We’re only a couple days into 2018, and as expected, Coachella has announced the lineup for its 2018 edition. The mammoth two-weekend festival returns to its Empire Polo Club location in Indio, California, once again on April 13–15 and April 20–22. Queen Beyoncé is set to headline, after she was originally tapped to perform last year and dropped out because of her pregnancy. Joining her are The Weeknd and Eminem at the top of the lineup, plus 2017 favorites like SZA, St. Vincent, and Migos.
But this time around, you don’t have to squint your eyes to find Latinx and Latin American artists on Coachella’s lineup. Last year, Latino representation reached an all-time high with 11 acts, many of which were smaller punk bands – like Los Blenders and Thee Commons – playing the new Sonora Stage, curated by VIVA! Pomona’s Rene Contreras. And even though the numbers were still low for a festival taking place in Southern California, whose Latinx population is massive, the tide continues to rise this year, with a total of 15 Latino performers.
After winning all of 2017, Cardi B leads the pack of performers. Princess Nokia, Miguel, and Kali Uchis are also set to play, as well as French-Cuban duo Ibeyi, Helado Negro, Buscabulla, Cuco, Deorro, and Rebolledo’s Pachanga Boys. LA’s up-and-coming pop darlings The Marías, Brazil’s Boogarins, Sonora punk quintet Señor Kino, and bilingual LA reggae group The Delirians will also take the stage, together with cumbia sonidera’s finest Los Ángeles Azules. J Balvin’s exclusion, yet again, seems like a missed opportunity.
In the U.S., mainstream music festivals continue to neglect Latino talent, reflecting longstanding segmentation in the industry that often pushes Latino artists to perform at separate festivals. The inclusion of more Latino artists at these large-scale events is a first step at ending that segmentation, and reflects evolving tastes and perceptions about Latino music fans and performers, as well as the fact that there are now more Latino gatekeepers at the helm of these festivals. Even as we celebrate increased representation, it’s worth noting that Coachella has come under fire for its controversial anti-gay ownership in the past.
Check out the entire lineup below.
Tickets go on sale Friday, January 5 at 12:00 p.m. PST at coachella.com. For more information, visit Coachella’s website.
Update, 1/3/2018, 1:15 p.m.: An earlier version of this piece erroneously stated that 14 Latino artists were performing at Coachella this year. Los Angeles DJ Deorro puts the total number of Latino performers at 15.
