With Coachella 2024 almost upon us, massive crowds are preparing themselves (and their selfie sticks) to catch headliners Tyler, the Creator, Doja Cat and Lana Del Rey and special guests No Doubt at the polo fields . But as always this isn’t just about the biggest names on the poster, it’s also about the cult favorites, rare performances and artists on the brink that continue to make these next two weekends in the desert something to brag about. Among the many artists on the bill during Weekends 1 and 2, here are 18 names we’re excited to see.
Sabrina Carpenter
Come early for the Taylor Swift cameo-hunting, as she’s rumored to be attending this year and (if true) would likely support her recent “Eras” tour opener. But stay to hear tracks from Carpenter’s LP “Emails I Can’t Send,” which was packed with thoughtful, expertly-sung pop in the spirit of former Coachella headliner Ariana Grande, but with a charm and relatability all her own. Stay even longer to catch a Barry Keoghan cameo. — August Brown
Chappell Roan is playing Coachella after opening for Olivia Rodrigo on the Guts tour. Her album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” came out last year.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Chappell Roan
She killed it as the opening act on the first leg of Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts world tour, where you could practically see her blowing 12-year-old minds with the raunchy and theatrical alt-pop jams from her 2023 debut, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” which she made with Rodrigo’s go-to producer, Daniel Nigro. Now, Roan is moving on to what she calls “the next chapter” of her career with her brand-new single, the vaguely Eurythmics-ish “Good Luck, Babe!” — Mikael Wood
Blur
There’s a definite KROQ-in-the-’90s vibe happening at Coachella this year and one of the best ways to time travel via alt rock is yelling “Woo-hoo!” with Damon Albarn and Blur as they play “Song 2.” But what has given Blur the staying power beyond the ‘90s hits like “Parklife,” “Girls & Boys,” “Coffee & TV,” “There’s No Other Way” and a dozen others is that the band consistently puts out really good music. Blur’s most recent release, “The Ballad of Darren,” was one of the best rock albums of 2023. — Vanessa Franko
Aquabats
Anyone looking for a mixture of punk-meets-ska-meets-Saturday-morning-cartoons has one thing to say about the Aquabats’ return to the polo fields: “Super Rad!” Any chance to see a band that reminds you not to take life or an ultra-hip music festival too seriously is worth carving out some time for. Even casual onlookers have to stop and watch the wacky band of spandex-wearing superheroes fight crime and giant inflatable monsters on stage between acts that are said to be the next big thing. As MC Bat Commander and company celebrate 30 years of playing shows, making TV shows and building an empire, it’s a reminder that cool bands often have a shelf life but fun, weirdo bands can last forever. — Nate Jackson
Bizarrap
The Argentine DJ-producer’s now 59-song-deep collaboration series has become the hottest tour stop in Latin music. He’s booked stars like Peso Pluma and Rauw Alejandro, but his catalog’s crown jewel will forever be #53, where a newly-single Shakira mercilessly strafed her ex over a sinister cub beat and entered the all-time diss track pantheon. It cracked the Billboard Top 10 singles chart, and made its producer a global star — he’s got one hell of a contacts list of guests he might bring out for this set. — AB
Tems
“Me & U” was a high watermark for Afrobeats, one of the best songs of 2023 and a regal announcement of the Nigerian singer’s own pop potential after she stole the show on Wizkid’s “Essence.” She kept up the pace with the lithe, riveting “Not An Angel, ” and her forthcoming debut album will be a major event in global pop. Catch her up close while you still can in Indio. — AB
The electronic music duo Bicep
(Sam Mulvey)
Bicep
The Northern Irish club music duo have long been underground favorites who thought like arena stars, packing their after-hours material with memorable sonic signatures and lacing their big-tent singles with care and complexity. Now they’ve built a dazzling AV stage show to match, and in the spirt of label mates Odesza and Bonobo, this could be the set that kicks them into a new tier of dance music’s arena acts. — AB
Victoria Monét will perform on Sunday at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
(Justin J Wee / For The Times)
Victoria Monét
After establishing herself behind the scenes as a songwriter for the likes of Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony and Blackpink, Monét broke out big on her own last year with “Jaguar II,” a crafty, witty retro-soul record that led to her being named best new artist at February’s Grammy Awards. Come for the slinky “On My Own,” about being “so deep in my bag, like a grandma with a peppermint”; stay for “I’m the One,” in which she taunts an ex now unable to enjoy the sight of her “riding horseback towards you, slow motion on a beach.” — MW
French electronic duo Justice returns to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Friday, April 12, 2024. The duo will release a new album, “Hyperdrama,” on April 26.
(André Chémétoff)
Justice
There’s a universal truth that whenever Justice plays Coachella, an epic “D.A.N.C.E.” party will follow. The French duo’s first live show was at the fest in 2007, with a performance that may be second only to Daft Punk’s iconic set for the biggest electronic moments of the fest. This is the electro house duo’s fifth time at Coachella and it will mark the debut of a new live show for album “Hyperdrama,” due out April 26. Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker has the potential for a guest spot since he’s on the new single “One Night/All Night.” — VF
Reneé Rapp starred in “Mean Girls” and will next play Coachella.
(Ashley Markle / For The Times)
Reneé Rapp
Can the algorithm even survive two high-intensity subcultures — lesbian TikTok and musical theater — thrust under one Coachella tent with the famously brash Rapp at the helm? Whatever happens in there, “Snow Angel” still rips. — AB
Jakob Nowell, son of the late Bradley Nowell, has joined his father’s band Sublime, which will perform at Coachella.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Sublime
“Life is too short so love the one you got.” Chances are that if you’re at Coachella you’re adhering to one of the tenets of Long Beach’s patron saints of reggae rock. In the ‘90s their blend of reggae with hip-hop and punk rock swagger created a unique lane amid the alt-FM airwaves. Though their style’s been imitated ad nauseum to the point of spawning its own Cali Reggae subculture, none of the offshoots come close to the true passion that inspired Brad Nowell, Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson to create a soulful, sun-soaked stoner sound all their own. With the late Nowell’s son Jakob now taking up the mantle of Sublime (without Rome), the ability to recapture some of the band’s original magic finally feels within reach. — NJ
Texas psychedelic rock trio Khruangbin returns to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Sunday, April 14, 2024.
(David Black)
Khruangbin
When people complain that Coachella isn’t about the music anymore, point them to Khruangbin. Blurring the lines between psychedelic rock, funk, soul and surf rock, the Texas trio’s mostly instrumental jams are best described as sonic comfort. The Coachella appearance comes on the heels of the release of new album “A La Sala,” but their previous two EPs, “Texas Sun” and “Texas Moon” featured Leon Bridges, who is playing Coachella’s country sister event Stagecoach at the end of the month, so here’s hoping he drops by. — VF
Kevin Abstract
The former Brockhampton frontman has long been a regular presence at Goldenvoice’s festivals, including Coachella, where the hip-hop boy band played two of its final gigs (at least until the inevitable reunion) in 2022. Abstract arrives in the desert this year behind last fall’s “Blanket,” a moody, guitar-oriented solo disc with heavy echoes of ’90s-era alternative rock.—MW
Brittany Howard
Roots-rock fans know her from her roof-raising stint leading Alabama Shakes. But on her own Howard is much harder to classify: Her acclaimed sophomore solo LP, “What Now,” which came out in February, pulls from funk, soul, jazz, psychedelia and even classic house music as Howard uses her powerful voice to ponder the forces of conflict and liberation. Big Prince energy, in other words. — MW
French sextet L’Imperatrice returns to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Friday, April 12, 2024. The group will release a new album, “Pulsar,” on June 7.
(Augustin JSM)
L’Impératrice
No matter who is playing against L’Impératrice on Friday at Coachella, I recommend ditching them in favor of the French sextet with the snazzy stagewear. After seeing hundreds of Coachella sets over the years, L’Impératrice in 2022 is among the best. Get ready to groove to some French disco with a dash of yacht rock. The dance party was unmatched with songs like “Peur des filles” and “Voodoo?” but since the group just announced a new album, “Pulsar,” out in June, here’s hoping we’ll get a new song or two mixed into the set. — VF
Deftones
Are Deftones a complete mismatch with the typical hype beast Coachella vibes? Yes. Does that make their set in Indio even more fun to watch? Def-initely. The tortured wails of Chino Moreno combine with the band’s chest-rattling wall of dissonance is destined to harsh the buzz of those who were just looking for a place to nap in between sets — unless you’re a really heavy sleeper. Adding to the KROQ nostalgia machine working overtime at the fest this year, Deftones’ one-of-a-kind aggression connects with sad and angry people of any age, whether you’re a newly-initiated Zoomer or an OG Coachella head. — NJ
Militarie Gun
Even as Coachella has skewed to booking the biggest pop stars in the world in recent years, the nods to Goldenvoice’s roots as a punk promoter are always on the lineup with a face-melting punk set or two. Following in the footsteps of Japandroids, Fidlar and Turnstile from previous Coachellas, I predict Militarie Gun is the one to watch this year. Plus, you probably already know the L.A. band’s song “Do It Faster” from that Taco Bell commercial. — VF
Taking Back Sunday
Look, there’s a point during every Coachella weekend where the whole thing gets a little overwhelming. This would be a good time to seek out the Taking Back Sunday set — which is fittingly on Sunday. Let all of the feelings flow through you with a cathartic scream-along led by the elder emos in attendance to the band’s classics such as “MakeDamnSure” and “Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut from the Team).” There should be some decent mosh pit action for this set, too. — VF
