Coachella music festival will feature largest number of Asian and Asian American performers

ASAM NEWS

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival released its well-anticipated lineup Thursday, and it has more Asian acts this year than ever before.

One of the largest music festivals in the nation, Coachella 2020 will feature popular K-pop group BIGBANG and artists from 88rising, a pan-Asian record label that has gained prominence for Asian Americans and Asians who release music in the United States.

The festival is well-known for showcasing diverse and international music acts. South Korean-born, Berlin-based Peggy Gou, Korean Americans Yaeji and TOKiMONSTA, and Bangladeshi American Jai Wolf are DJs and producers in the electronic music genre, known for mixing house, electronic dance music (EDM), and hip hop styles.

Japanese American Conan Gray, Filipino British artist baebadoobee bring in indie pop vocals and rock, respectively, while Rich Brian and Korean group Epik High encompass the rap and hip hop genre. NIKI, Joji and Indian American singer Raveena provide a more low-key vibe — the three have been described as befitting contemporary R&B style, with a focus on vocal performance., Big Bang, 

Although no Asian artists are headliners this year — Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott, and Frank Ocean take the top slot — 88rising’s most popular artists, like Joji, Rich Brian and NIKI, will perform on the main stage. Rich Brian and NIKI will also make history as the first two Indonesians to grace Coachella, according to the Jakarta Post.

Korean boy band BIGBANG, J-pop “kawaii” act Kayry Pamyu Pamyu and virtual reality singer Hatsune Miku are unique adds for a primarily American music festival like Coachella. While all three perform in their respective languages, they have since gained popularity with Asians overseas. In fact, K-pop “did so well last year” that Coachella added more acts in 2020, according to MixMag Asia.

All acts will perform in the California desert community -- "The Gateway to the Salton Sea" -- over two successive three-day weekends, on April 10-12 and April 17-19.