This year marks the end of an era – it’s the first time I didn’t attend Coachella since 2012 (minus the pandemic cancellations of 2020 & 2021). I got to sit back and enjoy some amazing live stream sets à la Couchella, and ultimately felt like I should still post the lineup here to keep the blog tradition alive.
As always, I’ll share links to my past Coachella lineup blog posts, all the way back to 2010!
Lineups from Past Coachellas
- Coachella 2023 Lineup
- Coachella 2022 Lineup
- Coachella 2020 Lineup (canceled)
- Coachella 2019 Lineup
- Coachella 2018 Lineup
- Coachella 2017 Lineup
- Coachella 2016 Lineup
- Coachella 2015 Lineup
- Coachella 2014 Lineup
- Coachella 2013 Lineup
- Coachella 2012 Lineup
- Coachella 2011 Lineup
- Coachella 2010 Lineup
Thoughts on the 2024 Lineup
Prior to the lineup drop, my group had already decided to skip out on the festivities this year. Once the lineup did drop, I breathed a small sigh of relief. Something about it just felt…lackluster. I certainly wasn’t alone. Social media and news outlets exploded, with many calling it a major decline for a festival historically regarded as one of the best. Questions swirled around whether Coachella had lost its shine or become a wasteland for hollow spectacle.
Don’t get me wrong, Coachella is definitely experiencing an off-year, especially compared to years past. The headliners didn’t have that wow factor. The lineup looked a little sparse. Some of the time slots ended up shorter than ever. Tickets sales were in fact lower than usual. Why was this the case?
My theory around the less exciting headliner bookings is that the current crop of biggest artists have more negotiating power than ever before. They don’t really need to perform at Coachella for the payout and have enough clout to do just fine with their own stadium tours. At the same time, Coachella’s millennial core demographic from the past 10 years is slowly but surely aging out and being replaced by Gen Zers. However, the current crop of Gen Z-approved artists haven’t been around long enough to feel like festival-carrying headliners, save for a very few. And rather than bringing back millennial nostalgia acts to appeal to the older crowd, Goldenvoice could just spin out entirely separate festivals to capture additional revenue instead (Exhibit A: Just Like Heaven), while at the same time start booking acts for Coachella that will appeal more to the up-and-coming Gen Z crowd.
To me it feels like Coachella is going through a transitional period where it’s figuring out its identity for the next 10 years and beyond. But in the meantime, the Coachella organizers are much more savvy than the Internet is letting them on to be. They’re in effect building a portfolio of festivals that may not be as glamorous or big as they were five years ago, but have specific appeal to each core demographic. It’s a large-scale de-bundling of festivals that will make Goldenvoice even more money than before.
With the dust (literally) settled following both weekends – I think the death of Coachella was certainly exaggerated. At the very least, I didn’t see the forest for the trees with my initial judgement based on the weaker headliners, fewer bookings, and lower ticket sales. Coachella actually had a number of improvements this year, including a better layout, larger tents, and even a brand new stage. Paul T. and the organizers still found gems who will undoubtedly perform as larger-fonts and headliners in the not-so-distant future. And most importantly, festival-goers still had a blast whether they were vibing to a headliner performance, dancing their hearts out to surprise guests, or just enjoying the best-run music festival experience in the States, bar none.
Glen’s Recommended Sets
With the power of hindsight this year, I’ll mention a few sets below that got a lot of buzz. But as with every year, it’s very hard to go wrong checking out any of the artists there – you’re bound to make some new discoveries and have a good time!
Justice definitely got some well-deserved hype this year. Their Outdoor Stage set was the stuff of legends, with amazing flow and an incredible light show throughout. Be sure to check out their Access All Arenas live album for more of that live mash-up goodness.
Another standout from my Couchella sessions was Barry Can’t Swim. He’s currently on a tear touring for his excellent debut, When Will We Land? – and I happen to think it’s one of the best albums of last year.
Of the larger-font artists, I’d highly recommend Tyler, the Creator and No Doubt. Tyler has consistently been a creative and high-energy live performer, while Gwen & the rest of the No Doubt band have always embodied the fun and lively atmosphere of 90s ska / alt-rock.
If you enjoyed reading my thoughts on the Coachella lineup, be sure to check out my previous posts on this music festival from my archives. There’s tons of great info on what to expect, plus some detailed recaps of my past Coachellas!
