Kicking Off Festival Season

Two years in the making and still living in the shadow of Beychella 2018, Coachella 2022 has come and gone. Now more of a content farm than a music festival, Coachella has transformed into an influencer stereotype, with a focus on “disrupting” IG and TikTok feeds with dramatic outfits that stand out amongst the stark desert landscape.

Festivals are distinctly cultural experiences, but they are also about being seen, and that is especially true of Coachella. Between the countless Instagram influencers and TikTok stars, the festival has become a major content grab for brands and social media mavens. With so many VIP guests and exclusive lounges, parties, and events, the spectacle is as much about the music as it is about the drama that ensues from gathering multiple main characters in one space. Look no further than this year’s Revolve Festival debacle, where influencers were left stranded out in the desert without water or shade for several hours – thus inspiring Fyre Festival memes across social channels. Still, while the festival is far from perfect, there were some spectacular stand-out moments at Coachella this year, both on festival grounds and outside of them.

Coachella, which has historically favored white artists and attendees, proved to be a massive win for the Asian-American community. 88rising, a media company and record label, has swept the world by representing artists like Rich Brian, Joji, and Nikki. In partnership with Coachella, 88rising secured a mainstage takeover with their collective Head in the Clouds Forever for both weekends, capturing the AAPI experience through a curated set of nostalgic and new talent.

Of the most memorable performances on the mainstage, our favorite was K-Pop star CL’s performance. Surprising her long-time supporters, CL brought out the rest of her alma mater group, 2ne1, marking their first on-stage return since their disbandment six years earlier. Dubbed the “queens of K-Pop,” 2ne1 is one of the preeminent female K-Pop groups, and YG Entertainment’s first girl group.  Fans around the world celebrated seeing 2ne1 reunite on Coachella’s mainstage, capturing the same kind of magnetic, fan-fuelled energy that was present when Destiny’s Child reunited on stage four years ago.

Still, there’s plenty of work to be done about representation both onstage and off. Women-led musical acts only make up about 36% of festival line-ups, and with festivals being sites of cultural resets, we wanted to better champion the reality of women’s contributions to music. We partnered with Pandora to create the Pandora Oasis to embody what we think festivals should really look like: a communal space that’s less about who is invited, and more about celebrating music, creativity, and culture. At Pandora Oasis, we wanted to emphasize the importance of a democratized space for relaxation, an open area for all to come listen to great music, get a refresher, and take a break from the crowds.

Over Coachella weekend 1, we tapped emerging artists from Atlantic Records for special performances on Friday afternoon. Raiche, Ogi, and Ravyn Lenae performed away from the bustle of the main festival and enraptured the crowd with their intimate performances. Throughout the weekend, DJs like Kitty Cash and Angel + Dren supplied the vibes in the Oasis with masterfully curated setlists. Finally, our headlining acts Shygirl and Charli XCX capped out the weekend, transforming our space of tranquility into an electric performance space.

We believe festivals should be sacred places to celebrate music and culture, and brands have a unique opportunity to create memorable and inventive experiences alongside and within the festival space. The key is to foster an environment that respects and honors festivals as they should be: musical places of worship to celebrate the arts. With festival season heating up with some truly spectacular line-ups, we’re excited to see how others choose to participate in these imaginative spaces. If you’re interested in entering the festival scene, drop us a line!

With Love & Music,

New Moon