want to talk about why we’re here — because it’s not about the new album, not that there’s not a new album,” he said. There’s hope.
Check out Billboard‘s six best moments from day three of Coachella 2023 below.
Latto Gasses Up the Girls
It was giving female empowerment at Latto’s Sahara Tent set, from the female rappers she brought up on stage to the messages she shared. “It’s a lotta ladies in here! Where my boss b—–s at? Where my b—–s who pays their own bills?” she asked the crowd. She later introduced her track “P—y” — which she released soon after Roe v. Wade was overturned last June, a historical push against women’s rights that Latto vehemently rapped about protecting — by asking the crowd: “Why would I let a ni–a police my own p—y?” All the while, her backup dancers held their own form of a women’s march right on the stage as pink-hued footage of real-life protests flashed on the center screen, which resembled an antique purple TV box.
Latto, who held a sequined scepter in hand, used her set both for good and… for some downright dirty. During “Nasty Nasty,” she used the mic to mimic fellatio while later asking, “Who wanna come up here and get wet with me?” As for her guests, Latto welcomed TiaCorine to perform her latest hit “FreakyT” (which Latto chimed in with her own verse); Lola Brooke who gave her first major festival performance, delivering her breakout hit “Don’t Play With It”; and last but not least, Saweetie, who joined Latto for the billed act’s own breakout hit “B—h from Da Souf.” After, Saweetie took a moment to give Latto her flowers, saying, “She can rap her ass off! And you look better than me, I know that’s motherf—king right!” She then led the audience in an “I Love Latto” chant before exiting the stage, leaving Latto alone for the big finale of her Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 smash, “Big Energy,” making sure to give Mariah Carey props by letting her verse from the remix play on through. – Heran Mamo
Kali Uchis Scores Big-Name Guests
Kali Uchis delivered an epic performance on Sunday that featured back-to-back surprise guests. The Colombian-American artist started off strong performing her bilingual hit “Telepatía,” which earned the singer-songwriter her first leader on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart in 2021. “How we feeling Coachella? Thank you for having us. My name is Kali Uchis,” she told the crowd. Wearing a two-piece denim piece (bustier and shirt) with matching boots, Kali introduced her first guest, none other than Tyler, the Creator to sing their duet “See You Again.” She then brought out Omar Apollo to perform “Worth the Wait.” For her last guest, Uchis invited rapper (and her significant other) Don Toliver for “Fantasy.”
“Are you guys hot?” she asked the crowd after Toliver left the stage. Things were only about to get hotter when she performed OG reggaeton anthems “Rica y Apretadita” by El General and Don Omar’s “Salvaje.” Most recently, Kali dropped her new album, Red Moon in Venus, which earned her her first top 10 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. During her set, she teased that she’s about to drop a Latin album next. — Griselda Flores
Christine & the Queens Deliver High Drama
Christine and the Queens’ frontman sauntered on stage in a black trench and angel wings to introduce what would be a captivating and theatrical dusk set. Opening with “Saint Claude,” Chris delivered two more songs before presenting a mini monologue of great importance.
“This is a curse I put on myself,” he began. “My life as a man… my life as a very good man. They asked me who I was and I said the guardian of the doors — I am keeping them safe from the disaster of [patriarchy]. Oh please, close your eyes and let me live my life as a man.”
The artist fittingly then performed the declarative “iT” — which features the line “I’m a man now / And there’s nothing you can do to make me change my mind” — and after took a seat to interpolate Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge” alongside his guitarist, part of the artist’s mighty three-piece band.
To end, “If I’m Honest” — the lead single off the act’s upcoming album Paranoïa, Angels, True Love — got its festival debut, for which Chris donned the tench and wings once more. He then leave fans with one final message: “This life is about knowing what your heart is about … Angels of transformation, I am calling upon you.” — Lyndsey Havens
Willow’s Family Affair
“It’s quite a serendipitous night, if I do say so myself,” mused Willow as she stepped on stage for her set at the tented Mojave stage. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you all know this one.” The star then ripped into “transparent soul” as her parents, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, proudly looked on from a sectioned off corner within the artist guest section that’s packed with friends and family, including Moises Arias.
“Honestly, I’m so grateful to just be here and rock the f–k out with you guys,” said Willow. And that’s exactly what she did, especially on songs like screamo-rock epics “Falling Endlessly” for which she picked up her guitar, and “Why?”
Yet the standout moment came during “Summertime in Paris,” her collaboration with brother Jaden who joined in on stage — and stuck around a moment to shower his little sister with praise. “Willow, I look up to you. You’re an amazing person. You’re an amazing artist. It brings tears to my eyes as your brother to see you do this. I’m so inspired and happy for what you’re doing in the world and the amount of peoples lives that you’re changing and the music that you’re making.”
And while he remained the set’s only guest — Camila Cabello has been spotted at the fest all weekend long, though didn’t appear for her Willow collab “psychofreak” — she indulged fans with her hit “Meet Me At Our Spot,” on which she played the bass. (Though Initially released in 2020 the song went viral on TikTok the following year, pushing it up to No. 21 on the Hot 100.) “That was splendiferous,” said Willow as her set came to a close — adding that she’s fairly certain it’s a word. — L.H.
Björk’s Big Return to the Desert
Icelandic artist Björk played alongside an orchestra in her first return to the desert since headlining in 2002. Donning a tinsel outfit, complete with a hoop skirt, tabi platform heels, and a face mask — designed by longtime collaborator James Merry — she began her set with “Stonemilker” and ended with a transformative, strings-based cover of her techno-leaning track “Pluto.”
For the last few years, Björk has played many of her shows with an orchestra, led by Icelandic conductor Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason. Yet, despite the avant-garde costuming and moving arrangements, the set seemed likely better appreciated as a touring performance for fans rather than a festival set that ultimately served as many newcomers’ pre-Frank Ocean entertainment while they stood waiting for hours. — Kristin Robinson
Frank Ocean’s Long-Awaited Headlining Set
For his first live performance in seven years, Frank Ocean came out of hiding — kind of — to close out the third and final day of the festival. In the hour leading up to his set, the main stage gradually transformed into one giant screen that only left a sliver of its interior visible, which is where Frank remained tucked away for the duration of the one-hour-and-a-half set.
Inside the recording studio-like set-up, the ever-elusive star hunched over a mic to reimagine his most beloved songs, including a stripped-down, acoustic version of “Pink + White,” a turnt up remix of “Solo,” a drill edit of “Chanel” and punk-rock remix of “Wiseman.” The headliner later lent his spotlight to DJ Crystalmess, who took a stab at spinning his own discography as she played a Jersey Club remix of “Slide” and a bounce edit of “Pyramids.”
And yes, Frank even performed snippets of new music, at times using his self-proclaimed “inner child” Josiah as a vessel. Despite his ambiguous comment on whether fans can expect new music to be released soon — “I want to talk about why I’m here because it’s not because of a new album… Not that there’s not a new album,” he teased — he did expand on his decision to return to the desert more than a decade later.
“You know, these last couple years, my life changed so much…. My brother and I, we came to this festival a lot,” he reflected somberly about their Coachella memories of watching Rae Sremmurd together. “I know he would’ve been so excited to be here with all of us. I want to say thank you for the support and the ears and the love over all this time.” — H.M.
Just a couple days after teasing an “encore” of their Born Pink Tour in the U.S., BLACKPINK has revealed new tour dates.
On Sunday (April 16), Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé added four summer stadium shows to their list of upcoming tour dates: East Rutherford, New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium (Aug. 12), Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium (Aug. 18), San Francisco’s Oracle Park (Aug. 22) and Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium (Aug. 26).
The K-pop group had hinted at the tour news on Friday via an Instagram Story with a smoky pink visual of all four girls and a link to blackpinklive.com, where Blinks can now register for ticket presale access.
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The Born Pink Tour previously made it to North America in the fall, with a string of concert dates that concluded with a pair of performances in Los Angeles.
BLACKPINK made history with their Coachella set this weekend, becoming the first Korean act to headline the festival. “I must say, this is a dream come true … the reason all four of us are here is because of you,” Rosé affectionately told the crowd. See Billboard‘s recap of their Coachella set here.
See details about the new show dates in BLACKPINK’s tour announcement below.
The second day of Coachella delivered its own set of surprise guest appearances, like Rauw Alejandro and Billie Eilish — the latter of whom live debuted her “Never Felt So Alone” collaboration with Labrinth during his set. Plus, the day included Jai Paul‘s first-ever live performance as well as BLACKPINK‘s historic headlining set.
Saturday’s stacked lineup also included performances by Charli XCX, Rosalía, boygenius, The Kid LAROI, and Calvin Harris, who officially “returned to the desert,” according to his billing.
For those at home, YouTube streamed live from all stages of the festival — and will continue to do so throughout this weekend and during the fest’s round two April 21-23. On Sunday night, April 16, Frank Ocean will close out the festival with his highly anticipated headlining performance and first live performance in six years.
As for BLACKPINK’s headlining performance, the beloved foursome reflected on the beginning of their Coachella journey in 2019, when they became the first K-pop girl group to perform at the U.S. festival when they were booked over at the Sahara Tent. Fast forward four years later and global superstars Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa were taking over the main stage and making history as the first Korean act to headline the festival. Almost two hours later, Calvin Harris returned to the main stage for the first time in seven years to bang out the hits and, by a “Miracle,” play a new one with an old friend, Ellie Goulding.
Check out Billboard‘s eight best moments from day two of Coachella 2023 below.
Charli XCX’s Sexy Set
Even though the day had gradually cooled off by the time Charli XCX hit the main Coachella Stage, she unabashedly dialed the intensity all the way back up. While donning a studded black leather bodysuit and matching knee-high boots, Charli asked the audience, “Who’s getting sexy this weekend?” before launching into “Baby.” After performing “Beg For You” sans Rina Sawayama, Charli led a “We’re really, really hot! I’m really, really hot!” chant as her way of “begging” Troye Sivan to come out for their “1999” collaboration — which he gladly did.
But it was her performance of “Track 10” that was especially electrifying, as it offered a hyper-pop escape from the heartbreak. To really drive it home, the singer gyrated at the same frenetic pulse of the music before crawling across the stage in a beautifully bizarre manner that captured her vulnerability and passion all in the name of love. Only the chilling whisper of her own name could resurrect her body that by now was sprawled out on stage, as she revved herself back to life in time for “Vroom Vroom.” — Heran Mamo
Rosalía & Rauw Alejandro Are Couples Goals
Rosalía brought out her fiancé Rauw Alejandro to perform “Beso” and “Vampiros” off their recently-released joint EP. “How many of you have already listened to RR,” the Spanish star asked the crowd. “Four years ago, I came to Coachella, and I came alone. Not this time around.” A few seconds later, the Puerto Rican hitmaker joined his lover onstage where they sang, kissed and twerked. “Qué dice Coachella? Where’s my Latin people?” he asked the roaring crowd. Rauw’s surprise appearance was one of the best moments from Rosalía’s emotional and riveting set, during which she performed music from her albums El Mal Querer and Motomami. — Griselda Flores
Jai Paul’s First-Ever Live Performance
Major anticipation culminated during Jai Paul’s set in the Mojave, where the mysterious experimental singer-producer played the first show of his 12-year career. Known for his 2011 debut track “BTSTU,” the artist recently returned from a seven-year hiatus with a pair of singles “Do You Love Her Now” and “He.” And ahead of his historic set, he released his project of unfinished demos, Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones), on vinyl for the first time following its infamous leak 10 years ago.
Those songs filled his Coachella set, of which he said in a pre-show statement, “I always wanted to do something like this, but yeah, I’m not gonna lie, I am absolutely sh-tting it.” The U.K. artist came onstage 15 minute late, wearing a wig and sunglasses — perhaps part of a plan to put him at ease. He didn’t look entirely comfortable in the spotlight (and his mic could’ve been turned up louder), but he powered through a show that opened with “Higher Res” and later included “BTSTU” — a must for any fan, casual or otherwise. And though the show didn’t entirely dissolve his mystique, the crowd — which included Justin Bieber, Channel Tres and Kaytranada — finally got a sense of what Jai Paul can do. — Katie Bain
Boygenius Supporting Trans Rights
Earlier in the week, supergroup boygenius — Phobe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus — warmed up for Coachella with a performance in Pomona, treating fans to a celebratory set of new music off its debut album, the record. While their stellar songbook was the focus of the band’s festival set, Baker took the opportunity to also voice support for trans rights. “I want to say before we keep going, I don’t know if you’ve been checking the news and seeing the tomfoolery that’s going on in Florida, Missouri, and so many other places. But trans lives matter, trans kids matter,” she said. “We’re going to fight it, and we’re going to win.” — Lyndsey Havens
BLACKPINK’s Historic Headlining Set
“So… let me start off with, four years ago, we were invited to perform here for you at Coachella at the Sahara Tent and that made a mark in all of our hearts,” BLACKPINK’s Rosé affectionately told the crowd. ”I must say, this is a dream come true … the reason all four of us are here is because of you.”
In 2019, BLACKPINK — composed of Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa — became the first K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella — a set that also marked the foursome’s first full U.S. concert. And tonight, in 2023, the global superstars became the first Korean act to headline the festival.
“We are so so happy to be back here,” adds Jennie. “It’s crazy within the four years we made it from Sahara to main stage …. We love you Coachella.” Throughout the set, which featured hits old and new like “Pink Venom,” “Kill This Love,” “Whistle,” “BOOMBAYAH” and “DDU-DU DDU-DU,” each song felt like a grand finale in its own right. The act used the additional set time and main stage prominence to make their distinct personalities and voices known, dedicating time for each artist to perform their solo work. Jennie went first with “You & Me” featuring a new rap verse, followed by Jisoo, who performed her debut single “Flower,” followed by Rosé, who delivered “Gone / On the Ground,” and ending with Lisa’s set (which was introduced using her birth name Lalisa) of an explicit version of “Money.”
The historic and celebratory set tapped into what Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa do best together as BLACKPINK: making Blinks feel seen. And by allowing each member a moment of their own to shine, they allowed their individuality to be seen, too. — L.H.
The Kid LAROI’s Tribute to Late Friends and Special Message For Justin Bieber
“I’m very, very blessed to be on this stage,” echoed The Kid LAROI’s voice throughout the Sahara Tent in the middle of his performance. It was a sincere moment of gratitude considering some of his dearest friends are no longer here, like fellow rappers Juice WRLD and Saiko, whom he honored while performing a new song “about loss and about losing people,” he somberly told the crowd. “It’s very personal to me and very vulnerable.”
The 19-year-old artist’s mature rebranding wasn’t just about cutting off his golden, boyish locks or dropping “The Kid” from his moniker when he introduced himself to the audience. It involved diving deeper into what pains him — in this case, lost loved ones — with piercing lyricism. While crouched atop a beaten up pickup truck, he sang about reflecting on the words he wish he had said to his friends.
And he stuck to his word when he praised his “Stay” collaborator Justin Bieber, who LAROI said was watching from the crowd (immediately shutting down any hope of a surprise onstage appearance; he did, however, later bring out Fivio Foreign, who performed their Far East Movement-sampling pop-drill collaboration “Paris to Tokyo”). “You’re such a special f—king human being…. Everybody here’s gotchu, bro,” he said speaking directly to Bieber. “Thank you for being not only an incredible musician and a collaborator, but thank you for being my f—king friend.” — H.M.
Labrinth and Billie Eilish’s Live Debut of “Never Felt So Alone”
Ahead of Labrinth‘s upcoming album, ENDS & BEGINS, the experimental artist treated fans to songs old and new — including his latest single “Never Felt So Alone,” which features Billie Eilish. His best treat of all? Bringing her out to live debut the song together. “She’s so f–king talented,” Lab said of the star as she exited the stage. “Billie, forever I f–king love you.” Elsewhere in the set he played Euphoria hits like “I’m Tired” (which features Zendaya, who did not come out during the set) and “Still Don’t Know My Name,” among other fan favorites — all of which showcased his stellar vocals, proving just how much of a powerhouse he is both in the studio and on the stage. — L.H.
Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding’s Live Debut of ‘Miracle’
While other sonic trends blow in and out on the desert winds, dance music is a foundational element of Coachella, with nearly every style of the genre spread across every single stage. This year sets by U.K. icons The Chemical Brothers and Underworld — who both played the first Coachella in 1999 — felt as thrilling and relevant as ever. James Murphy did the lord’s work while DJing Despacio, low key Coachella’s best dance space, and Eric Prydz dazzled on the Outdoor Stage with his technical/sonic masterpiece of a show, HOLO.
But while dance music was everywhere, it’s marquee look was Calvin Harris’ set on the main stage. BLACKPINK was the night’s headliner, but Harris in fact came on after them and played to a crowd as massive and sprawling as nearly any we’ve seen assembled there over the years.
But what does an EDM titan do on this stage a decade after the EDM heyday (and seven years since his last Coachella main stage appearance)? He bangs out the hits, baby — but gets kind of weird, too. Indeed,, Harris throttled through his insane catalog, hitting all the highs — “One Kiss,” “This Is What You Came For,” “Slide,” “Feel So Close,” “Sweet Nothing,” “Summer” — with the audience heard chanting along en masse whenever the Scottish producer turned his volume dial down.
But, unsurprisingly given Harris’ recent forays into acid house and adjacent styles, he also veered off into harder and way ravier territory, with some of these moments not sounding all that different than what Underworld had done hours earlier — demonstrating a throughline across eras of dance music and Coachella lineups.
Interestingly, Harris’ set entirely avoided anything from his most recent album, last summer’s Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, thus bypassing appearances by any of the massive stars on it. Instead, a resplendent Ellie Goulding helped Harris close the show with the first-ever live performance of their recent hit, “Miracle,” itself a trance throwback anthem. — K.B.
Taylor Swift is making a caveat to her previous rule about the surprise songs portion of her Eras Tour concerts.
The 33-year-old pop superstar announced to concert-goers in Tampa, Fla., on Friday (April 14) that she will now allow herself to perform certain songs as many times as she likes during the mini acoustic set of her upcoming stadium shows.
“Basically when I started the tour, I was like, ‘In the acoustic section, I am never repeating a song. I’m never doing songs more than once.’ But now I’m like, ‘There are so many songs I want to do more than once,’” Swift said in a fan-captured clip from Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium.
She added, “So, I’m making a little caveat to the rule, which is that if [a song] is on Midnights, I can do it however many times I want, because Midnights is the most accurate picture of my life to date.”
During the surprise songs segment of her Tampa concert on Friday, Swift delivered the live debuts of the Midnights (3am Edition) track “The Great War,” alongside frequent collaborator Aaron Dessner, and the Midnights song “You’re on Your Own, Kid.” The songs peaked at No. 26 and No. 8, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 2022.
Swift first revealed her intentions for the acoustic section of her long-awaited live show at the March 17 launch of her Eras Tour in Glendale, Ariz.
“The plan, the goal, would be to play different songs every single night and never repeat one. Right? So that when you heard one on this tour, you would know it’s the only time that I was going to play it in the acoustic set, unless — caveat — unless I mess it up so badly,” the star said with a small laugh, “that I have to do it over again in some other city. Send your best wishes towards me that I don’t do that.”
See the full list of surprise songs Swift has performed so far on her Eras Tour here.
Memento Mori, the name of Depeche Mode’s latest album and current world tour, means “remember you must die” in Latin — a fitting enough title considering that the long-running band has been reduced to a duo following last year’s death of co-founder Andy Fletcher.
But Dave Gahan and Martin Gore, whose sublime synth-pop has been fueled by pessimism and darkness for decades, bristled with vitality while facing mortality head-on during a Friday night (April 14) show at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
From a bedazzled skull spinning on a video screen during classic Violator cut “Enjoy the Silence” to Gore’s harrowing lead vocal on “Soul With Me” (a quiet ballad on the new album which finds him gently preparing for the hereafter), the Reaper might as well be the silent third member of the band; even so, there’s nothing grim about what Depeche Mode delivers in 2023.
Gahan seemed tapped into a supernatural energy throughout the evening, twirling and prowling about the stage like a sensual, vampiric Elvis, wiggling his hips one moment and spreading his arms like the demon perched atop Bald Mountain in Fantasia the next. Vocally, there was no faulting him — from the high notes he trotted out on “Precious” to the grit he brought to “John the Revelator,” Gahan’s voice remains an inexhaustible treasure. And on “World in My Eyes,” the evening’s explicit tribute to Fletcher, Gahan’s delivery felt especially resonant.
Depeche Mode is hardly the first band to solider on following the death of a core member. But while most bands in a similar position tend to isolate their onstage mourning, performing one poignant tribute song before pivoting back to a high-octane set, DM’s entire Memento Mori concert felt like a meditation on the inevitable end that awaits us all. Which isn’t to say the concert was in any way depressing — if anything, the band’s brush with the undiscovered country has left it focused and present. “Remember you must die” is a phrase that might lead some to despair, but for Depeche Mode, it’s seemingly a catalyst to make every moment count.
Lewis Capaldi, Lizzo, J Balvin, Mumford & Sons and many others are heading to Splendour In The Grass, Australia’s leading mid-year music festival.
Also confirmed to the lineup for this year’s 21st anniversary edition are Flume, Slowthai, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sam Fender, Idles and scores more.
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Splendour returns to its home at Ngarindjin/North Byron Parklands from July 21-23, with tickets to the camping fest going on sale from this Friday (April 14).
For organizers Secret Sounds, part of Live Nation, this year’s event should feel like a return to normal, following a two-year pandemic which saw Splendour scratched from the calendar, and a comeback event in 2022 which was challenged by Mother Nature.
When its 2021 edition was wiped out, organizers shifted gears and used that timeslot to launch Splendour XR, a two-day virtual music festivals featuring more than 50 artist performances. Splendour XR was built alongside Linden Lab, the American digital entertainment developer that’s best known for building Second Life. But it wasn’t the real thing.
The real thing was established in 2001 in Byron Bay, a stunning beach spot on the most eastern point of Australia, a home to surfers, artists and Australia’s counterculture.
Today, Splendour is the only midwinter camping festival of its kind in Australia, and a place where internationals and homegrown performers have been known to test new cuts live for the very first time.
Three-day event tickets for Splendour are priced at A$447.51 (inclusive of booking fees); add A$197.27 for camping. Single day event tickets cost A$202.37.
Visit splendourinthegrass.com for more.
BLACKPINK made music-festival history during their Coachella 2019 performance as the first female K-pop group to play at the iconic festival. Four years later, the quartet set a new standard entirely with a headlining slot at the Indio, Calif., fest.
Alongside Bad Bunny and Frank Ocean, BLACKPINK reign as one of the three main headliners for Coachella 2023 and the main musical affair for day 2 of both festival weekends on Saturday, April 15 and 22. While 2019 saw the act less than three years into their journey together for their Coachella debut with two EPs, Jennie‘s “Solo” debut and a handful of singles, the BLACKPINK ladies now boast two full-length albums, solo music from each member and multiple world tours to draw on for experience.
Ahead of the meaningful moment this weekend, each BLACKPINK member reflected with Billboard about their first performance in 2019, their feelings about playing in the desert this time and more.
While Jennie wowed with her group and “Solo” performances at Coachella in 2019, the singer-rapper says her anticipation of returning to the festival stage surpasses any butterflies.
“We’re so excited and honored to be able to return to Coachella as headliners,” The Idol star says. “We had the best time in 2019 and can’t wait to experience the energy of the audience again. There are some nerves, but more than anything, we’re just ready to have fun.”
Rosé says she’s still coming to terms with the opportunity to come back as headliners but recalls how substantial their first performance was in fueling the quartet’s ambitions.
It feels absolutely unreal,” the “Gone” singer-songwriter says. “I think performing for Coachella in 2019 was a moment that really woke us up as BLACKPINK—to be motivated, to dream on and dream big. But we never expected anything as big as being the headliner of a festival we’ve all grown up admiring and hoping someday we could find ourselves in the crowd of.”
From left, Jennie, Rose, Lisa and Jisoo of BLACKPINK perform onstage during the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 12, 2019 in Indio, California.
Natt Lim/Getty Images
Fresh off her solo debut with “Flower,” Jisoo says with a laugh how “it’s always so happy to meet BLINKs up close” before adding, “2019 Coachella was full of fascination and excitement, but we have no clue how 2023 Coachella will be. We try all the time to show a new side of ourselves for each stage to repay the love from BLINKs. It is an honor to perform as a headliner for Coachella festival; we want to show our improvement as BLACKPINK on stage — and will — so, stay tuned.”
Despite the hundreds of thousands that attend Coachella, BLACKPINK’s youngest member Lisa says she’s sticking to the group’s mantra when approaching any performance, including anything unique for this weekend.
“Our motto is to enjoy every stage and moment, ‘as if it’s the last,’ [by] interacting with the audience by energy and doing our best while performing,” the “Money” superstar says while referencing a beloved BLACKPINK single from 2017. “We’re working hard on various performances for 2023 Coachella; look forward to it!”
While Rosé also wants to keep the focus on simply returning to the stage, she and her band mates know they must meet the moment. “We’re honestly just excited to be back at Coachella performing, period, but the deal here is—we’re headlining,” she explains. “We feel honored for this opportunity as much as we feel the immense responsibility. We’ll be bringing something fun to the table.”
After photographers snapped Jisoo and Lisa leaving for the U.S. from South Korea’s Incheon International Airport together earlier this week, the members have stayed relatively quiet – both from public view and on their social media – as they put in final preparations for Weekend 1.
Jisoo closes by saying, “Hope you enjoy 2023 Coachella with BLACKPINK,” before Jennie signs off with, “See you in the desert!”
The second-annual FORMAT Festival will return to Bentonville, Arkansas on Sept. 22-24 with headliners Alanis Morissette, LCD Soundsystem and Leon Bridges. The event — whose name stands for “music art and technology” — will also feature sets from Modest Mouse, Jamie XX, Tash Sultana, Big Wild, Little Simz, Bob Moses, Poolside, Channel Tres, Paul Cauthen and more.
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Situated on the private Sugar Creek Airstrip, the fest in the heart of the Ozarks will once again incorporate unique performances, installations and art experiences from artists including Guerrilla Girls, JR’s Inside Out Project, Jeremy Deller, Ragnar Kjartansson, and Kameelah Janan Rasheed.
Ticket presale will begin Thursday (April 6) at 11 a.m. ET; fans can sign up for a presale code to get first access to three-day and one-day tickets and find out more about the art installations here.
Among the other acts on this year’s lineup are: Digable Planets, Madeline Edwards, Kari Faux, Theon Cross, Green Velvet, The Pharcyde, Nikki Lane, Sudan Archives, Franc Moody, Serpentwithfeet, Digitalism, Clasixx, Pedrito Martinez and Francois K, among others.
FORMAT takes place on a 250-acre of green space just minutes from downtown Bentonville, with two conventional music stages, as well as a number of unusual settings for performances with names including The Cube, Drag Me to the Disco, Next Door/Nova Heat and Smokey’s. There will also be underground discos and stages in the surrounding forest amid the art installations, as well as a Bizarre Bazaar with curated food, vendors, retail and experience booths, experimental light shows and therapeutic workshops according to a release.
Check out the full lineup below.
After earning his second Super Bowl ring earlier this year, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce just found the perfect way to celebrate his championship. The high-energy baller announced on Tuesday (April 4) that he’s behind the first-ever Kelce Jam, a music festival slated to take place on April 28 in Kansas City, Mo., with a lineup he curated from acts that have personal meaning for him.
Topping the bill is one of his old childhood neighbors who also happens to have blown up into a superstar, Machine Gun Kelly, who grew up down the street from Kelce in Cleveland.
“[I’ve] been following his success from the start of his career,” Kelce tells Billboard about of the “Emo Girl” rocker. “It’s been amazing to see a hometown hero selling out stadiums. So for me, MGK was a no-brainer and I personally drafted some of my favorite artists in the world alongside him.”
Those other acts include Loud Luxury, Rick Ross and special guest Tech N9ne. “Loud Luxury is one of the biggest DJ duos out there right now. Everyone loves [the pair’s 2020 single] ‘Body’ and they bring the energy, and I have no doubt they will get the crowd rocking,” the football star tells Billboard. Kelce also says that Ross is, of course, “the boss, a true legend,” and that there was no way he could throw a party in KC without one of the city’s hometown heroes, rapper Tech N9ne.
As for why he’s hopping into the already crowded festival space, Kelce says he wanted to time his event around the 2023 NFL draft, which will take place at Union Station in KC from April 27 to 29. “With the NFL Draft headed to Kansas City and as the perfect way to continue celebrating our Super Bowl victory, I am launching one of KC’s most unique festivals to date!” says the 33-year-old. “I really wanted to bring the whole city together and what better way to do so than with fire music, great food, tons of football attractions, interactive brand activations and so much more.”
Pre-sale opens on Friday (April 7) at 11 a.m. ET, with the general on-sale following at 1 p.m. ET. Check out the Kelce Jam website for more details on the show. “KC has supported me in immense ways throughout my career, and I wanted to throw a city wide celebration that truly represents the energy and people of this great city,” Kelce adds. “We are excited to grow this into one of KC’s biggest entertainment events with 20,000 attendees and who knows where we will bring it next!”
Kelce has teamed up with event producer Medium Rare, the company behind a number of pre-Super Bowl events, including Shaq’s Fun House with Shaquille O’Neal, Gronk Beach with Rob Gronkowski and Guy’s Flavortown Tailgate with Guy Fieri.
Courtesy Photo
Additional reporting by Anna Chan.
The Head and the Heart has teamed with Another Planet Entertainment to launch the inaugural Down in the Valley festival, an intimate weekend music event set to be held at Oxbow RiverStage in Napa, Calif., the weekend of September 2-3.
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The Head and the Heart will open the festival with a special acoustic set on Saturday (Sept. 2) and close both Saturday and Sunday evenings with a full band and its original lineup, including Josiah Johnson, who will also kick off Sunday with a special solo set. The festival lineup also includes Waxahatchee, Dawes, Faye Webster, Madison Cunningham, Rayland Baxter, Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners, Miya Folick and Shaina Shepherd.
The city-owned Oxbow RiverStage amphitheater, adjacent to the famed Oxbow Public Market, is managed by both Another Planet and Ken Tesler‘s night club and concert production company Blue Note Napa, which also produces Blue Note Summer Sessions at Napa’s Silverado Resort as well as the Blue Note Jazz Festival. Napa Valley is also home to Latitude 38 Entertainment and Live Nation’s famed BottleRock concert series held at the Napa Fairgrounds, as well as the Sonoma Harvest Festival hosted at the B.R. Cohn Winery in neighboring Sonoma, Calif.
Another Planet produces a number of annual festivals including Outside Lands in San Francisco. The company also serves as the exclusive promoter for the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, Calif.; the Fox Theater in Oakland, Calif.; the Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena in Stateline, Nev.; and three San Franciso venues: the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, The Independent and the Castro Theatre.
The pre-sale for two-day passes at Down in the Valley begins Tuesday (April 4) at 10 a.m. PT using the code “DITV”, while the venue and promoter pre-sale begins Wednesday at 10 a.m. PT. The general sale for two-day passes launches Thursday at 10 a.m. PT. Two-day general admission passes start at $129.50 and two-day GOLD passes start at $199.50; the latter include a GOLD section viewing area and dedicated event entrance, restrooms and cash bar plus a signed Down In The Valley poster. All prices exclude taxes and fees. Passes can be bought here.
