Kanye West confirmed as Coachella festival headliner
Coachella announced Wednesday that Ye will be the main draw at its annual two-weekend extravaganza, set to return in April.
Kayne West is not a stranger to being a headliner, and Coachella will be his latest grand stage.
Coachella confirmed on Wednesday that the prolific hitmaker will be headlining the annual two-weekend extravaganza set to take place on April 15-17 and April 22-24 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. It will be making its return after the COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellations in 2020 and 2021.
Coachella organizers stated that the 2022 event will be at full capacity, with 125,000 concertgoers expected each day.
West will headline on Friday, April 15, and Sunday, April 24, with performances also scheduled by Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, Ari Lennox and Vince Staples.
Billie Eilish and Harry Styles are set to be headliners for Coachella alongside the rapper, who legally changed his name to Ye. Eilish will take command on two Saturdays, April 16 and 23, while Styles will grace the stage on two Fridays, April 15 and 22.
In addition, Swedish House Mafia is being promoted as returning to the desert.
Coachella originally announced their dates in June 2021, and Travis Scott was initially the headliner. However, the “Sicko Mode” rapper withdrew from the event in December following the Astroworld tragedy, Variety reported. Ten people died, including a 9-year-old child, during Scott’s headlining performance in Houston on Nov. 5 after a stampede, theGrio previously reported. A Change.org petition asking for his removal as Coachella’s top star nabbed at least 64,000 signatures.
“With the recent tragic and unnecessary death at Travis Scott’s Astroworld concert, due to Scott’s own gross negligence and sheer lack of compassion for human life, we ask AEG, Paul Tollet and Goldenvoice to remove his [name] as performer at all of their festivals,” the petition demanded.
West’s confirmation as a replacement is another sign that he will be quite busy in the new year. A representative for the mogul revealed that he also intended to take his talents and Sunday Service to Russia in the coming months, theGrio previously reported.
Ameer Sudan, West’s strategic advisor and confidant, told Billboard that Russia would become the rapper-mogul’s “second home” and “he will be spending a lot of time out there.”
Reportedly, West will be undaunted by the political and diplomatic implications of his visit. At the moment, U.S. citizens can only visit Russia under certain conditions. He is said to be meeting with President Vladimir Putin and plans to explore some business and creative opportunities.
“This is Ye, Ye is going to get there regardless,” Sudan said. “What are they going to say? He’s going to be a special guest of the Agalarovs. Kanye knows what’s going on more than the average human being, he’s well aware of things. And it’s nothing against the United States or to cause conflicts, but Ye is Ye — he can’t be controlled.”
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