No Doubt, Sublime, Doja Cat Bring Coachella Back To Its Regional Roots [Photos/Videos]

Coachella became the standard bearer for music festivals by bringing artists from all over the globe to an idyllic setting and pumping them with world-class production value. But Coachella wouldn’t be Coachella at all without its geographical roots. The 2024 edition of the annual pilgrimage to Indio, CA was a showcase for the sonic soil beneath the region.

For starters, all of this year’s headliners have deep ties to southern California. Lana Del Rey, who topped the bill on Friday, moved from her native New York City to L.A. in 2012 in search of a more laid-back lifestyle and a vibrant creative community. Saturday’s main attraction—Tyler, The Creator—was born and raised in south L.A. Doja Cat’s Jewish and Zulu roots converged in Tarzana, in the suburbs of L.A.’s San Fernando Valley, long before she ascended to the Coachella Stage on Sundays this year.

All three of those acts share another common bond: they’d each played Coachella before. But rising through the ranks at the festival is hardly a prerequisite for regional acts to score a starring role in the desert.

Deftones made their headbanging ‘chella debut with a prime sunset spot at the Outdoor Theatre on Friday, a whopping 36 years following their founding in Sacramento. Come Sunday, Jhene Aiko, an L.A. native who once opened for Lana on tour, enjoyed her own time in the spotlight on that same stage. The Kentucky-born, Pasadena-raised Tinashe took her turn in the Mojave Tent on Friday.

Saturday saw two momentous reunions for iconic California acts on the main stage: Sublime, featuring Jakob Nowell, the son of the late lead singer and Long Beach legend Bradley Nowell alongside original members Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh; and No Doubt, with Gwen Stefani rejoining her rocksteady comrades from Anaheim.

And while Blur’s roots trace back to London—a long way from the Coachella Valley—Damon Albarn and company paid homage to the land by inviting the Torres Martinez Cahuilla Bird Singers to perform with and alongside the band during its main stage set on Saturday. Despite this and other attempts to connect with the audience, Blur received a particularly unenthused reaction from the crowd—most of which likely couldn’t recall the Britpop wave of the 1990s. During the finale of the band’s weekend two performance, Albarn made the startling revelation, “In the spirit of clarity and truth, this is probably our last gig,” clarifying “no reflection on Coachella—I love Coachella, it’s beautiful.”

Expand the sphere of influence just beyond California’s borders, and you’ll find plenty more regional imprint on this year’s Coachella lineup. Specifically, the Mexican music scene made inroads like never before at the Empire Polo Club.

For fans of traditional Norteno music, there was Carin León at the Coachella Stage on Sunday. Those seeking fusion got an earful from Son Rompe Pera inside the Sonora Tent on Friday. Santa Fe Klan and LATIN MAFIA both represented Mexican hip-hop in a big way.

But nobody made a bigger splash from south of the border than Peso Pluma. A year after making his Coachella debut as a surprise guest with Becky G, The “King of Corridos” returned for his own set alongside a big band.

A festival the size and scope of Coachella these days can accommodate plenty more music from around the world. And it certainly did this year. Seemingly every corner of the globe was represented onstage somewhere, from France’s electronic duo Justice, Gesaffelstein, and nu-disco ensemble L’Imperatrice; to Sweden’s Steve Angello, Australia’s electronic trio Rüfüs Du Sol (DJ set) and Dom Dolla; and South Korea’s Peggy Gou. In the case of Scotland’s Barry Can’t Swim, Coachella marked his first shows ever outside of Europe.

That’s the gravity that Coachella now has globally. The festival and its producers at GoldenVoice have a knack for making memorable moments—including reunions, collaborations, and, of course, special guests that change from weekend to weekend.

After 25 years, they’ve tilled the previously parched soil of California’s Colorado Desert and turned it into an oasis of world music. And, come next weekend, country music at Stagecoach.

Check out a gallery of images from Coachella 2024 courtesy of photographers Sheva Kafai, Julian Bajsel, Mickey Pierre-Louis, Brandon Densey, Alden Bonecutter, Ashley Osborn, Charles Reagan, Shaun Llewellyn, Michael Drummond, and Anna Downs, along with a collection of videos.