Coachella is one of the biggest music festivals of the year. People from all over the country come to Indio, California to experience this unforgettable event. There are new artists every year and multiple stages, creating the immersive experience that everyone loves! What I want to touch on are the performances that I believe had the biggest impact on fans.
The performance that had the largest impact, in my opinion, is Justin Bieber's performance; many people even coined his section of the festival Bieberchella. In the two weeks Coachella ran, Justin Bieber's comeback was an emotional rollercoaster that made fans both ecstatic and emotional. Bieber started off with performing his newer songs, and he brought special guest stars The Kid Laroi, Wizkid, Tems, and Dijon.
Later on in the performance, Bieber went on his laptop and started to sing along with his older hits on YouTube. This is something no other artist has done before, and Bieber might just be the only artist liked enough to get away with it. He sang with his younger self, which felt nostalgic to his older fans. This was a full circle moment for both him and his fans as Bieber’s talent was discovered on YouTube almost two decades ago. This simplistic set shows how much of an impact his fame has on thousands of people.
His week two performance somehow became more iconic than week one. Bieber brought out popular artists including SZA, Sexy Red, Big Sean, and Dijon to perform with him. Despite all those big names, I believe that the most iconic part was when Billie Eilish made an unexpected appearance. Hailey Bieber, Bieber’s wife, pushed Eilish from the crowd onto the stage during his song “One Less Lonely Girl.”
Even though Eilish is a mega star herself, she is also a huge fan of Justin Bieber. When she went onstage with him, she reacted as any other fangirl would—ecstatic and speechless. After Bieber's Coachella appearance, fans noticed that Bieber began to get his spark back. He allowed himself to let loose and enjoy the time with his fans. As a fan myself, I am so proud of how far he has come. Rumor has it that he will be going on tour again soon, and if that’s true, I know that it will be one hard race for tickets.
The second performance that I would like to highlight are the K-pop veterans, BIGBANG. They started off night one performing their top three hits (“BANG BANG BANG,” “FANTASTIC BABY,” and “SOBER”), which pumped up the crowd. Many K-pop fans in the crowd even brought their lightsticks, which is something that you will often see at K-pop concerts. This K-pop group set the stage for other K-pop bands like BTS and Blackpink. Two members of Blackpink, Lisa and Rosé, were seen in the crowd having a blast and singing along with the audience.
Even though the members of BIGBANG are older now, they still maintained their youthful energy, putting on a dynamic and upbeat show. You could tell BIGBANG and the fans were having the night of their lives by jumping around and screaming every lyric. Similarly to Bieber's night two, their performance only got better. BIGBANG even announced an upcoming World Tour at the end of night two! This is exciting news for fans, as the band hasn’t gone on tour in a decade.
Last but certainly not least, I would like to focus on Karol G. She is the first Latina artist to headline Coachella, and she did not disappoint. She brought high energy and represented Latino cultures on stage. She even brought out an all female mariachi band with Becky G, which really resonated with Mexican fans. Becky G made a powerful statement saying, “Long live our immigrants” and stood by it. Night two of Karol G’s performance was just as unforgettable with Peso Pluma and J Balvin, who both made surprise appearances. Fans went wild as these unexpected special guest stars performed.
Overall, the lineup Coachella had this year came to serve fans for the better and left an impact beyond the music. It is important for fans to feel seen with their cultures and childhoods, which we can see these artists gave us. I am looking forward to the line up for next years’ Coachella and for all of the artists who announced their upcoming tours!
