Music
Every Coachella headliner since the festival began in 1999
Coachella has only grown in popularity since it began in 1999, with plenty of A-list bands and artists headlining the festival since then.
The 2023 edition of Coachella is here, with thousands of fans set to descend on Indio, California for shows on April 14-16 and April 21-23.
This year, fans will be treated to performances from a trio of headliners in Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK and Frank Ocean.
While the festival doesn’t always treat fans to three big names each year, there has been no shortage of star power at the festival since it began back in 1999.
Here’s a look at every Coachella headliner since the music festival began.
1999 - Beck, Rage Against the Machine, Tool
Although the festival now has headliners from various music genres, the festival began with a heavy rock influence in the post-grunge era of music.
Rage Against the Machine and Tool were perfect choices for that era of music, while Beck brought his combination of hip-hop, folk and rock to the masses back in 1999.
2001 - Jane’s Addiction
A drought in Souther California forced Coachella to skip 2000, but the festival returned with Jane’s Addiction as the marquee name.
The band headed the bill in what was a one day event with a rather limited lineup.
2002 - Björk, Oasis
The festival returned to its original two-day format in 2002, with Oasis asked to be one of the headliners at an event that also included the Foo Fighters, The Strokes and The Prodigy.
Björk brought her killer vocals and eccentric persona over from Iceland as she became the first female artist to headline the event.
2003 - Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers
The ritual of camping at the event began in 2003, with the Beastie Boys and Red Hot Chili Peppers the big names that year.
Rather than have to leave the premises and return the following day for music, fans were now tracking back to their tents for a night of rest before doing it all again the next day.
2004 - Radiohead, The Cure
After a few years that saw the festival grow in stature, 2004 marked the first year that Coachella sold-out the event, with Radiohead and The Cure the headliners for the occasion.
It wouldn’t be their last appearance at the festival either.
2005 - Coldplay, Nine Inch Nails
Although Coldplay and Nine Inch Nails don’t appear to have much in common in terms of their music, their 2005 headline performances were big occasions for both bands.
Coldplay were gearing up for the release of their third album, ‘X & Y’, and marked it by headlining their first show in the USA, while NIN lead singer Trent Reznor performed for the first time after spending time in rehab.
2006 - Depeche Mode, Tool
Although Depeche Mode and Tool headlined the 2006 event, it was Madonna and Daft Punk who stole the show.
The ‘Queen of Pop’ performed in an overflowing dance tent, while Daft Punk’s performance is often cited as one of the best in the festival’s history.
2007 - Björk, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine
After Lollapalooza expanded from two-days to three, Coachella followed suit in 2007.
All three headline acts returned for the second time, with the recently reunited Rage Against the Machine attracting most of the attention.
2008 - Prince, Roger Waters, Jack Johnson
Prince was added as late addition due to slumping ticket sales, joining Roger Waters and Jack Johnson as headliners.
However, for the first time since 2003, the show didn’t sell out and promoters grossed less than previous years due to high booking fees for Prince and Waters.
2009 - Paul McCartney, The Killers, The Cure
The 2009 event happened a week earlier than usual, with Paul McCartney headlining on Friday and going 54 minutes over the festival’s curfew.
The Cure saw the power pulled on their performance after they went 30 minutes over the curfew on Sunday.
2010 - Jay-Z, Muse, Gorillaz
Coachella did away with single day tickets and only sold three day passes in 2010, which drew mixed results.
Nevertheless, attendance records surpassed previous ones as fans came to see Jay-Z become the first rap headliner.
2011 - Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, Kanye West, The Strokes
The 2011 event featured 190 supporting acts and attracted over 225,000 fans over three days.
Headliners Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, and The Strokes made the event a can’t miss event, with Kanye West’s performance cementing it as one of the top in the festival’s history.
2012 - The Black Keys, Radiohead, Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg
The festival really took off in 2012 when it was announced a second, separately-ticketed weekend would happen with the same lineup for both.
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s performance is remembered because the two used a 3D hologram figure of Tupac to perform for the crowd.
2013 - Blur, The Stone Roses, Phoenix, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers headlined for a third time, while British bands Blur and The Stone Roses gave Coachella a different look in 2013.
Wu-Tang Clan also performed lower on the card.
2014 - OutKast, Muse, Arcade Fire
Although EDM music has become a mainstay at Coachella, it wasn’t until 2014 that names like Calvin Harris, Skrillex and Disclosure all appeared with OutKast, Muse, and Arcade Fire headlining.
2015 - ACDC, Jack White, Drake
After selling out in just 20 minutes, fans were no doubt eager to see a list of headliners that included the legendary ACDC, Jack White and Drake.
The Toronto rapper made headlines when he was joined on stage by Madonna, who also planted a kiss on him.
2016 - LCD Soundsystem, Guns N’ Roses, Calvin Harris
The 2016 event saw Axl Rose and Slash make amends and performed as Guns N’ Roses, while LCD Soundsystem also reunited after disbanding in 2011.
2017 - Radiohead, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar
Beyoncé was initially slated to headline but pulled out after she became pregnant with twins, opening the door for Lady Gaga to headline for the first time.
Between the weekends, Gaga even found time to film scenes for her movie, ‘A Star is Born’. Kendrick Lamar also made his first appearance.
2018 - The Weeknd, Beyoncé, Eminem
After pulling out the previous year, Beyoncé returned with a vengeance in 2018 and became the first Black woman to headline the festival.
She was joined on stage by her Destiny’s Child members, while The Weeknd and Eminem also performed at a festival for the ages
2019 - Childish Gambino, Tame Impala, Ariana Grande
The 2019 event covered a wide range of musical genres, with Childish Gambino, Tame Impala and Ariana Grande the headline performers.
At 25, Grande became the youngest headliner of the event.
2022 - Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Swedish House Mafia x The Weeknd
After being interrupted by the pandemic for three years, Coachella returned last year with Harry Styles making his debut, along with Billie Eilish.
The Weeknd headlined for the second time after Kanye West pulled out at the last minute.