Now that the most wonderful time of the year has come and gone, it’s time to look forward to the annual gathering in the dry and hot grounds of Indio, California. On Tuesday, organizers of Coachella 2017 confirmed that yes, the rumors are true: Beyoncé will perform at this year’s music festival, which will take place on two identical weekends in April (but only celebs and very important people will have the privilege of attending both).
Coachella's official name is 'The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival' as it comprises of both some of the world's most famous artists and bands, as well as some pretty amazing art installations. Coachella's beginnings trace back to 1993, when Pearl Jam entered a bitter dispute with Ticketmaster over their service fees, which they claimed were financially targeting fans and artists alike. As part of their feud, Pearl Jam looked for alternative venues for their Vs tour, specifically venues without Ticketmaster agreements.
The first Coachella festival was held as a two-day event in October 1999, and after skipping a year in 2000, has been held at the same venue for the past 15 years. As its reputation as one of the biggest and best festivals went global, organizers were forced to expand the dates, eventually leading to an extra weekend being added in 2012.
Beyoncé is scheduled to headline night two of the 2017 festival, sandwiched between Radiohead and Kendrick Lamar, so you know the weekend is going to be grand! Bey-lieve it or not, this is the first time Beyoncé will be headlining the fest, following surprise appearances in 2010 (with that year’s headliner Jay Z) and in 2014 (with sis Solange).
Other notable performers for 2017 include Mac Miller (praying for an Ariana Grande surprise appearance), Lorde (which probably means she’ll have a new album to support), DJ Khaled (bless up, major keys, etc…), and composer Hans Zimmer (fun).
The festival will take place April 14-16 and April 21-23. Prepare to spend your life’s savings on passes (which may already be sold out at the time of this post, good luck!).
However not everyone can afford a three-day festival pass or a $700 Uber helicopter out to the desert, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t do Coachella your way. Coachella streams live on YouTube both weekends. So, let your hair down in some beach-y, wash-and-go waves, pull on your new crocheted dress or fringed kimono (or both!), and invite your friends over for your own festival in your backyard. Or on the couch. Or your basement. Whatever. Just do you.
