Shakira, Swift and Men in Black: the first weekend of Coachella 2024

The first weekend of Coachella featured luxury guests, a varied list of Latin artists and a revival of indie rock, in addition to the inevitable fashion quota of the most famous festival in the United States desert.

Here’s a summary of the weekend’s highlights:

Latin pride

Shakira, Peso Pluma, J Balvin… this year’s edition of Coachella has been decidedly dominated by Latin American artists from a wide variety of countries and genres.

Latino representation has grown significantly in recent years at Coachella, and its large presence in 2024 indicates that it will be less and less of an exception.

Last year, the festival made history by making Bad Bunny the first Spanish-speaking and first Latin American artist on the main bill.

This weekend, Argentine producer Bizarrap surprised fans with a collaborative performance by Shakira, and Peso Pluma took the main stage with his unique blend of Mexican corridos with Latin rap and reggaeton.

The Puerto Rican Young Miko, the Cuban Cimafunk, the Ecuadorian Hermanos Gutiérrez and Mexican artists such as Son Rompe Pera, Carin León and Girl Ultra were part of the long list of Latin artists who participated in the festival.

In addition, Balvin introduced Will Smith, who wore dark glasses and a suit to perform the song “Men In Black.”

Swift appeared

Before the start of Coachella, rumors circulated that Taylor Swift could take the stage during shows by Lana Del Rey, Ice Spice and her producer, Jack Antonoff, with whom she has collaborated.

Finally, the megastar did not perform, but he was there as an audience, watching from backstage the rock band Bleachers – of which their producer is the leader – and the rapper Ice Spice from the VIP section.

Swift and her boyfriend Travis Kelce – an American football player who recently won the Super Bowl – danced and kissed while enjoying the show.

Although Swift was among the most talked about of the weekend, she was not the only celebrity who made a surprise appearance at Coachella.

Billie Eilish, who was a guest at Lana Del Rey’s concert on Friday, was seen the next day at Tyler, The Creator’s concert, and also performed on the festival’s Do Lab stage, premiering three new songs from her upcoming album , “Hit Me Hard And Soft.”

Olivia Rodrigo joined the No Doubt presentation, with other cameos such as Ke$ha and Katy Perry.

The return of indie rock

Will Smith and his image as a neutralizer of alien memories was the cornerstone of the return to the 1990s, after a Saturday program full of alternative rock, which recalled the roots of the festival.

The members of No Doubt – led by Gwen Stefani – played together for the first time in 15 years, with a long show that included ’90s hits like “Just a Girl” and “Don’t Speak.”

Blur also took the stage, as did Sublime, the reggae-rock group now led by Jakob Nowell, son of Brad, the band’s late leader.

Vampire Weekend – whose hits include “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” – also returned to the desert for a surprise performance, featuring Paris Hilton.

Between jeans and punk

When it comes to style, Hilton was not the only one who opted for the country aesthetic: hats, boots, jeans with belts with large buckles, vests, studs and fringes were very present.

This theme is stomping at a time when a part of pop is leaning towards this musical genre, led by Beyoncé, whose new album has triggered searches for country fashion.

The punk and skater clothing of the 90s, with leather, plaid and gothic lace, was also all the rage, accompanying the alternative rock nostalgia that was breathed on stage.

Of course, much of the desert fashion at Coachella was about wearing as little as possible: There were plenty of sheer dresses over bikinis, as well as thongs peeking out of low-rise jeans, images that looked straight out of the year 2000.

The return to the 2000s was also reflected in the glasses, such as the pink, rimless, wrap-around type that predominated among attendees.

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