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The official lineup for Coachella’s 2022 festival has been announced, with Kanye West, Billie Eilish, and Harry Styles all set to headline. The two-weekend event--which will take place April 15-17 and 22-24--comes after a two year postponement of the annual event due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to the headliners, a lot of big names were announced for the three-day festival, with the same acts set to perform both weekends. The lineup also includes: Anitta, Vince Staples, Karol G, Phoebe Bridgers, Baby Keem, Big Sean, Grupo Firme, Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Baby, 21 Savage, Danny Elfman, Doja Cat, City Girls, Ari Lennox, Jessie Reyez, Banda MS, and more.
Following the festival’s initial cancelation due to COVID-19, the announced headliners for Coachella 2020 included Frank Ocean, Rage Against the Machine, and Travis Scott. Now, Ocean is set to headline Coachella 2023. As for Travis Scott, his headliner status was called into question after the Astroworld 2021 tragedy that led to 10 people’s deaths. According to reports, the rapper offered to do the festival for free, but Coachella still declined.
Coachella was originally postponed in March 2020, when festival organizers attempted to push the festival to October 2020. Of course, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic led to its eventual cancellation. It marked the first time Coachella had been canceled outright in 20 years, and following the cancellation, AEG initiated a string of layoffs, furloughs, reduced hours, and salary cuts. Coachella was then rescheduled to April 2021 before being once again canceled in January 2021 due to ongoing coronavirus concerns.
In October, Coachella and and Stagecoach festivals announced they would no longer require full vaccination for attendees at the 2022 festival.
“After seeing first-hand the low transmission data and successful implementation of safety protocols at our other festivals this past month, we feel confident that we can update our health policy to allow for: Negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of the event OR proof of full vaccination,” organizers wrote on social media. That came after the festival’s parent company AEG previously issued a nationwide vaccine mandate at all of its events and facilities.
Hopefully, with the surge of new COVID variants every few months, Coachella and other festivals can happen safely.