The Road to Coachella
With a two hour drive to Indio, California from Los Angeles, Coachella Valley has become a staple piece in the desert. The Coachella Valley music festival has cemented itself as one of the largest, most anticipated music venues of the year. With thousands of people flocking to the desert for three days to watch hundreds of their favorite artists perform, the festival’s lineup has constantly been a topic of conversation for years on end. However, while Coachella has had ease garnering crowds, these last two years have amassed crowds like no other.
Coachella & Past Headliners
Music festivals have typically been a hot topic amongst crowds. However, Coachella’s success in bringing the biggest and brightest artists to the desert has made it the hottest festival to date. Having gone on since 1999, Coachella has brought out some of music’s biggest names. This also includes a large number of smaller artists. These artists have also found just as much success performing in the desert on smaller stages. Past headliners include Coldplay in 2005, Jay Z in 2010, and Ariana Grande in 2019.
The festival is known to go all out for the weekend. However, it was only recent that two weekends became the festival norm. The introduction of two consecutive festival weekends began in 2012 with Radiohead and The Black Keys. Coachella is all about being one’s most eclectic self. With outfits and artist selection growing crazier and more camp with each year, anticipation for the following year continues to skyrocket.
2023 Festival Lineup
With Covid-19 impeding the festival in 2020 and 2021, Coachella’s return in 2022 was something every music lover was excited about. The ‘22 headliners included the likes of Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, and The Weeknd, causing the California festival to garner audiences unlike any other. With 2022 leaving such a mark on the desert, the 2023 lineup had a lot to live up to. Bad Bunny, Blackpink, and Frank Ocean are headlining this year, with their performances this past weekend causing immense commotion.
The 2023 Coachella lineup serves as the first time there are no white headliners. All three artists are making history in their own respective ways. This includes Bad Bunny being the first Latino headliner and Blackpink also being the first K-Pop group. Even the return of Frank Ocean has amassed large crowds. This past weekend was clearly a success, and it’s clear weekend two has a lot to compete with.
Featured Image via Bloomberg