The worst lineup ever for Coachella has been unveiled

The month of January, full of novelties, is enriched with the official announcement of the line-up of the Coachella - the famous festival that has become, especially in recent years, a showcase for celebrities and influencers. The new edition of the festival will take place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, from April 12 to 14 and from April 19 to 21, and the expectations of the fans for the performing artists are as high as ever. However, the line-up for this edition risks being one of the least interesting in recent years: no surprising names and questionable choices may mark the beginning of a decline - or at least a loss of allure - for a festival that until a few years ago was considered one of the most hyped music events and is now feeling threatened by Rolling Loud and the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona.

If two years ago the presence of the name Kanye West (later withdrawn and replaced by The Weeknd) on the Coachella lineup generated quite a bit of excitement among music enthusiasts, last year it was the mystical Frank Ocean who chose the stage of the Empire Polo Club to perform live after a 4-year absence. However, Ocean's first performance was mediocre, to say the least, which led to massive criticism and, above all, justified. The singer had planned an epic performance for the second weekend of the festival with 120 ice-skaters in glitter makeup as protagonists but had to cancel it due to an injury sustained hours before the first date, causing a sprained left leg. In short, the two mishaps in 2022 and 2023 have partly contributed to the loss of fascination by an audience - once well-established - towards Coachella. This year, there are no surprising names on the lineup, and, in fact, it seems that the Coachella team, mindful of recent events, has deliberately chosen to settle for "lesser-known" artists to avoid further unpleasant situations. Respectively for the Friday (12th and 19th), Saturday (13th and 20th), and Sunday (14th and 21st) sessions, Lana Del Rey, Tyler, The Creator, and Doja Cat will be the Coachella headliners. Despite being high-profile artists, it is really difficult to compare them to the excitement that Kanye West and Frank Ocean can generate.

Yet, the questionable choices don't end here. The Friday lineup, with Lil Uzi Vert as the most important name after Lana Del Rey, will feature DJs like Steve Angello and Peggy Gou: while the former performed last year with his Swedish House Mafia colleagues, the latter, considering her frequent appearances at festivals throughout Europe, is another name that risks not attracting considerable attention from the audience, who can attend her live performances anywhere in the world, whenever they want, and at significantly lower prices. The beloved Tyler will be the sole leader of the Saturday sessions, undoubtedly the least popular in terms of the selected artists. Blur and Jungle, a well-known electronic music group, will entertain the audience before Flower Boy's entrance. The Sunday sessions will attempt a comeback by leveraging the hype of Lil Yachty (one of the most talked-about artists of 2023), assisted by J Balvin and Khruangbin, awaiting Doja Cat's closing. Opting for a lineup where Lana Del Rey and Tyler, The Creator are the absolute stars, Coachella may want to convey the desire to undergo a significant change, encouraging fans to attend the festival less for the hype of a single artist and more for the overall appreciation of the music selection.