Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd to Replace Kanye “Ye” West at Coachella
Kanye “Ye” West officially pulled out of Coachella on Monday. Today, festival organizers announced Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd would replace Ye’s headling spot on Sunday for both festival weekends. This will be The Weeknd’s fourth time performing at Coachella. He last rocked the desert in 2012, 2015, and officially headlined in 2018.
Coachella has a ‘special relationship with Abel (The Weeknd)’
Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd will join Billie Eilish and Harry Styles as headliners for the 2022 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Coachella will cover two weekends, April 15-17 and April 22-24, 2022. The Weeknd, born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, and Swedish House Mafia will play on Sunday, Apr. 17 and Apr. 24.
Variety reported Paul Tollett, president/CEO of Coachella promoter Goldenvoice said, “I’m so looking forward to this moment with Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd finishing out the Sunday night slot this year.”
In addition, he shared, “Coachella has a special relationship with Abel, and I’m so thankful to have this upcoming performance with these iconic artists all on the same stage.”
The move makes sense as Swedish House Mafia is ready. Before today, they were listed in bold as a co-headliner of sorts on Coachella’s marketing materials. While the festival has a good relationship with The Weeknd, it’s unrealistic that he could pull together a complete headlining set in less than two weeks.
Besides staring in music videos with Jim Carey and Jung Ho-yeon, The Weeknd is busy co-writing, co-producing, and starring in the HBO series The Idol. Fans unable to attend Coachella will be able to see him during his stadium tour kicking off in July.
What happened with Ye?
Recently, things have been difficult for Ye. Amid drama with his ex Kim Kardashian, he was disinvited from a Grammys performance and banned from Instagram. An online petition circulated to remove him from Coachella. Ye officially pulled out of the festival on Monday.
His rep confirmed the news to Variety. A source told Page Six, “He hasn’t been rehearsing or putting on a production. Travis Scott was supposed to be joining him onstage. Now it would be virtually impossible for him to get it together.”
Ye is ready for some help. The same source said, “Kanye is backing out because he wants to stay out of the public eye after all the drama with Kim and Pete, he wants to get help.”
It’s unclear what he’s seeking help for, but Ye is a person diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.
Who else is performing at Coachella?
Coachella 2022 marks a return to the desert of Indio, CA, for the first time since 2019, when coronavirus (COVID-19) forced a hiatus.
Besides Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, The Weeknd, and Swedish House Mafia, the two-weekend festival has an impressive lineup of some of the most exciting acts in the music industry.
On Friday, Apr. 15 and Apr. 22, Harry Styles will be joined by Lil Baby, Daniel Caesar, Pheobe Bridgers, Big Sean, Groupo Firme, Louis the Child, Baby Keem, City Girls, NIKI, Epik High, and Pink Sweat$ among others.
On Saturday, Apr. 16 and Apr. 23, Billie Eilish will be joined by Flume, Megan Thee Stallion, Disclosure, 21 Savage, Danny Elfman, Stromae, Giveon, Anitta, Rich Brian, Conan Gray, and plenty of other notable musicians.
On Sunday, Apr. 17 and Apr. 24, The Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia will be joined by a rockstar lineup that includes Doja Cat, Joji, Jamie xx, Run the Jewels, Karol G, Maggie Rogers, Ari Lennox, Banda MS, Fatboy Slim, and Finneas.
Fans can catch the festival on Coachella’s YouTube page starting Apr. 15.
RELATED: How Coachella Fans Feel About Lifting COVID Precautions
