(Indio) The Californian desert that hosts the very trendy Coachella festival has seen historic performances, the return of rock and a more international line-up than ever… but also, as usual, festival-goers with extremely elaborate looks , although sometimes very little coverage.
Here’s what to remember from the first weekend of the 2023 edition.
Historical
For the first time, none of the Coachella headliners were white.
Puerto Rican reggaeton titan Bad Bunny paid tribute to the Latin artists who inspired him, providing a big show and fireworks for his many fans.
The most listened to singer in streaming of the world became the first Spanish-speaking and Latin American native Coachella headliner.
“There’s never been someone like me before,” he said, in Spanish.
The following evening, K-pop phenom BLACKPINK became the first Asian group to perform as a headliner at the festival.
And on day three, Frank Ocean wrapped up the weekend with an enigmatic touch — after a start delay of more than an hour.
He did not lend himself to the game of press photos, nor to the now essential exercise of live on YouTube.
He finally appeared, wearing a blue sweater, mostly with his back to the audience to perform his title Novacaneand taking long breaks between songs.
But Frank Ocean still provoked cheers from the public when he mentioned a new album to come, even without indicating any release date.
His concert ended as abruptly as it began: “Guys, I’m told it’s curfew, so it’s the end of the show,” he said, and the stage screen turned off.
rock and nostalgia
PHOTO AMY HARRIS, INVISION/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Blink-182 offered a step back in time with their late 90s hits What’s My Age Again? Or All The Small Things.
For years, early fans complained that the festival had strayed from its rock roots. Rage Against The Machine, Beck and Tool were the stars of the first edition, in 1999.
Last weekend, Coachella gave pride of place to pop hits, with Charli XCX or Rosalia, but the electric guitars also resonated.
The members of Blink-182, who hadn’t reunited in their original lineup on stage for nearly a decade, offered a throwback to their late ’90s hits What’s My Age Again? Or All The Small Things.
Still in the nostalgia mood, Blondie delighted her fans with the hits heart of glass Or call me.
Indie rock band Boygenius, consisting of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker, reunited for an explosive set.
The trio also sent political messages, supporting the rights of transgender people and access to abortion, and denouncing the conservative policies of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, candidate for the presidential election of 2024.
Global programming
Coachella has built a lineup that is more international than ever: beyond Bad Bunny and BLACKPINK, Spain’s Rosalia, Iceland’s Björk and Nigeria’s Burna Boy took center stage.
These choices reflect the new face of the music industry, which puts more emphasis on international trends, in particular thanks to the streaming.
The Belgian Angèle and the French Redcar (ex-Christine and the Queens) also played, as well as Domi and JD Beck, a rising jazz duo composed of a French keyboardist and an American drummer.
Thongs and cowboys
PHOTO AMY HARRIS, INVISION/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cowboy hats and boots blew a Western wind in California, with cropped tops to withstand the desert heat.
Coachella, whose photos invade the pages of magazines around the world and Instagram profiles every year, is inseparable from the outfits of its festival-goers.
This year, the trend was for fluid overlays and transparent mesh sometimes concealing – barely – thongs.
Cowboy hats and boots blew a Western wind in California, with cropped tops to withstand the desert heat.
The flower crowns, which adorned every head at festivals in the 2010s, are definitely a standout. But crocheted, ’70s-style clothing, fringe and neck-tie tops were ubiquitous.
And low-rise pants have confirmed their comeback, especially with a fitted t-shirt for an outfit straight out of the 2000s.