“Recap: Highlights from the First Weekend of Coachella 2024”
The first weekend of the 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival concluded on Sunday, April 14, with Doja Cat headlining for the first time at the event. Among the other notable artists were Victoria Monét, Reneé Rapp, J Balvin, and Bebe Rexha.
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Coachella
The desert was alive with music throughout the weekend. Tyler, the Creator, delivered a guest-filled spectacle on Saturday, featuring a bighorn sheep to cap off the night, following No Doubt’s return to the stage after nine years, with a surprise appearance by Olivia Rodrigo.
Taylor Swift, though not performing with Bleachers, was spotted watching from the sidelines with Travis Kelce on Saturday evening. Billie Eilish also made a surprise appearance in the Do Lab.
Friday saw big performances from Lana Del Rey and Peso Pluma.
Follow along with The Times’ team of August Brown, Danielle Dorsey, Vanessa Franko, and Mikael Wood, who are covering the final day of the festival’s first weekend from Indio.
The Do Lab, often dubbed the festival within the festival, continued to be a hotspot at Coachella. Established in 2004, it now boasts its own dedicated area accommodating up to 15,000 fans at a time. This year, it featured surprise guests like DJ Pee .Wee (Anderson .Paak) and Sofi Tukker on Friday, and Billie Eilish on Saturday.
Run by the Flemming brothers, the Do Lab offers a whimsical space with shade, water, and misting to provide relief from the sun. This year’s setup included colorful structures resembling massive mushrooms, creating a vibrant and immersive experience for attendees. The Do Lab’s own festival, Lightning in a Bottle, returns to Buena Vista Lake in Kern County from May 22-27.
Meanwhile, DJ Will Clarke, a first-time Coachella performer, explored Postmates’ Sauce Bar in the 12 Peaks VIP Area on Sunday afternoon. Visitors could choose between fries, tots, or a combination, paired with sauces from iconic L.A. eateries. Clarke and food reporter Danielle Dorsey sampled various sauces, with Blanco’s ghost chile sriracha emerging as a favorite. They envisioned it as an ideal complement to hot wings, offering feedback for potential improvements before Weekend 2.
