Though a few music festivals have already revealed their 2018 lineups, it feels like festival hype doesn’t become a real thing until Coachella offers up their poster. Regardless of how the event’s growth has changed their appeal and core demographics, no other festival moves the music world like Coachella. It is the site where numerous artists will debut the live show that they’ll be touring the world with in 2018 and beyond, and often the appearances that aren’t listed on the docket will turn out to be the biggest moments from the fest. When Coachella weekend arrives, all of the music world’s attention is in one place, and that’s hard to say about many other events.
For Coachella’s 19th installment, set to take place on the weekends of April 13-15th and 20-22nd, the Indio, California fest is going further into uncharted territory. For one, it will be the first Coachella where a rock band doesn’t headline any of the three days, opting for a trio of first-time headliners from the hip-hop and pop worlds: Beyonce (making up for her 2017 pregnancy cancelation), Eminem, and The Weeknd. Other artists of note that offer little in the way of guitars: SZA, ODESZA, Post Malone, Vince Staples, and Cardi B.
This doesn’t mean that rock is dead at Coachella, it’s just taking a bit of a backseat. Still, artists like The War On Drugs, Haim, St. Vincent, and A Perfect Circle will give Coachella the vibe that many come to expect, while rising artists like Angel Olsen, Big Thief, Moses Sumney and Kelela will surely provide an opportunity to catch the big acts of the future on their ascent.
Ticket go on sale Friday, January 5 at 12:00 PM PST at coachella.com.
