Coachella comes clean with 2023 lineup as Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK & Frank Ocean land headlining slots in the desert

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 14th-16th & April 21st-23rd, 2023 //

It’s that day again when Coachella finally lets the cat out of the bag each year.

Many had speculated the famed California music festival would offer up its big secret this week as it often does once we ring in a new year, and Goldenvoice did just that for its latest installment on the same day Bonnaroo, Boston Calling and Sonic Temple all revealed their own lineups as well.

But after last year saw late lineup changes with Ye (fka Kanye West) — unsurprisingly — backing out as the headliner for Sunday and being replaced by Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd, it appears that Goldenvoice CEO Paul Tollett is prepared should the same sort of scenario happen again at the Empire Polo Club this April.

Headlining will be Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK and Frank Ocean, and while two of those artists check the box that we referred to in 2022 when it comes to the fest featuring more international acts, this year’s Day 3 headliner — whose set was originally announced for the 2020 edition but was pushed back to 2023 as the COVID-19 pandemic sent Coachella on a three-year hiatus — is also one who has been known to cancel his performances.

Ugh was stuck in drafts 🫠

Register now for access to passes at https://t.co/qujCsdlTip. Presale begins Friday, 1/13 at 11am PT. Very limited Weekend 1 passes remain. For your best chance at passes, look to Weekend 2. pic.twitter.com/5zMQ4dJZHq

— Coachella (@coachella) January 10, 2023

If Ocean does this time, Tollett and company will have Calvin Harris waiting in the wings and ready to step onto the main stage after 10 p.m. much like SHM did in 2022 (with some help from The Weeknd). He could even elevate sub-headliners Gorillaz, ROSALÍA and/or Björk to the No. 1 spot since two of them have headlined Coachella before. Either way, the man who has been organizing the three-day event — which expanded to two weekends in 2012 — for more than 20 years now certainly has his share of options after locking down Harry Styles and Billie Eilish to lead the charge a year ago.

We should note that it’s not clear yet which day Harris will perform if all goes according to plan, but the five-time Grammy-nominated DJ/record producer has headlined once before in 2016 and was included as a sub-headliner in 2020 before it was ultimately canceled. We will provide updates about his status below whenever we have more information.

Given those contingencies, the roster for Coachella’s 22nd year has a lot to consider below the top line for all three days and there are plenty of names that stick out among the undercard. And though those receiving high placement on the poster like Burna Boy, Eric Prydz, Kali Uchis, The Chemical Brothers, Porter Robinson, boygenius, Porter Robinson, Kaytranada, $uicideboy$, Fisher + Chris Lake, Blondie, the Kid LAROI, A Boogie, Becky G, Charli XCX, Dominic Fike, Metro Boomin, Labrinth, Jai Paul and Underworld are worth considering, there are others farther down that deserve being mentioned here such as FKJ, SOFI TUKKER, Jai Wolf, Wet Leg, Chromeo, 2ManyDJs, SG Lewis, TESTPILOT, Mura Masa, Weyes Blood, Marc Rebillet, Alex G and Hiatus Kaiyote.

Tickets for Weekend 1 are almost sold out, though you can always jump on the wait list here after three-day GA and VIP passes go on sale here during a presale this Friday, January 13th at 11 a.m. PT.

UPDATE (April 19th): So much for not having any last-minute changes this year. But considering how capricious Ocean remains as a performer and what transpired during his Weekend 1 headlining set, it should not come as a complete shock that the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter has pulled the plug on his Weekend 2 performance only a few days before it’s scheduled to happen. What might be more surprising to learn, however, is that Ocean sustained two fractures and a sprain in his left leg while at the Empire Polo Club last week and still decided to perform (sort of). blink-182, the reunited pop-punk icons who were tapped as this year’s surprise addition when set times for Weekend 1 dropped (much like Arcade Fire were in 2022), will reportedly take over the headliner slot on Sunday after rocking the Sahara Tent last Friday to mark the band’s first show with its original lineup since 2014. If you thought last year was bad after Ye’s cancellation with less than two weeks to go, we think it’s fair to say Ocean just one-upped him but feel free to chime in with your thoughts in the comments section below.

See you Sunday @blink182

Four Tet x Fred again.. x Skrillex will also be joining Sunday evening pic.twitter.com/0OqMq7I1Kz

— Coachella (@coachella) April 21, 2023

UPDATE (April 20th): Coachella has confirmed with the release of its set times for Weekend 2 that Frank Ocean’s headlining performance has been canceled and will be replaced with another dose of blink-182 — for at least part of Sunday. But there’s also a TBA act now listed at 10:25 p.m. once blink wrap things up around 10:20 p.m., which will be Four Tet, Fred again.. and Skrillex following the trio’s big night in NYC at Madison Square Garden a couple of months ago when they performed a five-hour B2B marathon.