Fewer Influencers, Better Production, And 14 Other Reasons Coachella Weekend Two Was Better Than Weekend One
If you didn't know, Coachella Music and Arts Festival takes place over two different weekends.
Giphy / Via media.giphy.com
This year, it took place on April 14–16 and April 21–23.
Aside from the separate dates, there's very little difference between the Coachella weekends. For the most part, each weekend benefits from the same perks.
One of the best perks is the people, aka the festies (I really hate that word), who show up in their most impressive outfits each day to enjoy the endless amounts of music, food, and art.
Coachella has the potential to be like a Comic-Con for people who really like music, expensive food, and giant trippy sculptures.
I can't forget the delicious food and drinks. Every type of food you can think of is present throughout the festival from local vendors, restaurants, and breweries.
My absolute go-to for the entire weekend was the plant-based options from Olivia in Los Angeles' Koreatown and Wolfie's Hot Chicken or cocktails from Block Party, located in Highland Park, California.
And then there's the artwork, because it's an arts festival after all — like these giant colorful dudes I kept calling "rainbow transformers."
They're actually called "The Messengers," created by Sri Lankan artist Kumkum Fernando and inspired by the colors of South Asian folklore, art, and architecture, especially Hindu and Tibetan temples.
But as someone who faithfully attends weekend two, here's why Coachella's second weekend is better than the first:
1.Coachella's first weekend was obviously more popular, but that also meant it was overcrowded and the tickets were completely sold out.
Myke Thompson
Everything was more expensive, including lodging, transportation, and buying resale tickets. It's easier to snag a last-minute ticket to the second weekend and catch all the same artists — minus a few surprise guests — and save your coin.
2.There are fewer influencers and more people who are fans of the music and not just paid photo ops or group selfies.
ABC / Via media.giphy.com
Not knocking anyone's hustle, but if your only reason for spending an exorbitant amount of money on Coachella is to get a picture in front of the Ferris wheel, I'm praying for you. You have over 150 artists to choose from, and you only saw two because you waited four hours to eat lukewarm LA sushi in 95-degree weather.
3.Debbie Harry of Blondie was joined by legendary record producer, guitarist, and composer Nile Rodgers to perform "Rapture" and "Backfired."
4.Kaytranada probably had one of the best series of guest stars, bringing out H.E.R., Tinashe, and Anderson .Paak.
It's rare for an artist to bring out multiple performers, especially several who've performed their own sets before at previous Coachellas and know how to captivate the festival crowd.
5.The production worked out most of the kinks. The first weekend is known for awkward mishaps like no sound, bad lighting, or last-minute changes.
Bad Bunny and Post Malone experience audio difficulties at #Coachella.
6.Bad Bunny brought back the famous floating palm tree 🌴 from his tour and flew directly into the middle of the audience.
@feelthefern07 When bad bunny brings back the palm tree and flies directly over you. Weekend 2 has been a vibe. #badbunny #coachella #badchella
♬ original sound - Fernando Antonio
7. In the middle of his performance, Bad Bunny walked into the audience, where he ran toward this woman and blessed her baby while "Ojitos Lindos" played in the background.
@irris.xo gracias @badbunny por hacer mis sueños realidad en mi cumpleaños Y COACHELLA! bebecita y yo te queremos 🥺🫶🏽🫶🏽 SHOUT TO @.karenlanda for this amazing videos 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽!!! #badbunny #badbunnycoachella2023 #coachella #coachella2023 #pregnant #fyp #fyi
♬ original sound - iris
8.Blink-182 reunited with the original three (Tom DeLonge, Travis Barker, and Mark Hoppus) for an explosive pop-punk performance after the original headliner Frank Ocean dropped out due to an ankle injury.
Blink-182 were initially special guests during weekend one, performing a shorter set on a more exclusive stage. Their change to headlining for weekend two allowed for an extended set and more visuals.
9.Tom DeLonge brought back millennial memories when he switched up the "First Date" lyrics, saying, "I'm going to fuck every dude in the room" instead of "I'm jealous of everybody in the room."
i don’t remember these being the lyrics 🤔🤔 #blink182 #COACHELLA2023
10.After weekend one's visual mishap dissing Harry Styles, Bad Bunny created a wholesome moment and apologized to the Grammy Album of the Year singer. “Sorry, Harry. It was a mistake from my team. We love you. <3,” the new tweet read.
The original tweet read, “Goodnight Benito could do as it was, but Harry could never do El Apagaon,” referencing Bad Bunny's song “El Apagón” and Harry's hit "As It Was."
11.Bad Bunny brought out the Mexican music ensemble Groupo Frontera and performed "La Cancíon" and "Yonaguni" with legendary guitarist José Feliciano — a moment in the weekend one performance with Post Malone that was cut short due to sound issues.
@sanbenito performing my fave song "La Cancíon" with the legendary José Feliciano is why I waited for wkd 2.
12.Instead of just bringing out Pheobe Bridgers like weekend one, Muna brought out the entire Boygenius to perform "Silk Chiffon" as their closing number.
13.Damon Albarn of Gorillaz invited special guest Beck to perform "The Valley of the Pagans." Thundercat joined Damon to sing "Cracker Island," and headliner Bad Bunny appeared to perform "Tormenta" live for the first time.
Damon also brought out De La Soul, Mos Def, Bootie Brown, Little Simz, and Del the Funky Homosapien to perform the classic "Clint Eastwood."
14.Becky G performed a medley as a tribute to the legendary American Tejano singer Selena, including her hit songs "Como La Flor,” “La Carcacha,” “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” and “Baila Esta Cumbia.”
I Absolutely LOVE How Selena La Reina, To This Very Day Still Continues To Impact Artist & How They Pay Tribute To Her! A Million Times Thank You Becky G! 👏🏽♥️I Wish I Could Of Uploaded The Whole 5+ Min Video Though!
15.Zendaya finally returned to the stage for the first time in over seven years to perform Euphoria's "I'm Tired" and "All of Us" with Labrinth.
Did it all for love @Labrinth @Zendaya Tune in tomorrow for more Weekend 2 on the @YouTube livestream at https://t.co/w4QG9AcB3R
16.And finally, Skrillex, Four Tet, and Fred again... closed out the festival on Sunday with a historical "broiler room" performance utilizing the leftover ice skating rink/satellite stage initially built for Frank Ocean's set.
@Skrillex @FourTet @fredagainagain1 really saved the day with this faux boiler room set. I'm glad I picked wkd two.
