Coachella just threw the music industry’s equivalent of a plot twist. In a move that’s got festival veterans scratching their heads, both Weezer and Ed Sheeran have been added to April’s lineup — but here’s the kicker — they’re playing afternoon sets. Yeah, you read that right. Stadium-filling superstars performing while most festivalgoers are still applying sunscreen.
The desert’s premier music festival, running April 11-13 and 18-20, hasn’t exactly been hurting for star power. Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone, and Travis Scott are holding down the marquee spots. But there’s something deliciously subversive about tucking these newly-added heavyweights into the sun-drenched afternoon slots.
Take Weezer. Rivers Cuomo and company, those undisputed champions of geek rock, are scheduled for a surprisingly modest 3:10 p.m. slot in the Mojave Tent during weekend one. The timing feels almost deliberately understated for a band that’s been selling out arenas since before some Coachella attendees were born. They’ve been quiet on the new music front since their “Van Weezer” and “SZNZ” releases, which makes this intimate setting feel like a potential testing ground for fresh material.
Then there’s Ed Sheeran — talk about a scheduling curveball. The ginger-haired hitmaker, who typically needs a stadium to contain his fanbase, is taking on the Mojave at 3 p.m. during weekend two. It’s probably his most intimate SoCal performance since that semi-secret casino show back in early 2025. With “Azizam” still fresh on the charts and his eighth album “Play” dropping soon, this scaled-down setting feels both bizarre and brilliant.
These schedule shuffles weren’t completely random. FKA Twigs had to bow out of her North American dates (blame those pesky visa issues), creating an unexpected opening. But there’s something larger at play here — a growing trend of major acts embracing these earlier time slots. Remember last year’s surprise Arcade Fire set? Or that wild moment when the Fugees materialized during YG Marley’s performance?
The whole thing challenges conventional festival wisdom in the best possible way. Who says the most memorable moments have to happen after sunset? There’s something wonderfully democratic about the possibility of catching a Grammy-winner’s set while munching on your first fish taco of the day.
For the old-school Coachella crowd, it’s just another chapter in the festival’s ongoing evolution. What started as an alternative music sanctuary has morphed into something far more interesting — a cultural kaleidoscope where mainstream pop stars might play intimate tents while emerging artists command the main stage. It’s exactly this kind of creative programming that keeps the festival relevant, even as it approaches its quarter-century mark.
Mind you, not everyone’s thrilled about needing to arrive before happy hour to catch these acts. But that’s kind of the point, isn’t it? In an era where everything feels increasingly predictable, there’s something refreshing about a festival that’s willing to mess with the formula. Even if it means setting an alarm for what feels like crack of dawn in festival time.
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