festival
The first weekend of Coachella unfolded with a variety of Latin artists spanning genres as diverse as regional Mexican music, “trippy pop,” indie pop, EDM, and even classical music… with a twist. The lineup kicked off on Friday (April 11) with the eccentric Argentine duo Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, the Peruvian Amazonian cumbia band Los […]
Billie Joe Armstrong made a surprise appearance during the Go-Go’s afternoon set at Coachella 2025 on Saturday (April 12).
Ahead of Green Day’s headlining performance that evening, the band’s frontman joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-inducted group for a rendition of their 1984 hit song “Head Over Heels.”
In the hours leading up to the collaboration, Armstrong teased a “special surprise” on Green Day’s Instagram account. “Go see the go gos,” he wrote alongside a photo of the festival’s three-day lineup poster.
Following the Go-Go’s set on the Outdoor Theatre stage, Armstrong returned to social media to celebrate the moment.
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“Head over heels after playing with @officialgogos at @coachella,” the singer-songwriter captioned a backstage photo with the band on Instagram. His post also featured a carousel of snapshots from the performance, including an official setlist.
The Go-Go’s responded with a post of their own, sharing a photo on Instagram with Armstrong and writing, “We had the time of our lives!”
This year’s two-weekend Coachella festival runs April 11–13 and April 18–20. Saturday lineups are headlined by Green Day, with additional performances from Charli XCX, Anitta, Clairo, ENHYPEN, Jimmy Eat World, T-Pain, and more.
“Death, taxes and… rock n roll,” Armstrong told Billboard ahead of Green Day’s foray into the desert. “In this world gone sideways we know one thing for certain – rock n roll is forever, and its spirit is needed now more than ever. So bring your rage, your hope, and your loudest voice. Coachella, let’s have the time of our lives.”
The festival’s opening day on April 11 delivered standout moments from Lady Gaga, Tyla, LISA, Mustard, and more. Read Billboard’s full recap of day one here.
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. […]
Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences on Monday (April 7) over the deaths of two photographers on Saturday (April 5) during the AXE Ceremonia music festival in Mexico City. The president said her government would review the license granted to the venue at Parque Bicentenario.
“We regret and send our solidarity to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident,” Sheinbaum said during her morning press conference. “Beyond the fact that it was an accident, we need to look into how the equipment that fell was set up. An investigation needs to be carried out. There should be no impunity in this case.”
Photographers Miguel Ángel Rojas Hernández and Citlali Berenice Giles Rivera died over the weekend when a crane carrying a decorative metal object collapsed during the festival. The accident prompted city authorities to cancel the second day of the event on Sunday (April 6). The attorney general’s office of Mexico City announced the start of an investigation..
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Sheinbaum noted that the mayor’s office of Miguel Hidalgo, the borough where Parque Bicentenario is located, is responsible for authorizing such events, regardless of the federal ownership of the property. As a result, she instructed the Secretariat of Agrarian, Territorial, and Urban Development (SEDATU) to review the venue’s license, assess the conditions under which it was granted, and determine whether it is feasible to revoke their license.
Earlier on Monday, the AXE Ceremonia festival released a statement on the fatal accident, extending its condolences to the victims’ loved ones. “From the very first moment, we have been by the families’ side, providing them with all the support and assistance we can,” it reads.
British band Massive Attack, who, along with rapper Tyler, the Creator, headlined the festival on Sunday, joined in expressing their condolences on social media over the deaths of the photographers. “We are shocked and saddened by the tragic and avoidable deaths of Berenice Giles and Miguel Hernández. Our thoughts are with their families and friends during this difficult time,” the band said in their Instagram Stories.
On Sunday (April 6), friends of the two victims, photographers, journalists, content creators, and members of the public held a protest outside Parque Bicentenario to honor them and demand that there be no impunity in the investigation.
“There wasn’t any clarity about what had happened until we left the event. It’s absolutely devastating,” Mexican artist Luisa Almaguer, who performed as part of Saturday’s lineup at AXE Ceremonia, told Billboard Español. “The show definitely should not have continued.”
On Monday, the funerals for Miguel Ángel Rojas and Berenice Giles were held in Mexico City, according to reports from the N+ Foro news channel.
Some call it “the festival of the future” due to its eclecticism and bold approach to creating lineups aimed at a multigenerational audience. For others, AXE Ceremonia brings together major alternative music shows in inclusive spaces, where the distinction from other festivals is evident — from the outfits attendees choose for the occasion to the sonic acts showcased during the marathon event.
But for Diego Jiménez, director and co-founder of the festival, it’s the place that provides the opportunity to host the creator of the popular corridos tumbados genre, Natanael Cano, as a headliner one night — and the next day, the two-time Grammy-winning American rapper Tyler, Tyler The Creator. Amidst all that, attendees can hear trip-hop veterans Massive Attack, British sensation Charli XCX, South Korean boy band Tomorrow X Together, and Argentine experimental trap duo Ca7riel y Paco Amoroso.
“We like to differentiate ourselves from other festivals by focusing on youth culture rather than a specific genre or musical style,” Jiménez tells Billboard Español about the festival, whose 12th edition will take place this Saturday and Sunday (April 5 and 6) at Parque Bicentenario in Mexico City.
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“Seeing Tyler, The Creator on a lineup at major festivals around the world is more common, but seeing him one day and Natanael Cano the next doesn’t happen often elsewhere. That gives AXE Ceremonia a very strong personality,” adds the organizer.
Produced by the company ECO Live, this year’s festival lineup is rounded out by a diverse group of international bands and solo artists — including Parcels, Gesaffelstein, Nathy Peluso, The Marías, Meme del Real, pablopablo, Lil Yachty, Artemas, Hanumankind, A.G. Cook, NSQK, The Dare, Simpson Ahuevo, Brutalism 300, and Luisa Almaguer — making it one of the most innovative offerings of the spring festival season.
The 12th edition of the festival will mark the return of Natanael Cano to Mexico City, who previously performed as an emerging artist in 2022. This time, he will take center stage as a headliner after becoming one of the stars of Mexican regional music and delivering a sold-out concert at the Estadio GNP Seguros in August 2024.
“Watching an artist grow like that is very exciting, and it speaks to this dialogue that exists between this city and the rest of the world — of becoming a cultural capital — and how the vision of culture and music from a Mexican perspective has an international impact,” Jiménez observes.
Additionally, this year the festival introduces K-pop to its musical offerings for the first time by inviting South Korean boy band Tomorrow X Together, allowing it to cater to another segment of the audience —Generation Alpha, or those born in the early 2010s. “We like to seek balance, those connections between the past and the present, to create a snapshot of what’s happening today,” Jiménez notes.
The organizer also highlighted the introduction of a new space dedicated to tropical music, salsa, merengue, bachata, and cumbia in this year’s edition of the festival, which will feature two iconic dance halls from Mexico City: Miki’s and Barba Azul.
“Speaking of the present and the past, if you listen to Bad Bunny’s album (Debí Tirar Más Fotos), it’s based on sounds from the past — that distinctly Latin sound. How does youth interact with these sounds? You create a new space,” he explains.
The festival’s organizers expect to gather 55,000 people per day, totaling 110,000 attendees over the weekend. In past editions, the festival’s stages have hosted prominent figures in music such as Björk, Rosalía, Kendrick Lamar, LCD Soundsystem, Travis Scott, James Blake, Wu-Tang Clan, A$AP Rocky, Aphex Twin, Snoop Dogg, Animal Collective, Underworld, Nicolas Jaar and Fuerza Regida.
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Summer School is back for its Sophomore session.
On Tuesday morning (April 1) idobi Radio Summer School Tour founders Eric Tobin (Hopeless Records), Michael Kaminsky (management firm KMGMT) and Vans Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman announced the return of the traveling punk rock showcase for new acts with a lineup that includes headliners Taylor Acorn, Charlotte Sands and Rain City Drive and support from If Not For Me, Beauty School Dropout, Arrows in Action, and Huddy.
Sponsored by idobi radio and Hot Topic, the coast-to-coast showcase will make an inaugural stop at the July 27 Vans Warped Tour date in Long Beach, Calif.; the Warped tour is returning for a limited three-stop run this summer after a six-year absence.
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“We launched last year and were really encouraged by the reaction to Summer School from the fans — there had been a need in the market for new bands to connect with young audiences looking for new bands to support,” Tobin tells Billboard. He noted that he and his partners had always imagined Summer School as a touring vehicle from a bygone era, working with young bands to focus on artist development, community, ticket affordability and social impact.
Kaminsky tells Billboard that acts on the tour alternate set times at each date and are encouraged to spend time meeting and interacting with fans, describing the tour as an “incubator for the next generation” of headliners.
“If you look at the current touring business, most new acts are given support slots on tours and not given a chance to breakout on their own and shine,” Kaminsky says. “This is a chance for these acts to enjoy some of the spotlight without high priced tickets.”
Lyman said he was immediately sold on the idea once it was pitched by Tobin and Kaminsky last year, noting “the lack of available opportunities for young bands to find audiences. There’s very little artist development for today’s acts and hopefully Summer School creates a vehicle for that development.”
‘Launching July 11 at the Fillmore Detroit, the 2025 run will stop in 23 cities before wrapping at Philadelphia’s Franklin Music Hall. Pre-sale tickets for the 2025 idobi Radio Summer School Tour are available with reduced ticketing fees here beginning today at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT. General on-sale tickets are available for $35 plus applicable taxes and fees starting Friday, April 4 at 10 a.m. local time.
Eddie Barella, CEO of sponsor idobi Radio, called the partnership “an incredible honor” for “championing emerging artists, amplifying their voices, and ensuring that alternative music continues to thrive” while Andrea Lewis, Hot Topic VP of Brand Marketing added, “Partnering with Summer School allows us to support the next generation of artists and fans who are shaping the future of alternative culture, and we’re proud to be part of something that creates such an unforgettable experience.”
Dates for idobi Radio Summer School are below. More at summerschooltour.com.
July 11, 2025 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
July 12 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
July 13 – Cleveland, OH @ The Agora
July 15 – Newport, KY @ MegaCorp Pavilion
July 16 – Chesterfield, MO @ The Factory at The District
July 18 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
July 19 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
July 20 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union
July 22 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
July 23 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
July 25 – Sacramento, CA @ Channel 24
July 26 – Long Beach, CA @ Vans Warped Tour*
July 27 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
July 29 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
July 30 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
August 1 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
August 2 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade Heaven
August 3 – St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live
August 5 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
August 6 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
August 8 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
August 9 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
August 10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall
* Vans Warped Tour Event
The 2025 Soundside Festival in Bridgeport, CT will feature headlining sets from The Killers, Weezer, Hozier and Vampire Weekend. The two-day event (Sept. 27-28) formerly known as the Sound on Sound festival will once again take place at Bridgeport’s Seaside Park, with a pre-sale slated to kick off on Thursday (April 3) from 10 a.m.-11 […]
Lyrical Lemonade has announced this year’s Summer Smash Festival lineup — and it contains some potentially culture-shaking performances. The three-day event will be headlined by Future, the world debut of the newly formed duo of Don Toliver and Yeat, and Young Thug in his first live performance since his release from jail.
Scheduled for Friday, June 20, through Sunday, June 22, Summer Smash will grace SeatGeek Stadium near Chicago for its seventh iteration. Tickets will be released for purchase on Friday (March 28) at 12 p.m. CT via the Summer Smash website.
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This year’s Summer Smash Festival features some of the hottest names across hip-hop’s innumerable scenes. Led by Don Toliver and Yeat, the Friday night lineup also includes Trippie Redd, Ski Mask the Slump God, NLE Choppa, Nettspend, DC the Don, Molly Santana, Karrahbooo and more. On Saturday (June 21), Future will lead a lineup that features Sexyy Red, Lil Tecca, Destroy Lonely, SahBabii, Soulja Boy, Osamason, BabyTron, Plaqueboymax, Famous Dex and 1900Rugrat. The lineup of Sunday night performers preceding Thugger’s highly anticipated live comeback includes Lil Yachty, Quavo, Nav, G Herbo, Saba, Insane Clown Posse, Bktherula, Skaiwater and TiaCorine. Chance the Rapper will close out one of the two main stages on Sunday night.
“I feel lucky to be able to throw the party of the year with my best friends,” said Cole Bennett, Summer Smash Festival cofounder and Lyrical Lemonade founder, in a press release. “May this be the best one yet. Lucky No. 7.”
Young Thug’s headlining appearance comes the year after Summer Smash hosted one of the most iconic musical homecomings of the decade with Chief Keef’s long-awaited return to performing in Chicago after a 12-year hiatus. Thug, of course, was in the throes of his state RICO trial for most of 2024. On Oct. 31, 2024, he was sentenced to 15 years probation and no prison time after pleading guilty in the long-running case accusing him of leading a violent Atlanta street gang. Despite popping up on songs with Lil Baby (“Dum, Dumb & Dumber”) and Playboi Carti (“We Need All Da Vibes”), Thugger has been relatively quiet on the music front so far in 2025.
See the full lineup below:
Blink-182, Jimmy Eat World, AFI and Jawbreaker will headline the Four Chord Music Festival at EQT Park in Pittsburg/Washington, PA on Sept. 13-14. The 11th annual edition of the event will also featuring Hot Mulligan, Bowling For Soup, State Champs, Set Your Goals, Knuckle Puck, Homegrown, Eternal Boy, Driveways, Charly Bliss and others joining Blink and Jimmy Eat World on night one.
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Night two will host Say Anything, Face to Face, The Wonder Years, Drug Church, Punchline, Koyo, Deathbyromy, Sincere Engineer and others warming up the stage for AFI and Jawbreaker.
“We’ve worked hard to make this year’s festival something special, not only with this incredible lineup, but by making it more accessible for our fans than ever before. We can’t wait to celebrate with everyone at EQT Park!,” founder Rishi Bahl said in a statement.
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A general public on-sale will launch on Friday (March 28) at 11 a.m. ET; The festival is also introducing a ticket layaway plan this year. In addition to single-day general admission and VIP options, Four Chord will also offer up a deluxe VIP option for both days that incudes access to a climate-controlled VIP lounge area, VIP acoustic performances, an exclusive VIP shirt not available to the public, unlimited water refill stations and a Four Chord water bottle, unlimited snacks, a custom VIP holographic commemorative ticket and early entry into the venue and early access to merch, as well as front row access to the main stage and a deluxe VIP lounge overlooking the field, up to three free alcoholic drinks, a parking pass, free storage a merch concierge and private, temperature-controlled bathrooms.
Check out the Four Chord lineup poster below.