Coachella, one of the biggest music festivals in the world and held in California, has been making headlines, but not for a typical reason. It isn’t being talked about for its remarkable performances, or showgoers’ stylish outfits, but for something unexpected and disappointing: politics.
Instead of entertaining shows, what seems to be notable this year are the political displays of the festival’s performers rather than their music. With artists forgetting the point of the event itself, it’s clear after this year’s festival that politics should be kept far, far away from Coachella.
While expressing and discussing opinions is important, Coachella is a music festival, not a political convention. People come to Coachella for music. Politics takes away from the soul and fun of shows when they’re interrupted for political speeches, messages, and statements. What used to be about highlighting both iconic and emerging music artists in two fun weekends has become an opportunity for performers to take advantage of whatever publicity they can get; even if it means turning a festival into an opportunity for extravagant political displays.
Although some artists only said a few words about their politics, such as the lead singer of Thee Sacred Souls, some performers interrupted their own shows to display flags, radical political messages on big screens, and sometimes, conduct entire speeches. Notably, Irish band Kneecap displayed a pro-Palestine message on a screen many audience members found disturbing, and politician Bernie Sanders introduced artist Clairo with a small speech about the war in Gaza. Artists who chose to make their shows about politics completely missed the point of Coachella: to unify people under a common love for music. Coachella is meant to provide an escape for people of all backgrounds to come together and have fun despite world issues, but this year, it dragged those issues right along with it to California. Since when did music festivals become about dividing and alienating music lovers instead of uniting them?
It is indubitable that an inherent part of music is about sending a message. Music is a great way to express beliefs, and many artists are revered for inspiring change with their songs. However, sending a message should not come at the expense of the music itself, such as during Coachella, leaving audiences to wonder whether they’re listening to a music artist or a podcast host.
A few Coachella performers decided to change their lyrics to express their political opinions, rather than resorting to out-of-place political shows. If more artists followed their example, they would still be able to talk politics without ruining the enjoyable experience for showgoers. While this doesn’t mean suppressing artists’ opinions, if artists want to make big speeches about world issues, they are free to do so in their own personal concerts, interviews, and social media pages. Rather than making a national music festival political, artists could save their views for private performances, where fans pay specifically to see them.
Coachella should be a truce among music lovers, not a weapon against them. There’s a time and place for everything, and hopefully, next year’s Coachella festival will be fun, exciting, and politics-free.
