music festivals

Kanye West Demands That Billie Eilish Apologize To Travis Scott Or Ye Won’t Perform At Coachella

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Kanye West
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Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever, The World Tour is officially in full swing. Last night, she was in Washington D.C. to perform and she and brother Finneas even stopped by The White House to say what’s up to President Joe Biden. But something Eilish said on stage this past weekend at her Atlanta concert has really ruffled Kanye West’s feathers, and now his Coachella headlining appearance could be in jeopardy if Eilish doesn’t act.

A fan in the Atlanta crowd was apparently having trouble breathing and needed an inhaler. Eilish was made aware of this and briefly stopped the show. “Do we have an inhaler? Can we just grab one?” she asks the arena, before someone presents an inhaler to the fan. “We got one! Guys, give her some time. Don’t crowd. It’s ok, relax. We’re taking care of our people!” she says, reassuring the fan. Then as the situation calms down, Eilish walks back to restart the show and says, “I wait for people to be OK until I keep going.”

This was interpreted by some as a reference to Travis Scott and the tragic crowd control issue at the Astroworld Festival that left at least ten people in the crowd dead. Kanye West just caught wind of what Eilish said and in an Instagram post today and demanded (in all caps) that she apologize to Scott for the comment, or he won’t perform at Coachella — where Eilish and Ye are both headlining. He also said that Scott wouldn’t perform either, whom he subsequently confirmed in the post is going to be his guest performer at the festival.

COME ON BILLIE WE LOVE YOU PLEASE APOLOGIZE TO TRAV AND TO THE FAMILIES OF THE PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES NO ONE INTENDED THIS TO HAPPEN TRAV DIDN’T HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING WHEN HE WAS ON STAGE AND WAS VERY HURT BY WHAT HAPPENED AND YES TRAV WILL BE WITH ME AT COACHELLA BUT NOW I NEED BILLIE TO APOLOGIZE BEFORE I PERFORM

Eilish has yet to issue a response.

J Balvin, Ozuna, And Wisin Y Yandel Are Headlining Sueños Festival’s All-Latinx Lineup In Chicago

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Summertime in Chicago’s Grant Park is inextricably tied to Lollapalooza festival. Now, the organizers behind Lollapalooza, Rosarito’s surging Baja Beach Fest, and Chicago-based promoter Reventon, are producing a new reggaeton and Música Latina festival called Sueños, and the opening lineup is loaded.

The two-day festival takes place in Grant Park on Memorial Day Weekend from May 28th to 29th. The headliners for the first annual Sueños include reggaeton behemoths J Balvin, Ozuna, and Wisin y Yandel. The vision for the fest is to better represent Chicago’s Latinx community and Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot echoed that in a statement: “Chicago is home to one of the largest Mexican populations in the country–making events like Sueños Festival an important opportunity to highlight the culture and the cultural contributions of our Latino community as a whole.”

Baja Beach Fest’s Aaron Ampudia added that “Reggaetón is a massive genre but remains underserved by live festivals in the US. We’re extremely proud to expand to the US and serve our community and everyone who enjoys Latin music.”

Other acts on the bill include Jhay Cortez, Myke Towers, El Alfa, Sech, Natanael Cano, and a lot more.

Check out the festival poster with the full lineup below. Pre-sale registration is open now here and the pre-sale begins Friday, February 11th at 12 p.m. CT. General on-sale begins Friday at 2 p.m. CT, all at the same link.

Sueños Festival
Sueños Festival

‘Rolling Stone’ Purchases A Majority Stake In Las Vegas’ Life is Beautiful Festival

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Life Is Beautiful Festival 2019 Bacardi stage
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Rolling Stone is taking a step into the music festival world. The publication recently announced that it purchased a majority stake in Las Vegas’ Life Is Beautiful festival. The estate of Zappos’ ex-chief executive officer Tony Hsieh, who founded the Vegas festival, will retain a piece of the business and the terms of the deal have not yet been revealed. The publication’s CEO, Gus Wenner, made the purchase in order to curate an events business to complement the editorial side of the company. Wenner reached out to Hsieh in June 2020 and the two worked out a deal before Hsieh died later that year.

The festival will retain the name Life Is Beautiful, but Rolling Stone will look for ways to incorporate the company into the showcase. One example includes naming one of the festival stages after the publication. David Oehm, the new CEO of Life Is Beautiful, will continue to run the festival with his team. “Live events and experiential are so much a part of the future of publishing,” Wenner said in an interview, according to Bloomberg. He hopes to build the business in a way that will allow Rolling Stone to be as relevant to music fans today as it was in the past.

Life Is Beautiful was originally founded in 2013 as a part of Hsieh’s plan to revitalize downtown Las Vegas. The Killers and Kings of Leon headlined the first edition, and since then it’s grown to be a three-day event. The most recent edition of Life Is Beautiful was held in September of 2021.

Jhené Aiko, Summer Walker, And Jorja Smith Are Headlining The Female-Led Sol Blume Festival Lineup

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Sol Blume
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Achieving gender parity in musical festival lineups has been an uphill battle for female artists. Over the past few years, we’ve seen lineup figures cross the 30% mark of female-led acts on the bill, but that number seldom affects the headlining slate, which is typically dominated by male artists. We’ve seen some festivals recently make it a priority to feature female-led acts in at least half of the bill, but when it comes to hip-hop, that effort is generally negligible.

Enter Sacramento’s Sol Blume festival. Now in its third edition, the fest has just announced an eye-popping slate of female headlining acts and a 2022 lineup that shows true balance between female and male stars in hip-hop, R&B, and soul. Jhené Aiko, Summer Walker, and Jorja Smith are the headliners along with PartyNextDoor, making for a formidable slate of some of today’s best artists. The two-day Sol Blume fest is also moving to a new venue at Sacramento’s Discovery Park, with its sweeping 300-acre riverside footprint.

Among the acts joining the headliners on the bill are Alina Baraz, Majid Jordan, SiR, Lucky Daye, Kiana Ledé, DVSN, Syd, Thundercat, Tinashe, Blxst, Rexx Life Raj, Sinéad Harnett, Smino, Lauren Jauregui, Tiana Major9, Tink, Yeek, and more.

Tickets go on sale Monday, January, 31 at 1o am PST here. You can full details and lineup info at the same link.

Some of the artists mentioned here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Parklife Festival Announces A Massive Lineup With 50 Cent, Tyler The Creator And Megan Thee Stallion

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Just last year, Manchester’s Parklife Festival more than doubled its footprint to welcome over 80,000 attendees to the two-day fest at Heaton Park. Parklife does a better job than most of meeting squarely at the intersection of hip-hop’s best from the UK, US, and beyond. What’s more, the fest also features a stellar slate of electronic acts year in and year out, and the 2022 edition is expanding into new styles more than ever before.

Headlining Parklife 2022 will be Tyler the Creator, 50 Cent, and Megan Thee Stallion. It’s a bit surprising that there isn’t a major UK rapper in the top 3 acts the way Dave led the way for 2021. But this year, it’s really all about the entire slate and a number of ambitious leaps that Parklife is taking across its eight grandstands. Chase & Status and Bicep are both playing live sets as the electronic headliners, while Grammy-nominated British singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi is offering Parklife peeps something a little different. Loyle Carner and Central Cee are the marquee names in British hip-hop, while Jamie XX, Eric Prydz, and Peggy Gou will all be performing DJ sets.

There’s quite a lot on deck for Parklife 2022. Other standout performers include Carl Cox, Four Tet, Jessie Ware, Tems, Pink Pantheress, Tom Misch, Arlo Parks, Fred Again, Andy C, Caroline Polacheck, The Blessed Madonna, Nina Kraviz, Shy FX, and loads more.

Pre-sale tickets go on sale on Wednesday, January 26, and full lineup, info, and ticketing details can be found here.

Parklife
Parklife

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Governors Ball’s 2022 Lineup Is Led By Kid Cudi, Halsey, And J. Cole

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We’re almost through the first month of 2022, which means that summer festival lineup announcements are starting to make their way out there. Today, one of the country’s biggest fests, Governors Ball, has unveiled its 2022 lineup, which is led by Kid Cudi, Halsey, and J. Cole.

The fest takes place from June 10 to 12 at New York’s Citi Field and Kid Cudi leads the first day, which also includes Migos, Jack Harlow, Louis The Child, Black Pumas, Skepta, Quinn XCII, Madeon, Jpegmafia, Beabadoobee, Coi Leray, Channel Tres, Samia, Blue DeTiger, Aly & AJ, Paris Texas, Julia Wold, Between Friends, Ultra Q, and Plastic Picnic.

Halsey is Saturday’s headliner and also performing on that day are Flume, Roddy Ricch, Joji, Still Woozy, Ashnikko, YG, Chelsea Cutler, Tove Lo, Denzel Curry, Diesel (Shaquille O’Neal), Gus Dapperton, Benee, Peach Tree Rascals, The Teskey Brothers, Valley, Almost Monday, Dehd, Octacio The Dweeb, and Millington.

Finally, J. Cole will close out the final day, along with Playboi Carti, Glass Animals, Kaytranada, Clairo, Becky G, Jazmine Sullivan, 100 Gecs, Japanese Breakfast, JID, Coin, Soccer Mommy, Surf Curse, Duckwrth, Del Water Gap, Jax, Ken Carson, De’Wayne, The Brummies, and Kaien Cruz.

Check out the lineup poster below.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Kid Cudi, ASAP Rocky, And Playboi Carti Headline The Smoker’s Club Fest’s Unbelievable One-Day Lineup

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Fancying itself a hip-hop and cannabis festival, The Smoker’s Club Fest is returning on April 30th for the first time since 2018. This year’s affair is going down at the Live Nation-operated Glen Helen Amphitheater in San Bernardino, CA and has Kid Cudi, ASAP Rocky, and Playboi Carti atop the bill. But it’s the rest of the lineup for the all-ages festival that’s really unbelievable, especially when you consider that it’s all going down in a single day.

Directly below the headliners are Schoolboy Q performing Oxymoron and Wiz Khalifa playing Kush & Orange Juice. They’re followed by 2 Chainz and Ferg, and a bit further down is Lupe Fiasco playing Food & Liquor. Again, this is all in one day?? There’s also Joey Badass, Flatbush Zombies, Danny Brown, Dom Kennedy, Larry June, Uproxx cover stars Wale and Rico Nasty, Earl Sweatshirt, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and we can go on, but check out the poster that the festival posted to their Instagram account today:

This is a pretty insane hip-hop lineup that could easily be spread apart across two or even three days. It’ll be interesting to see how they pull it off.

The Smoker’s Club festival goes down on 04/30 in San Bernardino, CA. Ticketing pre-sale begins on Monday 01/24 at 10am PST. You can sign up for the pre-sale code now here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

New Orleans Jazz Fest 2022 Is Returning With A Monster Lineup Featuring The Who And Foo Fighters

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Since 1970, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has been a diverse reflection of music and culture in America. With over a dozen stages showcasing artists, chefs, and thinkers alike, the music and arts festival takes over the heart of New Orleans every year. Trouble is, it’s been a few years since the festival has been able to operate as both the 2020 and 2021 editions were cancelled because of conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. But if there’s anything that New Orleans has proven over time, it’s that the spirit of the city can endure anything and she’ll be ready to host the newly announced monster slate of artists for the 2022 edition, from April 29th to May 8th.

Taking place across two weekends, the primary headliners include The Who, Stevie Nicks, Foo Fighters, Jimmy Buffet, Luke Combs, Lionel Richie, Erykah Badu, The Black Crowes, and Willie Nelson. And that just really scratches the surface of the literally hundreds of acts appearing at the fest this year. There’s a bevy of NOLA staples on the roster like Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Big Freedia, The Revivalists, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Tank & The Bangas, and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. But there’s also notable acts from across the spectrum like Death Cab For Cutie, Norah Jones, Jason Isbell & 400 Unit, Ziggy Marley playing the songs of Bob Marley, and Kool & The Gang.

Get more details on the fest, check out the full lineup of performers across both weekends, and get your tickets here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Noise Pop 2022 Brings Azealia Banks, Jeff Tweedy, Dorian Electra, And More To Their Stage

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For more than 20 years, San Fransisco festival Noise Pop has become known for hosting early-career performances of popular musicians like The White Stripes, Modest Mouse, Joanna Newsom, The Flaming Lips, Death Cab For Cutie, and Grimes. Now ushering in their 29th year as a festival, Noise Pop once again returns in 2022, this time inviting headliners Azealia Banks, Jeff Tweedy, and Dorian Electra to their stage.

Noise Pop just unveiled their full 2022 lineup. Along with the previously mentioned headliners, the festival has booked artists like Alex G, The Drums, King Woman, The Microphones, Kamaal Williams, Titus Andronicus, Arooj Aftab, Sega Bodega, Hand Habits, Moor Mother, Tomberlin, Ian Sweet, Topaz Jones, Uffie, Rituals Of Mine (DJ Set), Man On Man, and many more.

In addition to bringing locals and national artists to the stage, a few of the artists will share a particularly special performance. Bay Area natives The Microphones will return for a hometown show for the first time in 20 years, The Drums will be performing the entirety of their 2011 classic album Portamento, and Titus Andronicus plan to celebrate the (belated) 10-year anniversary of their album The Monitor.

Check out Noise Pop’s full lineup below.

Noise Pop 2021 lineup
Noise Pop

Tickets to Noise Pop 2022 are available starting 1/14 at 10 a.m. PT. Get them here.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Coachella 2022 Reportedly Confirms Ye, Harry Styles, And Billie Eilish As Headliners

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By the time Coachella officially opens their gates to gleeful music lovers this spring, it will have been three years since the last time the Indio, California festival took place. As one of the more buzzworthy music events of the year, there had been much speculation about which performers organizers would book to headline the anticipated 2022 event. Rumors alleged that musicians like Billie Eilish and Ye would be invited to headline in addition to Swedish House Mafia, but fans weren’t sure who the fourth closing act would be. On Wednesday, Coachella organizers reportedly confirmed that, along with Billie Eilish, Ye, and Swedish House Mafia, Harry Styles will be invited to headline their 2022 iteration.

The report comes through Billboard, which claims to have received confirmation from a source at Coachella. Apparently, a poster was making the rounds on the internet which alleged headliners Ye, Eilish, Styles, and Swedish House Mafia.

It wouldn’t be the first time some of the musicians have taken the Coachella stage. Eilish performed music from her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? at Coachella 2019. Meanwhile, Ye was invited to take over a nearby field to share an installment of his Sunday Service gospel event.

Coachella 2022 will once again take place over two weekends to accommodate for the massive number of music fans who hope to attend. It kicks off the weekend of April 15 to 17 and continues the next weekend, April 22 to 24. Tickets sold out pretty much as soon as they were made available, but fans can still join a waitlist in hopes of securing a ticket.