What is Coachella?

What is Coachella?

Starting with BLACKPINK's performance at Coachella in 2019, and continuing with Le SSERAFIM's appearance at the Coachella Festival stage in 2024, there has been considerable excitement. Coachella is an annual music festival hel

d in the Colorado Desert of California every April, which may be somewhat unfamiliar to K-pop fans. Let's take this opportunity to explore the significance of performing on the Coachella stage.

Is Coachella the largest music festival in the United States?

Coachella is not the largest music festival in the United States. In terms of scale alone, festivals like Lollapalooza or Austin City Limits are larger. Coachella typically attracts around 250,000 attendees, while Lollapalooza draws as many as 400,000 attendees. However, it's challenging to compare festivals based solely on attendance numbers. In fact, in Billboard's Top 50 Music Festivals of 2022, Coachella confidently secured the top spot, while Lollapalooza came in 7th place.

How is Coachella different from other festivals?

Despite its location in the desert with limited accessibility and not being the top in terms of attendance, Coachella has been recognized as the world's premier festival. This is because there is something unique and exclusive that can only be seen and felt at Coachella. The festival is known for making more experimental choices compared to others. While other major festivals tend to balance artists from EDM, hip-hop, rock, and pop, Coachella does things differently. It is known for showcasing artists who represent the future of music, not just those who are already commercially successful. In 2024, Coachella featured not only K-pop artists but also J-pop artist Yoasobi and even the vocaloid Hatsune Miku. These performances, exclusive to Coachella, represent a stage that cannot be seen anywhere else in the United States. Coachella is known for staying ahead of trends and bringing together artists that cannot be seen elsewhere, making it a dream stage for artists from other cultural spheres who aspire to lead trends in the United States. Among these dream stages, Blackpink appeared as a sub-headliner in 2019 and grew to become a headliner by 2023. Recently, other K-pop acts such as Loona and ATEEZ have also graced the Coachella stage. As we wrap up, we eagerly anticipate the possibility of numerous other idols taking the Coachella stage in the future.