Coachella’s third day came with fast-moving clouds, gusting winds and a little drizzle, an unusual turn for a festival where precipitation is a rarity. But the weather was not the only reason Sunday mattered: Karol G was set to headline the Coachella Stage at 9:55 p.m. and become the first Latina to headline the festival.
Karol G’s slot was the night’s clearest milestone, but the schedule around her showed how packed the closing stretch was. BigBang was set to close out the Outdoor Theatre, and Kaskade was due in the Sahara Tent from 10:45-11:55 p.m., while the festival’s first weekend moved into its final hours under a sky that looked more like a threat than a backdrop.
That history lands against Karol G’s own near-miss with disaster. In February of last year, she boarded a private plane out of Burbank with 16 passengers on board and saw smoke pouring out of the cabin shortly after takeoff. This weekend, the focus is on a very different kind of ascent: a Sunday night performance that puts her at the top of one of the biggest stages in the country.
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The festival has spent years trying to widen who gets seen on its grounds. On its website, Coachella describes that effort as “a commitment and opportunity for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) to be seen at the festival,” and says, “We actively promote diversity to change the narrative of what it means to be at Coachella.” On Sunday afternoon, Kailyn Brown played a DJ set at Party in my Living Room, a collab with GV Black aimed at increasing visibility for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color at the festival.
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That makes Karol G’s headline set more than a booking note. It is the kind of milestone Coachella has talked about for years, and on Sunday night the festival will finally put a Latina at the top of its bill.
