festivals
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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 […]
A slot on the 1994 Lollapalooza lineup was almost relegated to Green Day‘s boulevard of broken dreams when festival founder Perry Farrell supposedly tried to block the band from performing — after which frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and his bandmates eventually got the last laugh when they did end up joining the tour 30 years ago.
In excerpts from Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour’s new book, Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock’s Wildest Festival, published by People on Tuesday (April 8), the “American Idiot” singer recounts the story of how Farrell — apparently writing the punk rockers off as a “boy band” — pushed back against Green Day’s inclusion on the ’94 traveling festival’s bill.
“It was going to be [Japanese noise band] Boredoms on the first half, and us on the second half as the opening band,” Armstrong recalls. “And then all of a sudden, [Farrell] comes back in and he’s like, ‘I don’t want them on the bill.’”
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Calling Farrell’s dislike of his group “disappointing,” as Green Day had looked up to the festival pioneer, Armstrong adds, “I think that made us want to play even more, actually, because we wanted to prove that he had his head very far up his own a–.”
“I can’t think of a single time that Perry pushed back or vetoed a band — except for Green Day,” remembers stage manager Rubeli, who eventually found a way to convince Farrell to let the group onto the lineup. “To Perry’s credit, I was able to go through [Green Day’s] history in the Bay Area and how they had released indie records and eventually he said, ‘Okay, they can do half the tour, but I want the Boredoms on the other half.’”
Lollapalooza would have been just three years old in 1994, with Farrell starting the now-iconic music event in ’91 as a small farewell tour for Jane’s Addiction that quickly evolved into what it is today: one of the world’s biggest annual popular music festivals with multiple iterations across the world. After finally winning their place on the bill, Green Day got the last laugh against Farrell when Armstrong dedicated the band’s Dookie track “Chump” to him onstage.
“I’m like, ‘I’m not going to take any f—ing sh– from anybody,” Armstrong recalls in Bienstock and Beaujour’s book. “I’m not going to take any sh– from anybody as much as Perry Farrell’s not going to take any sh– from anybody.’ He had minions that would come up and say, ‘Perry Farrell’s really angry that you dedicated “Chump” to him.’ And I’m like, ‘Tell him to stop acting like one.’”
“But I never met the guy until we played Woodstock ’94,” he adds. “He was there and we shook hands.”
Lollapalooza has come a long way since its days as a fringe gathering place for alternative rock and other developing genres. Some of the biggest names in music now play the event every year, with this year’s Chicago iteration expecting Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo and Tyler, the Creator as headliners in addition to dozens more performers on the lineup.
And in 2010, Green Day’s beginnings with the festival came full-circle when the band headlined alongside Lady Gaga, Soundgarden, Arcade Fire, The Strokes and Phoenix.
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.
Ed Sheeran and Weezer were two previously unannounced acts spotted on the 2025 Coachella lineup when set times for the this year’s festival were posted on Saturday (April 5). They’ll each pop in for a one-day, daytime set. Weezer will play the Mojave tent on Saturday afternoon (3:10-3:55 p.m.) on April 12, during the festival’s […]
FKA Twigs announced Friday night (April 4) that she has to cancel the remainder of her April tour dates in North America due to “ongoing visa issues.” The announcement affects her scheduled performances during weekends 1 and 2 at Coachella in Indio, California, later this month, as well as this weekend’s AXE Ceremonia in Mexico […]
Billboard Women in Music 2025
Zenyara Desert Nights is back and bigger than ever for 2025.
Global experiential agency Corso Marketing Group (CMG) and underground nightlife tastemakers Framework have revealed the lineup for their invite-only late-night festival series, returning April 11–13 and April 18–20, with exclusive access driven by Dorsia and in collaboration with Tao Group Hospitality.
Held at the sprawling, 70-acre Zenyara estate in the Coachella Valley, the two-weekend affair promises deep grooves, underground legends and the kind of high-touch hospitality money can’t buy — unless you’re on the list.
The 2025 lineup features a stacked roster of talent, including Bob Moses (Club Set), Vintage Culture, Mau P, WHOMADEWHO (Hybrid Set), Dixon b2b Jimi Jules, Mahmut Orhan, Damian Lazarus b2b Dennis Cruz and more. A special guest is also confirmed for Saturday, April 12 — because Zenyara never misses a surprise moment.
2025 lineups
Weekend One
Friday, April 11: Ahmed Spins, Bob Moses (Club Set), Damian Lazarus b2b Dennis Cruz, KILIMANJARO
Saturday, April 12: Special Guest
Sunday, April 13: Dixon b2b Jimi Jules, WHOMADEWHO, Yulia Niko, DESIREE, Sparrow & Barbossa
Desert Nights
Courtesy Photo
Weekend Two
Friday, April 18: Mahmut Orhan, Vintage Culture, Ahmed Spins, Beltran
Saturday, April 19: ChaseWest, Mau P, Autograf, Miramar
Sunday, April 20: Francis Mercier, Mind Against, Tripolism + more TBA
Desert Nights
Courtesy Photo
Since launching in 2018, Zenyara Desert Nights has earned a reputation as one of the most exclusive, off-site experiences of Coachella season — where the energy of a club night meets the polish of a luxury brand retreat. Past editions have featured performances from artists like RÜFÜS DU SOL, Kaytranada, Skrillex and Solomun, while attracting an elite mix of artists, designers, athletes and industry leaders from around the globe.
And just when you think they’ve peaked, enter Rodeo Nights, Zenyara’s first-ever country-inspired weekend, set for April 25–27 during Stagecoach. Full lineup details are still under wraps, but expect luxury with a side of cowboy boots.
With premium brand partners including Patrón El Alto, Red Bull, Heineken, Rivian, and Outcast, immersive activations will be spread across Zenyara’s aquatic playground, complete with a private beach, a full spa, golf and tennis courts, and a rooftop-ready infinity pool. Co-produced by CMG and Framework, in association with Dorsia and Tao Group Hospitality, Zenyara 2025 is once again shaping up to be the desert’s most coveted invite—and the late-night party everyone will wish they got into.
The first major dance music gathering of the year went down in Miami this past weekend, with Ultra Music Festival returning to downtown’s Bayfront Park from March 28-30.The annual event celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, with tens of thousands of fans descending upon the site to celebrate and hear music by artists both famous and up and coming.
While a strong wind was blowing through town on Friday (March 28), the weather held for the festival, with day one featuring sets from marquee acts including Charlotte de Witte, Alesso, Armin van Buuren and Dom Dolla and John Summit performing together as Everything Always. Saturday’s biggest stars included Axwell, Crankdat, Tokimonta, Gesaffelstein and KSHMR, while Sunday’s lineup included Martin Garrix, Zedd, Nico Moreno and Above & Beyond.
Beyond the fireworks and art installations, Ultra 2025 was made splashier by a series of mega-watt special guests. On Friday, David Guetta and Sia came out during Afrojack’s set to perform “Titanium,” with the three artists playing their 2011 smash together for the first time ever.
On Saturday, Skrillex brought out myriad stars during his headlining set — which marked his first appearance at Ultra in a Decade — with Flowdan appearing onstage to perform their 2023 collabs “Rumble” and “Badders.” Skrill then brought out Damian Marley, his collaborator on 2013’s “Make It Bun Dem” and then Young Miko, who performed what seemed to be an as-yet unreleased song. (To wit, the producer announced today, March 31, that he’ll release a new album tomorrow, April 1.) Then on Sunday, Steve Aoki also played the surprise guest game, bringing out Trippie Redd for their recently released track “Radio.”
Ultra 2025 also leaned hard into special b2bs. On Friday, Armin van Buuren played b2b with Maddix and Oliver Heldens for a Dutch triple-threat on the Worldwide Stage. Meanwhile over on the UMF Radio stage, Partiboi69 went b2b with both Juicy Romance and Kettama and Skream played played with Interplanetary Criminal.
On Saturday (March 29) under overcast skies, the festival again delivered a series of heavy-hitting b2bs that included Anyma and Solomun performing together for the first time and deadmau5 (sans his helmet) playing alongside Rob Swire of Pendulum.
While Ultra temporarily shut down on Sunday, March 30, due to rain, the festival eventually reopened and unleashed plenty of music, including b2bs by bass stars Alleycvt and Jessica Audifred (our Billboard Dance Rookie of the Month for March), bass titans Flux Pavilion and Doctor P going b2b and other pairings that included a major surprise b2b2b2b, with Solomun inviting Four Tet, Chloe Caillet and Mau P onstage during the last portion of his festival-closing show on Ultra’s massive Megastructure stage and the four artists taking turns on the decks.
See photos from Ultra Music Festival 2025 below.
Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Cody Johnson, Megan Moroney and Keith Urban are among the acts who will appear at Nissan Stadium as part of CMA Fest, which will run June 5-8 in Nashville and span 10 stages.
Also slated for Nissan Stadium are Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Riley Green, Ella Langley, Ashley McBryde, Parker McCollum, Rascal Flatts, Red Clay Strays, Darius Rucker, Shaboozey, Black Shelton, Zach Top and Bailey Zimmerman.
Four-night stadium passes range from $240 to $1,061, while single-night stadium ticket starts at $79.80.
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CMA Fest, which began in 1972 as Fan Fair, will spread across Music City on stages both free and paid. The event has a new partner, bank and financial services company SoFi, in a multi-year partnership.
MŌRIAH will kick off the Chevy Riverfront Stage on Thursday morning, performing the national anthem. Other artists playing that stage over the festival run include Gavin Adcock, Tanner Adell, Cooper Alan, Drew Baldridge, Sam Barber, Gabby Barrett, George Birge, Tyler Braden, Colbie Caillat, Ashley Cooke, Dasha, Jackson Dean, Marcus King, Randall King, Brandon Lake, Chris Lane, Ella Langley, Maddie & Tae, Dylan Marlowe, Kameron Marlowe, Max McNown, Midland, Megan Moroney, Ian Munsick, RaeLynn, Redferrin, Josh Ross, Conner Smith, Austin Snell, Alana Springsteen, Thelma and James, Tigirlily Gold, The War And Treaty, Hudson Westbrook and Tucker Wetmore.
Appearing on the Dr. Pepper Amp Stage at Ascend Park are Rodney Atkins, Frankie Ballard, Casey Barnes, Danielle Bradbery, Blanco Brown, T Graham Brown, Karley Scott Collins, Billy Dean, Tyler Farr, Filmore, Josh Gracin, Ty Herndon, Braxton Keith, Erin Kinsey, Lakeview, Edwin McCain, John Morgan, Kylie Morgan, Jerrod Niemann, Jamie O’ Neal, Mason Ramsey, Owen Riegling, Emily Ann Roberts, Reyna Roberts, Kaylee Rose, Shaylen, Sister Hazel, Iam Tongi, US Navy Band Country Current, Darryl Worley, Charlie Worsham and Jake Worthington.
Artists playing The Chevy Vibes Stage at Walk of Fame Park are Angie K, Graham Barham, Blessing Offor, Craig Campbell, Dillon Carmichael, Mackenzie Carpenter, Ashland Craft, Kashus Culpepper, Dailey & Vincent, Jade Eagleson, Exile, Mickey Guyton, Kelsey Hart, Tayler Holder, Greylan James, Willie Jones, Tiera Kennedy, Vincent Mason, Madeline Merlo, Drake Milligan, Lorrie Morgan, David Nail, Meghan Patrick, Dylan Schneider, Shenandoah, MaRynn Taylor, Thompson Square, Pam Tillis, Lauren Watkins, Mark Wills, Rita Wilson and Waylon Wyatt.
The Good Molecules Reverb Stage at Bridgestone Plaza’s line-up includes Willow Avalon, Maddox Batson, Laci Kaye Booth, Brenn!, Franni Rae Cash, Chapel Hart, Julia Cole, Preston Cooper, Kolby Cooper, Wesley Dean, Melanie Dyer, Madeline Edwards, Mae Estes, Carter Faith, Lanie Gardner, Cole Goodwin, Fancy Hagood, Jack Wharff and The Tobacco Flats, Max Jackson, James Barker Band, Just Jayne, Alexandra Kay, Zach John King, Matt Lang, Bryce Leatherwood, Hannah McFarland, Walker Montgomery, Will Moseley, Elizabeth Nichols, Adrien Nunez, Scoot Teasley, Cameron Whitcomb, Blake Whiten, Austin Williams and Eli Winders.
Acts will perform free at The Hard Rock Stage with a slate that includes Ashley Anne, Palmer Anthony, Hayden Blount, BODHI, BoomTown Saints, Luke Borchelt, CECE, Hayden Coffman, Abbey Cone, Crowe Boys, Eddie and The Getaway, Sterling Elza, Brian Fuller, Giovannie and The Hired Guns, Colt Graves, Reid Haughton, Christian Hayes, The Heels, Hueston, Solon Holt, Preston James, Jason Scott & The High Heat, Britnee Kellogg, Alex Lambert, LECADE, Trey Lewis, Tyler Joe Miller, MŌRIAH, Clayton Mullen, O.N.E The Duo, Harper O’Neill, Pistol Pearl and the Western Band, Peytan Porter, RVSHVD, Sacha, Matt Schuster, Sophia Scott, SKEEZ, Kevin Smiley, Payton Smith, Liam St. John, Colin Stough, Troubadour Blue, Leah Turner, Alli Walker, Carson Wallace, Brendan Walter, Chandler Walters, Jay Webb, Wesko, Angel White and Sam Williams.
All artists perform for free to benefit the CMA Foundation, with a portion of ticket proceeds supporting music education programs. CMA Fest will be filmed for a special airing on ABC and Hulu later in the summer.
For more details and ticketing options, go here.
Outside Lands is returning to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Calif., this summer, and the festival released its star-studded lineup on Tuesday (March 25).
Tyler, the Creator, Hozier and Doja Cat lead the three-day event, which takes place from August 8 to 10. John Summit, Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals, Vampire Weekend, Glass Animals, Gracie Abrams, Jamie XX, Doechii, and Gesaffelstein are also among this year’s highlighted performers.
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That’s not all. More major performers on the lineup include Bleachers, Jorja Smith, Still Woozy, Thundercat, Marina, Royal Otis, Finneas, Ludacris, Wallows, Role Model and BigXthaPlug, among others.
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“We are beyond excited to return to Golden Gate Park, where we’ll be celebrating everything that makes San Francisco truly world-class—its vibrant culture, its incredible community, and of course, our one-of-a-kind Outside Lands festival,” said Allen Scott, co-founder of Outside Lands and president of concerts and festivals at Another Planet Entertainment, in a press statement. “This year’s lineup captures the dynamic, ever-evolving tastes of the Bay Area. We’re proud to curate a festival that spans generations, bringing something unique and unforgettable for everyone.”
Three-day passes go on sale here on Wednesday (March 26) at 10 p.m. PT. GA tickets start at $499, and fans are encouraged to purchase at the time of the on sale for the lowest possible price. Payment Plans for 3-Day GA, GA+ and VIP tickets start at $99 down. Golden Gate Club passes will also go on sale along with reservations for Cabanas and Box Suites.
See the full lineup below.
The producers of four independent California festivals are offering a limited edition ticket that provides general admission access to the 2025 edition of each event.
Dubbed the “indepenDANCE Pass” the ticket is on offer for $599, approximately $1,400 less expensive than the cost of buying four separate tickets to each festival. A total of 100 indepenDANCE Passes are currently available, with profits split evenly between each event.
The passes are part of a campaign to bring attention to the state of independent music festivals, which have struggled following the pandemic due to rising costs of goods and services. The founders of each of the four festivals involved with the IndepenDANCE Pass recently gathered for a longform conversation about the state of the independent side of the festival industry.
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“Independent festivals have always been about community, and now we’re taking that to the next level,” Same Same But Different co-founder and CEO Brad Sweet says during the talk. “We pour everything we have into creating spaces where people can truly connect, dance freely, and experience something real, and now we’re uniting to create something bigger than any one festival, a collective that strengthens the entire scene and gives our community more access, more connection, and more unforgettable experiences across the festival season. By coming together, we’re making sure independent festivals don’t just survive, but evolve and flourish for years to come.”
Featuring dance, funk, global music and more, Joshua Tree Music Festival happens both this May 15-18 and October 9-12 (the pass is good for just one of the events) in Joshua Tree, Calif. Happening in Lake Perris, Calif. this Sept. 26-28, Same Same But Different has previously featured artists including Griz, Big Gigantic, Polo & Pan and Louis the Child, with the 2025 lineup to be announced in the coming months.
Meanwhile the longstanding house and techno festival Desert Hearts 2025 happens July 3-7 in Flagstaff, Ariz. The electronic-oriented Northern Nights, which has this year partnered with Dirtybird Campout, happens Cook’s Valley Campground in Northern California on July 18-20, with the lineup also to be announced in the coming months.