Lizzo performs onstage during the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Los Angeles at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on March 28, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for GLAAD)
Now in its 19th year, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is more than a music festival, or even a lifestyle. It’s a capital-M moment that seems to stop the world. (And not entirely because Beyoncé willed it so last year.) Beyond the experience of bearing witness to celebrities of the A- and D-lists as they drench themselves in sweat and dust while gorging on trendy cuisine and novelty cocktails, Coachella’s influence extends far beyond the festival grounds of Indio, California.
Even Coachella seems to be aware of this: For the first time ever, it’s doubling down on its festival streams by showcasing both weekends of the festival. Emergent K-pop group BLACKPINK is set to broadcast its message of sensory-overload pop music in Times Square this weekend. Childish Gambino and Rihanna premiered a new film, and with the aid of Amazon and YouTube, will premiere it globally this weekend for free.
For those looking to avoid the hefty price tag of a festival pass — or reluctant to experience Coachella anywhere but on a couch — we’ve got you covered. The only catch: You’ll need to watch it live on YouTube, as Coachella does not make its sets available after the fact as on-demand videos.
So, without further ado, here are 10 Coachella 2019 acts worth planning your weekend around, in chronological order. And if you’re the adventurous sort, you can scan and skip between a whopping 83 live performances across three channels at youtube.com/user/coachella/coachellalive.
10 Coachella Sets We’re Watching This Weekend
Kacey Musgraves
Kacey Musgraves performs onstage for Loretta Lynn: An All-Star Birthday Celebration Concert at Bridgestone Arena on April 1, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Day: Friday
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Time: 8:55 p.m. ET / 5:55 p.m. PT
Where: Channel 1
Even if it’s not quite golden hour elsewhere, getting to see Kacey Musgraves perform as the sun wanes in Coachella might just be worth the price of admission. (Lucky for you, it only requires access to a device that streams YouTube.)
BLACKPINK
Girl group BLACKPINK performs on stage during the 8th Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards on January 23, 2019 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
Day: Friday
Time: 11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT
Where: Channel 1
BLACKPINK’s Coachella set is one for the books: It’s the first ever K-pop group to perform at the hallowed festival grounds — and quite possibly the first act ever to simulcast a Coachella set from Times Square. If BLACKPINK is good enough for Times Square, it’s good enough for your living room, right?
Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monae performs at the AT&T Pre Game Concert leading in to NBA All-Star on Sunday, February 17, 2019 at EpiCentre Theater in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Day: Friday
Time: 1:30 a.m. ET / 10:30 p.m. PT
Where: Channel 1
No introduction needed: Janelle Monáe is an electric presence live. Come for her excellent music; stay for what will surely be a spectacle when she breaks out “Pynk.”
Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish performs on stage during KROQ Absolut Almost Acoustic Christmas at The Forum on December 9, 2018 in Inglewood, California. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for KROQ/Entercom)
Day: Saturday
Time: 12:50 a.m. ET / 9:50 a.m. PT
Where: Channel 1
The one time this author saw Billie Eilish, her gloomy pop whipped a sold-out club full of Gen Z-ers into a total frenzy — and that was months before the release of her star-making album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? If anything, this one’s worth throwing on in the event you’re struggling to keep up with the kids.
Tame Impala
Kevin Parker of Tame Impala performs onstage during FYF Fest 2016 at Los Angeles Sports Arena on August 27, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for FYF)
Day: Saturday
Time: 2:00 a.m. ET / 11:00 p.m. PT
Where: Channel 1
There probably won’t be a better nightcap for your Saturday than Tame Impala’s groovy psychedelia. Bandleader Kevin Parker will almost certainly break out a few new songs, too.
Little Simz
Little Simz performs on stage, as thousands of Global Citizens unite with leading UK artists industry leaders, and non-profit organizations for Global Citizen Live London, at the O2 Academy Brixton on April 17, 2018 in London, England. (John Phillips/Getty Images for Global Citizen)
Day: Saturday
Time: 3:00 a.m. ET / 12:00 a.m. PT
Where: Channel 3
…but if you’re looking to stay up, U.K. rapper Little Simz put out a stellar album this year titled GREY Area. At 25, she’s a commanding, already-seasoned stage presence.
Bad Bunny
Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny performs during the 60th Vina del Mar International Song Festival in Vina del Mar, Chile, on March 1, 2019. (Claudio Reyes/AFP/Getty Images)
Day: Sunday
Time: 8:55 p.m. ET / 5:55 p.m. PT
Where: Channel 1
You’d be remiss to skip Bad Bunny, urbano‘s Puerto Rican goofball prince, live. Still riding the wave of his immaculate, long-awaited debut X 100PRE, Bad Bunny has charisma and charm for days.
Pusha T
Rapper Pusha T performs during the debut of his residency at Drai’s Beach Club – Nightclub at The Cromwell Las Vegas on June 16, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Day: Sunday
Time: 12:35 a.m. ET / 9:35 p.m. PT
Where: Channel 2
King Push decreed himself the steel-eyed sorcerer of rap with DAYTONA. Come witness his proper coronation.
Lizzo
Lizzo performs onstage at the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Los Angeles at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on March 28, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for GLAAD)
Day: Sunday
Time: 1:40 a.m. ET / 10:40 p.m. PT
Where: Channel 2
We don’t know what to tell you: If the “Juice” video won’t convince you to watch, maybe the promise of Lizzo twerking whilst playing the flute will.
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande (Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for FIJI Water)
Day: Sunday
Time: 1:35 a.m. ET / 10:35 p.m. PT
Where: Channel 2
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To cap off the whole festival, come witness one of pop music’s biggest stars as she caps off a stunning run of music. (And, for what it’s worth, tickets for her ongoing tour sold out months in advance. This might be your only chance to see her.)
Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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