Weekend One of Coachella Valley’s Great Desert Festival Rings in with Music, Parties, Neon Carnival and More
Coachella 2022 was a triumphant return to the extraordinary with an impressive lineup of performances, parties and celebrity moments. After
Ellie Mason
Coachella 2022 was a triumphant return to the extraordinary with an impressive lineup of performances, parties and celebrity moments. After 2 years of a subdued music scene due to the pandemic, 2022 was the year that Coachella planned to re-take the world by storm. And they did exactly that.
From Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion to The Weeknd, Billie Eilish and more – this year's Coachella turned into a three-day celebration of what it means to consume live music. People flocked to Coachella valley from around the world to let down their hair, hear the music and feel the vibe – something Coachella knows how to perfect. It was more than just a weekend of music and fun – it was a huge relief.
Festival season is in full swing again, and Coachella proved that it's back and better than ever.
Parties Extraordinaire
One of the most recognizable names to host parties at Coachella is Tao Hospitality – leaders in the industry with their fingers on the pulse of what makes entertainment fine. This year, they had three different party events. At a private residence in Indio, CA – two miles from the main events – guests were wined, dined and entertained. Highlights included:
- Casamigos cocktails from Tao's one-of-a-kind bar
- Events curated around the residence's large freshwater lake, including a private beach, spa and infinity pool
- Night 1 presented by Gala Music, leaders in the world of NFTs and interoperability aimed at decentralizing music and entertainment. Alongside epic performances, night 1 included a completely unique NFT dance floor, integrated with LEDs and state-of-the-art graphics
- Night 2 was Tao Desert Daze and Nights with Galore Magazine and Jeeter: Kicking off during the day, Tao's nightlife expertise created the perfect pre-festival party followed by their signature nightlife event. Chase B and others took the stage and guests enjoyed music from the cool waters of the private lake. For the Nights portion, Jeeter hosted an aerial performance that was out of this world
- For Night 3, Tao Beach came to Coachella. Inspired by the beloved TAO Beach in Vegas, this event included culinary delights presented by TAO's industry-leading team.
Other parties that weren't to be missed included:
- Bootsy Bellows: REVOLVE continued its history of excellent, partnering with h.wood for a premiere after-party. The menu included vegan delights by Beyond Meat, NFTs by InBetweeners & champagne by Perrier-Jouët. Held in La Quinta, CA, Bootsy Bellows welcomed performances across a wide variety of music genres.
- NYLON House: After success at Art Basel Miami, NYLON came to the desert festival with an after-hours dance party. Guests who attended included Anitta, Sabrina Carpenter, Angus Cloud, Alexis Ren, Charli and Dixie D'Amelio, Dale Moss, Delilah Belle Hamlin, Tinashe and Tinx.
- REVOLVE: Kicking off Saturday, REVOLVE welcomed performances by Ty Dolla $ign, Bia, Jessie Murph, Jack Harlow, Latto, Iann Dior, Mills and Willow. Monica Hansen Beachware also debuted their capsule collection.
- After Hours: Swedish House Mafia and Spotify teamed up for the After Hours in the Desert party, which brought attendees and guests ready for their second wind.
- Soho House: Starting last Friday, Soho hosted a pop-up experience that featured crowd-pleasing performances by Diplo, Hot Chip and Channel Tres
And another extraordinary party to hit the desert this weekend was ZOEasis. People wrote in the lead-up to the weekend, "Returning for its sixth year, ZOEasis will host the most stylish and influential artists, musicians and talent for a midday desert oasis celebration. Along with Rachel Zoe herself, guests anticipated at the event include Keke Palmer, Culpo, Ava Phillippe, Nicole Scherzinger, Samantha Hanratty and Ella Purnell.
At ZOEasis, there will be a glam up Glimmer Bar, Constellation of Dreams lounge, an interactive photo studio, sun and sustainability-inspired art installations and a Light Box for spiritual revitalization."
And Rolling Stone Live was there to make sure guests stayed cool with a signature pool party. At ARRIVE Palm Springs, guests were entertained by Grace Mckagan, Carwash, BLXST, James Hype and Gryffin. Teaming up with Meta, at Rolling Stone Live guests enjoyed a Creator House along with a peek into the world of crypto with Abra Conquer Crypto Cafe. Resorts World Las Vegas, CIROC Vodka Spritz, Madre Restaurant & Mescaleria, Matua wine and Tractor Beverage Co. Lucky Brand partnered with Rolling Stone Live to create pop-up experiences for guests that turned the desert locale into the coolest place to be for the weekend.
Neon Carnival Lights up the Desert
And for the great desert festival, there are also after parties with a little something else – something quite special. Brent Bolthouse's Neon Carnival also returned this year as one of the desert's most extraordinary sights, sounds, and electric parties to attend. Perhaps the biggest party of the year, Neon Carnival brought Mel DeBarge, DJs Ruckus and Kayper who entertained guests while partners Levi's, Tequila Don Julio, Liquid I.V., DIRECTV, Monster Energy, Smirnoff Neon Lemonades and PathWater brought their brands to play. The party is more like a carnival, aptly named, and features rides, booths, performances, carnival bites – all set against the backdrop of extraordinary neon lights. Paris Hilton herself teamed up with Neon to bring Paris World to the desert, the custom Roblox world which celebrates all things Paris. Guests unable to attend in person were able to get in on the action from afar by logging into Paris World.
Stars came out to play including Leonardo DiCaprio who arrived wearing a Kansas City Chiefs hat, along with Timothée Chalamet, Amber Rose, Angus Cloud, Anitta, Bella Poarch, Belly, Brett Oppenheim, Camila Mendes, Helen Owen, Jasmine Tookes, Jason Oppenheim, KJ Apa, Nick Viall, Paris Hilton, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Becky G, Sabrina Carpenter, Shanina Shaik, Teddi Mellencamp, Teyana Taylor, Zoey Deutch and many, many more.
This marks Don Julios sixth year of sponsorship of the event, Levi's fourth, and the inaugural year for Hydration with Liquid IV. There's no better place to let down your hair and indulge in the night than Neon Carnival. It's invite only – but there were ways to find yourself invited. A statement from the Neon Carnival team writes, "…photographer Jose Silva, who has been capturing all the action over the years, has compiled some of his most epic photos into an exclusive NFT.
The six limited edition NFT’s gave holders a glimpse into the hottest event of the season with Tequila Don Julio and unlocked tickets to this year’s Neon Carnival."
Performances that Only Coachella Can Deliver
While parties may seem like the bulk of the desert festival, most people aren't there for the exclusives; they're there for the music.
Performers this year include:
- Doja Cat (who teamed up with Tyga and Rico Nasty)
- The Weeknd (although she didn't join him on stage, Ariana Grande's voice was kept in the track for "Save Your Tears" so it felt like she was there in spirit)
- Swedish House Mafia (a last-minute addition to the lineup, they brought the house down)
- Lil Baby
- Channel Tres (who trotted out Ty Dolla $ign for his Coachella debut)
- Megan Thee Stallion
- Fatboy Slim
- Martinez Brothers
- Carly Rae Jepson
- Disclosure
- Karol G (joined by surprise performers Becky G and Tiesto)
- Finneas (performed the "Turning Red" Disney hit song, "Nobody Like U")
- Jamie xx
- Ari Lennox
- and many more
Kanye West was originally slated to headline, but pulled out earlier this month after public controversy dogged him relentlessly. Billie Eilish's performance made her the youngest Coachella headliner in history. Yahoo! writes, "This weekend, as both Eilish and the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival itself returned to Indio’s Empire Polo Club for the first time since 2019, Eilish had arguably the best slot of the entire lineup — this time headlining Saturday’s main stage — but she remained as humble as ever, insisting, “Dude, this is so weird! I should not be headlining this s—!” Eilish even relinquished her set’s biggest moment to a Coachella elder statesman, Blur’s Damon Albarn, whom she credited with changing her life."
Coachella's better-than-stellar live performances proved that live music emerged from the pandemic not just recovered – but better than ever.
Star-Spotting: Celebs Seen Out and About
It wouldn't be Coachella without one of the favorite past-times: spotting your favorite celebrity. Here are some of the most exciting star-spottings from Weekend 1:
- Jack Harlow and Saweetie, photographed at Liquid I.V.'s House of Hydration
- Paris Hilton and Brent Bolthouse: Spotted at Neon Carnival, the world's favorite desert after-party, along with Jared Leto and Megan Thee Stallion
- Halsey: The singer was spotted at REVOLVE
- Kim Kardashian: Also did a turn at REVOLVE on Saturday
- Nicole Scherzinger: Spotted at Tao's Desert Nights along with Chanel Iman
- Tyga: Aside from taking the stage, Tyga was spotted at REVOLVE
- Timothée Chalamet: Attended REVOLVE, along with Post Malone, Ty Dolla $ign, Iann Dior and Dixie D'Amelio
- Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber: The pals were seen together leaving the festival on Friday
- Anitta: The Latin superstar looked beautiful at NYLON House
- James Cordan attended and was photographed on the first day
- Jaden Smith kept a low profile at the festival but posted that he was on his way, happy to shed the recent controversy of his dad
- Deepti: The Love is Blind star went to Coachella for the food, and everyone was just glad she wasn't with Shake
- plus more.
Weekend 1 is always a warm-up to Weekend 2, so we fully expect more stars to appear to ring in the second and final weekend of Coachella.
Coachella Fashion
Like every festival, Coachella comes with its own unique fashion ecosystem. Whether it's brands like Monica Hansen debuting a capsule or attendees just looking to rock that festival vibe – Coachella is its own little fashion world.
Stars are not exempt from the excitement of the festival fashion, and we picked out our top 10 favorite celeb looks to share with you:
- Vanessa Hudgens: Looking radiant and ethereal in pink, Hudgens wore flowing pants and a crochet top
- Nicole Scherzinger: Can jungle print find a home in the desert? Scherzinger proved it can in a Thrifts + Threads leopard print top with denim shorts and black suede Camilla booties
- Megan Thee Stallion: On stage, Megan looked radiant in a Dolce & Gabana silver bodysuit
- Kim Kardashian: Since being declared single, Kim K seems to be embracing again the art of simplicity; this weekend rocking a two-piece gray outfit with thigh-high gladiator sandals
- Lil Huddy: Representing the forefront of men's fashion, Lil Huddy looked sleek and modern in plaid slacks, a half-open wild cat-print collared shirt and a statement leather vest
- Patrick Schwarzenegger: Like his famous father, Patrick opts for classic fashion with dark denim pants and a light denim jacket
- Ava Phillips: This outfit was one of our favorites; a thigh-length flowy white Boheme dress with embroidered flowers. It looked cool, comfortable, and tres fashionable.
- Conan Grey: Taking a difference approach to fashion, Grey opted for a formless pink gown while performing – floating around the stage like a breeze.
- Emma Chamberlain: More commonly seen in a nightclub, Chamberlain's gold-quilt bodysuit nonetheless made a statement in the desert sun. She wore Giant Vintage sunglasses so as not to be blinded by her own radiance.
- Harry Styles: Known for his groundbreaking fashion, Styles sparkled in a Gucci suit that looked to be made of sewn-together metal discs. More than eye-catching, it was adorable.
Attendees with less star power also were bitten by the fashion bug. Festival fashion is known to be futuristic, fun, fanciful – and sometimes, borderline scandalous. With short hems, expansive necklines and a playful array of textures, materials, and sheerness – Coachella 2022 was another leap forward in festival fashion.
After 2 years, people were more than ready to get back to the fun that is Coachella. Weekend 1 was a blast – and Weekend 2 promises to be just as big, or bigger. To plan your weekend at Coachella before it's gone for another year, visit the website.