Beyoncé to Light Up California Desert for Coachella 2018

By Sameer Rao Jan 03, 2018

After cancelling her highly anticipated set last year, Beyoncé will travel to Indio, California, to headline the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April. The festival confirmed her performance by tweeting the line-up yesterday (January 2):

Beyoncé is the first Black woman to headline the festival. Her planned 2017 set would have made her the first female headliner since Icelandic singer Bjork in 2007. Billboard notes that Lady Gaga stepped into that role after Beyoncé withdrew under doctors’ orders during her pregnancy with her twins, Rumi and Sir Carter. The Associated Press reported at the time that she planned to return for the 2018 festival.

Coachella 2018 is set over two three-day weekends, April 13-15 and 20-22. Bey will headline the second night of each weekend (April 14 and 12), with The Weeknd and Eminem leading the first and third nights, respectively. Beyoncé collaborated with both artists in the past two years, with The Weeknd lending his voice to Bey’s "6 Inch" and Beyoncé singing the hook for Em’s "Walk on Water."

Beyoncé also recently appeared in Ava DuVernay‘s ("A Wrinkle in Time") music video for "Family Feud," a song from husband Jay-Z that features her guest vocals.