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Is Coachella still worth dreaming about?
The iconic Coachella festival, held near Los Angeles, will welcome a host of musical heavyweights for its 2025 edition—from Charli XCX to Megan Thee Stallion, with Lady Gaga making a much-anticipated return. A lineup that helps the event keep its dreamlike appeal alive, despite ongoing criticism.
Since its inception in 1999, the Coachella Festival (officially, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival), inspired by rock band Pearl Jam and organized by promoter Paul Tollett, has sparked passionate debate. Held annually over six days, usually in April, in Indio near Los Angeles, the festival is as much a social affair as a musical one—an aspect that remains divisive.
Many influencers attend more to pose in front of the site’s iconic Ferris wheel than to actually listen to the music. The festival can feel like a vanity fair, where flower crowns and frayed denim shorts often take precedence over the art itself. This year, for instance, Kendall Jenner was seen dancing—and being heavily photographed—during her partner Bad Bunny’s set. Kourtney Kardashian blended into the crowd, while statuesque Alessandra Ambrosio put her endless legs on display.
Is the Coachella fantasy still alive?
Another point of contention? The eye-watering sums required just to be able to boast on social media that you’ve made it to Coachella. In 2022, a three-day pass went for $499 (around €464), with the VIP pass priced at $1,199 (€1,115).
On top of that, you’d need to fork over $209 to pitch a tent near the venue. And that’s not even counting the prices on the resale market… or the cost of food and drinks on site (back in 2014, a small bottle of water was $4 and a sandwich $13).
More troubling still, the festival’s owner, ultra-conservative billionaire Philip Anschutz, has been a financial backer of Donald Trump and has funded organizations known for supporting anti-LGBT legislation.
Frank Ocean, Angèle, and Rosalía among Coachella’s headliners
Despite these criticisms, the festival remains, musically speaking, a must-attend event—coveted by celebrities and still a dream destination for thousands of festival lovers. Why? Because year after year, its lineup remains one of the best in the world.
Over the years, Coachella has drawn acts like Daft Punk, Beyoncé, Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, and The Weeknd. In 2023, the festival continued to raise the bar with headliners like Frank Ocean, Bad Bunny, and Blackpink. Rosalía delivered a fiery set, bringing her partner Rauw Alejandro onstage and performing a moving cover of an Enrique Iglesias song.
Other standout performances included Charli XCX, Blondie, and 070 Shake, who won over audiences with wildly different vibes. The lineup also featured Björk, Los Bitchos, Burna Boy, Willow, Calvin Harris, Alex G, Pusha T, Gorillaz, Wet Leg, Weyes Blood, Ethel Cain, Yves Tumor, Latto, and several francophone acts (Angèle, The Blaze, Redcar).
Not to mention the surprise performances…Billie Eilish popped up during a live set by her friend and collaborator Labrinth, and Gorillaz brought out the legendary De La Soul. Kali Uchis also invited Tyler, The Creator, Don Toliver, and Omar Apollo to share her stage. Even though the massive crowds (over 125,000 festivalgoers per day) can make it hard to catch performances up close, the sheer concentration of talent remains dazzling.
Lady Gaga’s return to Coachella 2025
On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, the Coachella music festival finally revealed the lineup for its upcoming edition, slated for spring 2025. Headlining the list is none other than pop icon Lady Gaga, now turning her focus back to music after several forays into cinema.
Joining her on the bill are rock band Green Day and American rapper Post Malone. From April 11 to 20, 2025, the Californian desert will once again host a slew of high-profile artists.
Among them: rappers Megan Thee Stallion, Missy Elliott, Ty Dolla $ign, and GloRilla. On the more alternative side, Clairo, Beabadoobee, Marina, Rema, Arca, and Artemas are also confirmed. The lineup also includes Lisa, former member of Korean group Blackpink and Louis Vuitton ambassador, along with British singer Charli XCX, the face of the “Brat Summer” craze. Due to visa issues, FKA Twigs—who released her album Eusexua this year—will not be performing.
The Coachella Festival runs in Indio, California, from April 11–13 and April 18–20, 2025. Concerts will be livestreamed on YouTube.
