The desert skies of Indio, California will once again transform into a mecca of music as Coachella returns for another double-weekend spectacle. Past editions have seen legendary performances from Radiohead’s moonlit melancholy to Bad Bunny’s reggaeton revolution. However, this year’s roster might just eclipse them all. Forget the Instagrammable flower crowns and art installations; the real draw lies in the 100+ acts set to conquer six stages across two weekends, offering everything from pop maximalism to punk revivalism.
The festival kicks off with Lady Gaga commanding the main stage, her first Coachella headline slot since 2017. Expect her latest album, Mayhem, to be unleashed live for the first time, with a career-spanning set that zigzags between ARTPOP deep cuts and Chromatica bangers, all wrapped in the kind of avant-garde staging that’s made her live shows legendary. Co-headlining at the same festival will be hip-hop pioneer Missy Elliott, whose 2000s-era hits “Get Ur Freak” On” and “Work It” will collide with futuristic visuals, and UK electronic big beat rebels The Prodigy, returning to torch the Sahara Tent with their incendiary breakbeats.
The Marías’s dreamy Spanish-language rock and Benson Boone’s heartland anthems offer quieter counterpoints, while Blackpink member and The White Lotus breakout star LISA makes her solo debut, proving Coachella’s knack for zeitgeist-y wild cards.
Green Day takes over with a victory lap celebrating their 30-year legacy, from skate-punk fury of Dookie to the political operatics of American Idiot. Their pyrotechnics will contrast sharply with Charli XCX’s neon-lit Brat party and The Misfits’ horror-punk gloom, a study in sonic whiplash. Indie darling Clairo channels Laurel Canyon warmth, while K-pop boy group ENHYPEN delivers the kind of synchronized spectacle that’s made them global phenoms. It’s a night where mosh pits and TikTok dances share equal footing.
The weekend’s finale belongs to shapeshifter Post Malone, whose genre-hopping hits “Sunflower,” “Congratulations,” and “Circles” promise a singalong-heavy closer. Electronic pioneers Kraftwerk bring their retro-futurist grandeur, while Megan Thee Stallion’s co-headlining slot, which is a long-overdue coronation, guarantees headbopping anthems.
But the day’s real revelations come from Filipino-British singer beabadoobee’s grunge-pop confessions and Japan’s XG’s razor-sharp pop — a testament to Asian artists’ rising dominance.
Coachella Music and Arts Festival’s lineup just proves how the festival is a cultural cross-section of music every year. Coachella 2024 bridges eras and genres, proving that even after two decades, the festival still knows how to surprise. Your favorite artist’s favorite artist is here. And they’re playing at the golden hour.
