Coachella 2024 weekend 1 recap: what happened?

As the sun set over the Empire Polo Fields in Indio this past weekend, the Coachella Valley was transformed once again into a whirlwind of spectacular sounds, iconic guests, and eye-popping productions for the first of its two weekend runs in 2024. While stacked lineups and idyllic festival scenery are yearly guarantees, this edition debuted some major innovations and unexpected thrills that kept the energy stratospheric across all three days of music.

The brand new “Quasar” stage

Perhaps the most dazzling addition was the new “Quasar” stage. It featured an imposing outdoor structure including towering angled walls covered in massive LED screens. Located right near the entrance, these glowing monoliths immediately beckoned like an intergalactic beacon upon arrival. By nightfall, the facade truly came alive, utilizing stunning desert-themed visuals that blended seamlessly with the craggy mountains framing the festival. Trippy geometric shapes and pulsing colors elevated each extended DJ set to a mind-bending audiovisual journey.

Artists at Quasar

As one of the first acts to grace this awe-inspiring new stage, DJ/producer Honey Dijon x Green Velvet ushered in Quasar’s debut with a heavyweight techno/house set on Friday night. The screens morphed from dusty cacti to slick prism effects, engulfing the field of dancing fans.

Saturday saw the one and only Michale Bibi hold court for three hours, throwing down his tech brand of house and techno as cinematic desert scapes and abstract animations swirled behind him.

While this bold new stage clearly stole the show in terms of innovative flair, the rest of Coachella still brought plenty of buzz-worthy surprises and standout moments.

Lana Del Rey’s mainstage set

Kicking things off on Friday was the one and only Lana Del Rey, who arrived on the Main Stage in quintessential dramatic fashion – standing atop a motorcycle caravan, soundtracked by her unreleased track “Jealous Too.” Her haunting vocals and theatrical stage presence were as captivating as ever, even as some fans aired grievances about microphone issues throughout her set.

Those issues persisted when the “Summertime Sadness” singer brought out an A-list lineup of guests, including Jon Batiste on “Candy Necklace,” Jack Antonoff on piano for “Hope Is A Dangerous Thing…,” and finally, a duet with Billie Eilish for “Video Games” and “Ocean Eyes.” Despite the technical difficulties, these surprise team-ups kept spirits high, a testament to Del Rey’s status as a generational talent.

Billie Eilish at the Do LaB stage

Speaking of Billie, the multi-Grammy winner pulled off one of the most stunning cameos of the weekend – taking over the Do LaB stage (watch its new design) on Saturday for a psychedelic DJ/performance hybrid set.

Amidst kaleidoscopic projections and glowing mushroom sculptures, Eilish debuted three unreleased tracks from her forthcoming “Hit Me Hard And Soft” album, even bringing out Tyga for a live rendition of “Rack City.” It was a full-on audiovisual extravaganza, and easily one of the buzziest and most memorable moments of Weekend 1.

More surprise star power came from Kaskade over at the Sahara tent (watch the new design), who was joined by fellow dance music icon Alison Wonderland during his set. The two threw down a euphoric back-to-back session of progressive house and skippy electro bangers. On the hip-hop front, Tyler, The Creator went all-out with an explosion of flames and pyro to kick off his headlining set on the Main Stage Saturday. The “Igor” rapper had no shortage of A-list friends in attendance, welcoming guests like A$AP Rocky, Childish Gambino, Charlie Wilson, and Kali Uchis for an unforgettable performance.

Rounding out the weekend’s headliners on Sunday was Bad Bunny, who kept the Latin pride soaring with a typically electrifying performance of his chart-toppers and cutting-edge reggaeton jams. Karol G and Eladio Carrion were just a few of the other Hispanic megastars to make surprise cameos during his set, adding even more fuego to the proceedings.

Michael Bibi on the Quasar stage Saturday night

Undeniably one of Weekend 1’s most heartwarming moments came during the surprise guest-laden Coachella set from house DJ/producer Michael Bibi on the Quasar stage Saturday night.

The Brit was performing for the first time since being diagnosed with and beating CNS Lymphoma cancer last year – he even shared that this was his mother’s first time seeing him play at the festival. As Bibi showcased several new anthemic IDs from his upcoming “One Life” tour to rapturous crowds, you could feel the outpouring of love and gratitude radiating through the desert air.

While the debut of the Quasar stage and surprise-filled headliner performances were clear weekend highlights, there were still plenty of other buzzworthy moments and indelible scenes scattered across Coachella’s various stages and campgrounds. One set that certainly generated its share of buzz – for better or worse – was Grimes’ evening appearance on the Outdoor Theatre stage Saturday night.

Grimes’ technical issues at Coachella 2024

The experimental pop provocateur had been eagerly hyping her first Coachella performance in years leading up to the festival. However, things got off to a rocky start almost immediately as fans watching the livestream could clearly hear Grimes shrieking in frustration about technical issues. As it turned out, the tempos for her songs were reading incorrectly – some even clocking in at over 300 BPM – throwing off her entire set from the get-go.

While Grimes did eventually power through performances of hits like “Genesis” and “Violence,” the debacle quickly attracted a mix of criticism and empathy from other DJs and producers online. Many questioned her lack of preparation, while others understood the harsh realities of wrestling with unreliable music software onstage at a major festival. Regardless of which side fans fell on, it was an unexpectedly chaotic scene that put a slight damper on one of Coachella’s most highly-anticipated sets of the weekend.

Grimes took full accountability after the fact, issuing an apology on X (formerly Twitter) for the “technical issues”. She also reassured fans she would “personally organize all the files” ahead of Weekend 2 to ensure a “flawless” performance. The saga emphasized the intense difficulties and unrelenting pressure performers are under on one of the world’s biggest stages.

More issues on weekend 1

Technical issues were also a struggle for one of Friday’s headlining acts, as Lana Del Rey’s microphone volume and feed was noticeably lower than her backup singers throughout her dramatic set on the main Coachella stage. Del Rey soldiered through, still delivering an iconically theatrical performance complete with an opening motorcycle caravan entrance and high-profile guests like Billie Eilish, Jon Batiste, and Jack Antonoff joining for duets.

In the aftermath, LE SSERAFIM member Sakura provided some philosophical perspective on what it truly means to deliver a standout festival performance. Despite admitting that the girl group’s Friday set may not have been “perfect” for everyone, Sakura noted she wanted to create “an unforgettable amazing day” regardless of how familiar fans were with their music. She affirmed she believes their Coachella debut lived up to that standard as “undoubtedly our best stage yet.”

Tyler, The Creator and Coachella’s Vampire Weekend

One headliner who definitely achieved the “unforgettable” bar was Tyler, The Creator on Saturday night. The rapper kicked off his set with a massive pyrotechnic explosion before being joined by an A-list rap lineup including A$AP Rocky, Childish Gambino, Kali Uchis and more for a hit-filled, high-energy performance on the main stage. Tyler even wore a Palestinian flag pin as a statement of solidarity during his culturally-charged set.

Closing out an eventful Saturday was indie vets Vampire Weekend, who went full whimsical spectacle for their set on the Outdoor Theatre stage. Amidst a country/folk-rock covers medley they dubbed the “Cocaine Cowboys” set, the band brought out none other than Paris Hilton and an Abraham Lincoln impersonator for an impromptu game of cornhole on stage. While the Simple Life star admittedly missed her attempts, the absurd stunt culminated with the group showering the audience with gold chocolate bars – a surreal, only-at-Coachella moment.

J Balvin brings Will Smith

Another memorable guest appearance came from Will Smith during J Balvin‘s Saturday performance on the main stage. The Colombian reggaeton star’s interstellar, UFO-themed production effectively turned the crowd extraterrestrial, with Smith descending from above in his Men In Black character attire to perform the film’s 1997 hit theme song.

Justice

Festivalgoers also got a sneak peek at some of the year’s biggest upcoming albums. French dance titans Justice treated fans to a heavy-hitting, audiovisual-driven showcase of their first LP in over seven years, ‘Hyperdrama‘, out later this month. High-octane tracks like “Generator,” “Mannequin Love,” and Tame Impala collaboration “One Night/All Night” provided a tantalizing preview.

Coachella’s new alcohol policy

One highly-anticipated change at this year’s Coachella was an updated alcohol policy, allowing anyone over 21 to consume drinks purchased from roving bar setups throughout the grounds. In previous years, booze was restricted to specific cordoned-off areas only. The move proved to be a welcome change for attendees based on elated social media reactions.

A roundup of this weekend

Between the mind-melting production spectacle of Quasar, once-in-a-lifetime team-ups from icons across genres, and a constant stream of energy flowing through each performance, Coachella 2024 kicked off in quintessential Valley fashion – stylish, ecstatic, and bursting with surprises around every corner. If these three days were any indication, both the festival’s innovative new buildouts and stacked lineups have set the stage for even more unforgettable magic to unfold over the upcoming Weekend 2.

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