After a nearly three-year wait, about 100,000 people from all over the world reunited on the iconic Empire Polo Club fields for Weekend 1 of Coachella, shedding the burdens of pandemic-related restrictions.
Now it’s time to do it all again for Weekend 2.
Check back here for the sights, sounds, special guests and magic moments that make Coachella one of the most-anticipated music festivals in the world.
Baby Keem brings out special guest Kendrick Lamar
Rapper Baby Keem brought out fellow rapper — and rumored member of his family — Kendrick Lamar for his Friday night set. Together, they performed “Vent” and “Family Ties,” the latter of which being the song that won them Best Rap Performance at the 2022 Grammys. It was Kendrick Lamar’s 14th Grammy win and Baby Keem’s first.
Lil Baby rides solo on Weekend 2, crafts emotional George Floyd tribute
The performance came weeks after Lil Baby, Kanye and the Weeknd won the 2022 Grammy for Best Melodic Rap Performance for “Hurricane.” Many in the crowd were buzzing about who might jump up with him. Drake? Nicki Minaj? J. Cole?
A moment like that never happened, but the large crowd still went home happy as Lil Baby, real name Dominique Armani Jones, churned through some of his biggest hits, but did not follow the same set list as last week. He played “Pure Cocaine” and “Girls Want Girls,” which he did not play during Weekend 1. He hit the crowd favorites, too, like “Yes Indeed,” “Close Friends” and “Emotionally Scarred.”
Anitta, one of the biggest pop stars in Brazil, showed festivalgoers in the California desert how she earned that title on Friday with larger-than-life set pieces, many costume changes and a fleet of neon-clad backup dancers. Unlike Weekend 1, when the 29-year-old singer brought out surprise guests Snoop Dogg, Saweetie and Diplo, she relied on the strength of her own fandom the second time around.
And those fans showed up in full force, packing the area in front of the main stage and chanting: “Anitta, Anitta, Anitta.” Many held up Brazilian flags and sported shirts with her name scrawled across the back. The 29-year-old singer has recorded songs in her native Portuguese, Spanish and, most recently, English, with songs like “Faking Love,” “Girl from Rio” and “Boys Don’t Cry,” all of which she sang Friday. Check out our gallery here.
Carly Rae Jepsen delights
Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen brought the house down once again on Friday with a set that included some o
f her catchiest hits and a look at her upcoming music. Even though Jepsen performed the same batch of songs from the previous week, she kept the energy high.
The crowd joined in loudly as Jepsen played “No Drug Like Me,” then moved on to “Emotion,” “I Really Like You” and “Boy Problems” off of her 2015 album “Emotion.”
Fans in the Mojave tent sang along with Jepsen from the start of her set, but nothing could compare to the roar that followed when the first chords of “Call Me Maybe” rang out. It seemed like every single person in the venue belted the lyrics to Jepsen’s iconic 2012 hit and danced along.
Jepsen is gearing up for the release of a new album this year after dropping hints with a “Western Wind” billboard appearing along I-10.
It’s not a Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival without iconic fashion moments, and 2022 did not disappoint. After two years without the festival, attendees seemed eager to get their looks out onto the Empire Polo Club grounds in Indio. Among the trends we identified this year: ethereal goddess vibes, neon-colored anything, bucket hats, crocheted everything, matching two-piece sets, cowboy hats, and ‘Euphoria’-inspired makeup. Check out our gallery of more than 30 photos here.
Giselle Woo invites fans to take photos with her and The Night Owls
The Coachella Valley’s own Giselle Woo, along with her band The Night Owls, completed their Friday afternoon set at the Sonora tent and invited die-hard fans to join the bandmates outside to take photos. About 40 to 50 fans took them up on it as they stationed themselves in front of the marquee outside the Sonora tent that listed all the bands playing there that day, including theirs.
The local favorites received plenty of hugs and high-fives, as members calmly posed for every photo requested of them after their 30-minute set that included the band’s most popular song, “Coachella Gold.”
It was another big moment for the musicians, who played to a crowd at least twice as big this week as they did during Weekend 1 when they made their Coachella debut.
German techno marching band Meute kicks off Day 1 with huge crowd
Despite the group’s 1 p.m. time slot Friday, German techno marching band Meute filled the entire Mojave tent, performing to a crowd of at least 2,500 — much larger than either of its Weekend 1 sets (which were still well attended).
The band, which originated in Hamburg, arranges techno, house and deep house works by well-known DJs and augments them with electronic beats created by traditional marching band instruments.
While most of its performances are instrumentals only, bass saxophonist Philip Morton Andernach did grab the mike for a rendition of “Hey Hey” by Dennis Ferrer about 45 minutes into the hour-long set.
At the end of the set, all members of the group except drummer Markus “Onkel” Lingner — who walks with crutches — went into the crowd to play a final number, interacting with fans and continuing to perform off stage.
Fans Abbey and Steve Hoard of St. Louis said they had discovered the band via YouTube in 2020 when they were having a “Corona-chella” at home during lockdown.
“Now our family has been listening to Meute for two years. Our kids know them and dance to them,” said Abbey Hoard.
Between them, the couple — who used to live in Southern California and only moved to the Midwest two years ago — has been to at least 15 Coachella festivals. This Day 1, they said, was something special.
“Oh my god it was amazing — the best start to Coachella!” said Abbey.
Merchandise lines are already out of this world …
If you’re hoping to purchase merch at the festival grounds today, prepare for what’s shaping up to be the longest lines yet. Our team arrived at 12:15 p.m. and the line for the main merchandise tent was already extending far out into the field.
Coachella weather: It’s going to be windy … protect yourself
Well, COVID-19 mask mandates have almost universally been lifted, but festivalgoers might want to consider breaking one out again … or at least covering your face with a bandanna. City News Service is reporting that the South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued a windblown dust advisory for Friday, meaning high winds are stirring up dust and lowering air quality. The National Weather Service warned of 25 to 35 mph winds throughout the Coachella Valley as a storm front a
pproaches. High temperatures will be in the mid-70s.
Weather:Temperatures to peak in 80s this weekend; wind likely to die down after Friday
Longtime festivalgoers know the drill: Cover. Your. Face. If this is your first time heading out to the polo fields, Desert Sun reporter Ema Sasic has some great tips on how to protect yourself from the dreaded “Coachella cough.”
Coachella cough: Here’s how to protect yourself against the ‘festival flu’
Two Coachella acts out due to positive COVID-19 tests; cases on rise in Riverside County
The great Weekend 2 shake up continues: Not only is Arcade Fire not on the lineup, but two other acts will miss the chance to reprise their sets due to positive COVID-19 tests. Desert Sun columnist Shad Powers has the scoop on Bishop Briggs and DJ Satori.
Out of lineup:Two Coachella acts to miss their Weekend 2 sets due to testing positive for COVID-19
It’s yet another reminder that the pandemic is not yet fully in the rearview mirror. Desert Sun reporter Ema Sasic earlier this week reported case rates are on the increase in Riverside County, the home to Coachella and Stagecoach festivals.
COVID-19:Coachella Valley cases up 77% following first weekend of Coachella
Set times out: No Arcade Fire on Friday lineup
Set times for Weekend 2 are out, and there’s some potentially disappointing news for Arcade Fire fans. The band was added to the Weekend 1 Friday lineup a day before the festival started. News got out once set times were released. Well, set times for Weekend 2 were released and no Arcade Fire. It was fun while it lasted.
Review:Arcade Fire, ‘grown up’ and reflective, returns to Coachella with emotional set
Photos:Coachella 2022 photos: Arcade Fire performs in the Mojave tent
19 restaurants and coffee shops to try in Indio, Calif.
While there’s a lot of (expensive) food at the event grounds, don’t overlook the offerings in Indio, the Coachella Valley city that hosts the music festivals. Dining at these restaurants is a great way to support the local economy which welcomes thousands and thousands of visitors every year. And please remember that many businesses and individuals are still recovering from the economic hit of COVID-19 so tip like you mean it.
Eat local:19 must-try eateries, coffee shops and more in Indio
Weekend 2: What we hope will be fixed by Friday
There’s a school of thought that Weekend 2 is actually better than Weekend 1. And it makes sense. The second edition offers a chance for organizers to fix what went wrong during the first installation. Well, our staff had some thoughts on what could be improved upon after the trial run. It involves trash, traffic, water and fashion.
Getting it right:Five things we hope change by Weekend 2
The wait for Weekend 2 set times, news on Arcade Fire
Those looking to plan their Weekend 2 festival experience have a lot of information at their disposal to start doing that. The final pieces of the puzzle will come together when Goldenvoice announces set times. Yes, the set times for Weekend 2 will be basically the same as Weekend 1, but festival organizers are known for making a few tweaks … and who knows? It might mean you can see two of your favorite artists when it wouldn’t have been possible Weekend 1. It’s also unclear if Arcade Fire will reprise their “surprise” Friday night set.
Planning your weekend: When will Weekend 2 set times drop? Will Arcade Fire return?
We checked out some of the tastiest eats at the festival
The food is expensive, yes, but there are some enticing options for food to fuel your party. From mac and cheese to ice cream, check out our recommendations.
Tasty treats: Fun and unique things to eat while at the music festival
Was Weekend 1 worth the wait?
One Desert Sun reporter talked to festivalgoers near the end of Weekend 1 about whether their expectations had been met after a protracted leadup that saw several lineup changes … including the headliners. Their answers? Resoundingly positive.
Great expectations:Did Weekend 1 live up to the hype? Festivalgoers say it was worth the wait
This is a developing story an
d will be updated throughout the weekend.