INDIO, Calif. (CNS) — Three years after making her debut appearance at the Coachella Music & Arts Festival, Billie Eilish returned to make history as the youngest performer to headline the event.
Fresh off an Oscar win for Best Original Song, 20-year-old Eilish packed her set Saturday with crowd-pleasing stunts and collaborations with singer-songwriter Khalid, Blur frontman Damon Albarn and her brother, Finneas, who will make his own solo appearance on Sunday.
Day 2 also featured a high-energy performance by Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion, a K-pop reunion with 2NE1 joining former member CL following her solo turn and an offering from composer and former Oingo Boingo member Danny Elfman that included his music from TV and films including “The Simpsons,” “Batman” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
American hip-hop boy band Brockhampton took the stage for the final time in the Sahara tent. After 12 years together and six studio albums, the group announced earlier this year that Coachella would be their final performance together. On Saturday, they also announced that their final album will be released this year.
At 51 years old, electronic music pioneer Richie Hawtin made his seventh appearance at Coachella, closing out the Yuma tent on Saturday. Hawtin, who was on the inaugural Coachella lineup in 1999, recently released a re-imagined version of his 1998 album “Consumed,” which was put out under his musical alter ego Plastikman.
Swedish House Mafia x The Weeknd will be Sunday’s headliners, replacing Ye — the rapper formerly known as Kanye West — who dropped out of the top spot last week.
The festival, which will feature the same lineup next weekend, opened Friday at the Empire Polo Club following a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic with a shirtless Justin Bieber and a Harry Styles-Shania Twain duet among the first day highlights.
Festivalgoers have been met with strong winds and desert dust storms, but Indio Police Department spokesman Ben Guitron said there were no significant arrests or traffic incidents during the first days of the festival.
He encouraged attendees to stay hydrated, follow the rules and use designated traffic routes.
Attendees are not required to show proof of COVID vaccination or testing, and masking is not required at the outdoor event. But health officials continue to urge precautions against spread of the virus, and testing is available on site and around the Coachella Valley.
This year’s festival also features an innovation that has never factored into previous events — a commemorative NFT. Two years ago, NFTs were almost unheard of, but the Coachella Music & Art Festival is offering all attendees a free 2022 In Bloom seed digital NFT, redeemable through the FTX app with each individual’s ticket wristband. Once redeemed, the NFT comes with perks, including a dedicated entry lane, limited-edition merchandise, along with food and beverage vouchers.
As the In Bloom seed NFT blossoms into a desert flower, owners could get one of six rare flowers that can grant them premium upgrades at the festival. Upgrades include a 2023 weekend-two general admission festival pass, premium merchandise, access to the FTX VIP Lounge, Ferris wheel rides, Goldenvoice Concert Tickets or a 2022 VIP upgrade.
For those who can’t attend the festival, performers including Louis the Child, Tokimonsta, Tchami, John Summit and more are scheduled to perform at events such as Day Club at The Hilton in Palm Springs this weekend and next.
Performances are also being livestreamed on YouTube.
