Coachella: From Justice to Grimes, these are the best DJ sets we saw during the festival

There was a variety of electronic music at the 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, including a mix of prominent older names and younger ones on the rise.

Each electronic music set was also accompanied by impressive lighting and visual effects. From strobe lights to mesmerizing graphics, the visual components of the performances perfectly complement the music, making it enjoyable for fans.

Here are the five best electronic music sets we saw during both weekends.

Justice

It's not the first time this French electronic music duo performed at the festival. Justice performed at Coachella in 2007 on the same lineup as Daft Punk, and again in 2012 and 2017. Each performance was a highlight of the festival and reflected growing prominence. This time, Justice returned with a stage production on a larger scale than a cross logo and rock 'n' roll theme with 3D lighting and moving light structures.

Orbital

The British electronic dance music duo Orbital made its return to Coachella for the first time since 2010. The Hartnoll brothers performed with lights on their heads, making them appear as robots at times, and delivered a dynamic techno and trance set highlighting sociopolitical and environmental issues. One example of this was the 2022 collaboration with Sleaford Mods, “Dirty Rat,” which was performed early in the set.

DJ Val Fleury

Liberian-born DJ Val Fleury, the first performer on the Sahara tent stage on Friday, may have performed to a small crowd enjoying the shade and cooler temperature inside the tent, but her fusion of house music with ‘90s techno was musically pleasing, and she celebrated her Liberian culture during her last song, "Lone Stars," while waving a Liberian flag.

Gesaffelstein

French DJ and producer Gesaffelstein, who performs in a costume and mask that makes him resemble a statue, performed a catchy but abrasive set at the Outdoor Theater both weekends. His stage production of strobe lights, lots of fog and his equipment stands looked like something out of a horror film that accompanied the repetitive and bass-heavy music.

Grimes

During her Weekend 1 performance, Canadian singer Grimes faced a lot of technical issues, which resulted in a disappointing show. She bounced back and gave a better performance during Weekend 2. Grimes also responded to the negative comments and criticism she received from online haters regarding her DJ skills and performance. She started her performance with a video of a breaking news report about her disastrous set. The video included footage of her screaming during her performance and a number of scathing social media posts, some of which were from X, the social media platform owned by her ex (and the father of her children), Elon Musk.

Way to go, Grimes.

This story includes previous reporting by Desert Sun reporter Ema Sasic.

Brian Blueskye is the Desert Sun's arts and entertainment reporter.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Coachella '24: Here's our picks for the 5 best DJ sets at the festival