Coachella just keeps striking out. Bloomberg reported that not one, but two of the festival’s top-choice headliners turned down 2025 appearances. Founder Paul Tollett reportedly approached Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna with offers last spring, and both declined. That would’ve been before Lamar even got the Super Bowl gig; per Bloomberg, he’s planning a stadium tour to follow. Rihanna, meanwhile, just seems to be focused on growing her business. (Sorry, no new-album hope there.) But how about Fred again.. — again? Hits Daily Double reported the U.K. dance producer “is a lock” for one of the headlining slots, just two years after he closed weekend two with Skrillex and Four Tet. Hits, a usually trusted Coachella source, also speculates that a country-pop act like Post Malone or Morgan Wallen could headline. (Hits also suggested Jelly Roll, but he’s already set to play Coachella’s country counterpart, Stagecoach.) On the rap front, Hits pitched Travis Scott after he was first set to headline in 2020. If Lamar’s out of this one, we hear Lil Wayne is available too.
Lamar and Rihanna would’ve helped the festival rebound after multiple pandemic cancellations, a chaotic 2023, and a pretty safe lineup earlier this year (that took weeks to sell out). While Fred again.. may be headliner material after closing Bonnaroo this year, he’s certainly not the A-list talent Coachella seems to be shooting for. Where’s a big rock reunion when you need one? Just not them.
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