The “Coachella of books” has arrived. The biggest literary event in the country, the L.A. Times Festival of Books, kicked off at USC this weekend. The 31st annual event features more than 500 authors, including Lionel Richie, Tina Knowles, Larry David, Pat Benatar, Amy Tan, Anne Lamott and more. Several of these talented individuals stopped by the L.A. Times photo studio to have their portraits taken between spirited panel discussions and book signings.
Here are some portrait highlights from the 2026 Festival of Books:
Lisa Rinna author of “You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It.”
Morgan Hutchinson and Brett Hutchinson.
Daniel Humme and Roda Ahmed.
Rachel Renee Russell, Presli Noelle James, Kim James, Nikki Russell and Cori James.
Chet’la Sebree 2026 finalist for the LA Times Book Prize in Poetry for her collection “Blue Opening.”
Tens of thousands of readers of all ages, from toddlers clutching picture books to longtime fans carrying armfuls of paperbacks, fanned out across the USC campus Saturday for the opening day of the 31st Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, packing panels and lining up to see favorite authors and celebrity guests.
It was too early to know how many people attended the first day of the event, billed as the country’s largest literary festival, though organizers said they expect between 150,000 and 155,000 attendees over the weekend. By late morning, the campus was already bustling, with strong turnout expected for appearances by author T.C. Boyle and actors Sarah Jessica Parker and David Duchovny, among others.
Founded in 1996 and spread across eight outdoor stages and 12 indoor venues, the festival has become a fixture on Los Angeles’ cultural calendar, bringing together more than 550 storytellers for panels, author interviews, book signings, performances and screenings spanning a wide range of genres, from children’s story times to cooking demonstrations.
This year’s lineup features a broad mix of writers, performers and public figures, including comedian Larry David, musician Lionel Richie, multihyphenate businesswoman (and Beyoncé’s mother) Tina Knowles, author and social critic Roxane Gay and scholar Reza Aslan.
Under sunny skies, actor and reality TV personality Lisa Rinna brought humor and a bit of bite to a 10:30 a.m. conversation on the festival’s main stage. The “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum released her second memoir, “You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It,” in February, chronicling her time on the show and her recent turn on Season 4 of Peacock’s reality competition series “The Traitors.”
Reflecting on her approach to “Traitors,” Rinna said she wanted to strip away the conflict-driven persona she had cultivated on “Real Housewives” and present a more unfiltered version of herself. “I was like, ‘Self, listen. You’re gonna go in there and just be you. No housewife s—, none of that reactionary stuff.’ ”
In conversation with Times senior television writer Yvonne Villarreal, Rinna also spoke candidly about the loss of her mother, Lois Rinna, in 2021 and how her grief manifested in a feeling of rage while she was filming Season 12 of “Real Housewives.”
“It really took me by surprise,” she said. “And you have to give space for it because you can’t make it go away. … They always say time heals, but time makes everything just a little less intense.”
At a noon panel titled “Fire Escape: Wildfires and the Changing Geography of Southern California,” moderated by Times climate and energy reporter Blanca Begert, author and former wildland firefighter Jordan Thomas said the scale and frequency of California wildfires have shifted dramatically in recent decades.
“The vast majority of the largest wildfires in California’s recorded history have happened just in the past 20 years,” said Thomas, author of last year’s National Book Award finalist “When It All Burns: Fighting Fire in a Transformed World.” “While I was a hotshot, there were three of those fires burning simultaneously, including a million-acre fire — more than used to burn across the entire American West over the course of a decade.”
In the early afternoon, former Georgia Rep. Stacey Abrams spoke with moderator Leigh Haber about artificial intelligence and voter suppression in front of an enthusiastic, packed crowd at USC’s Bovard Auditorium.
Abrams’ latest Avery Keene novel, “Coded Justice,” came out last year and explores the role of artificial intelligence in the healthcare industry. AI has already become enmeshed in everyday life, she said, asking audience members to raise their hands if they had used TSA PreCheck or a streaming service.
“AI is a tool … but it is created by someone, it is programmed by someone, it is controlled by someone,” she said. “Regulation is not about slowing down progress. It is about asking questions and saying that in the absence of answers, we’re going to put on reasonable restraints that we can revisit.”
Abrams also revealed that her next book, the fourth in her Avery Keene thriller series, will focus on prediction markets.
“I write Avery Keene novels to tell stories about social justice, but I put it in a form that’s accessible to people who don’t think that they are social justice people,” Abrams said. “I want to meet people where they are, not where I want them to be.”
She also encouraged audience members to push back against voter suppression and defend democracy by volunteering at polling places — even in reliably blue districts — warning that she believes masked paramilitary groups will be allowed to patrol voting locations and target people of color in the upcoming midterm elections.
The festival kicked off Friday evening with the 46th Los Angeles Times Book Prizes ceremony at Bovard Auditorium, emceed by Times columnist LZ Granderson, recognizing both emerging voices and established writers.
Winners were announced in 13 categories for works published last year. Find a full list of winners here.
Oakland-born novelist Amy Tan, whose work often explores identity and the Chinese American immigrant experience, received the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement, and the literary nonprofit We Need Diverse Books received the Innovator’s Award for its work promoting diversity in publishing.
Accepting her award, Tan, author of the 1989 bestseller “The Joy Luck Club,” said that as a birthright citizen, she had never questioned her place in the country until recent debates over citizenship and belonging led her to reconsider whether she is, in fact, a “political writer.”
“My birthright and that of millions of others is now being argued before the Supreme Court, and no matter what the outcome is, it’s been a kick in the gut to know that those in the highest echelons of government and those who support them believe that we don’t belong.”
Tan said that as an author, “I imagine the lives of the people I write about,” and that act of compassion “reflects our politics and our beliefs. And so yes, I am a political writer.”
Addressing the attendees, Times Executive Editor Terry Tang pointed to the breadth of the weekend’s programming as an opportunity for connection and discovery. “If you take in just a fraction of these events, it will expand your mind,” she said. “This weekend gives all of us a chance to celebrate a sense of unity, purpose and support.”
The festival runs through Sunday. More information, including a schedule of events, can be found on the festival’s website.
This year’s festival will take place Saturday and Sunday at the USC campus, and it’s packed with a mind-boggling array of great participants and exhibitors. You can peruse the complete schedule, download the book festival app, and book your parking and panel reservations here.
I have warm fuzzy feelings about the festival, attending as a budding writer in the early aughts. As someone who aspired to “go long” but had no clue how to go about doing it, the event was an inspiration: all these hot-shot authors talking about their craft, and free admission no less.
Of course the event wasn’t the sprawling, magnificent behemoth it is now, with cooking demonstrations from the world’s greatest chefs, and bestselling children’s authors reading to tiny budding bibliophiles. The first festival in 1996 drew 75,000 book fans; last year, more than twice as many people showed up.
As the festival grew, so did the excitement. In 2007, I waited in line along with hundreds of other fans for the privilege of hearing Gore Vidal talk about his craft in UCLA’s Royce Hall. Gay Talese, one of my journalism heroes and a veteran of some of the very first festivals in the late ’90s, was always a pleasure. His stories about breaking into the New York Times conjured up a lost world that seems positively antediluvian now. “If you show up in a three-piece suit and a hat, and you look like you might have taken a bath recently, they don’t kick you out as fast,” Talese told a packed crowd in 2008.
By that time, much to my astonishment, I knew Talese personally. In 2004, I was working on a book about the New Journalism movement that he spearheaded. That year, he asked me to join him at the book festival as a guest. It was my first time in the “green room,” the backstage area where authors socialize over food and drinks. After ogling all the A-list talent in the room, I was asked by Talese to join him for lunch at a table along with novelists Jane Smiley and John Kaye, historian Doug Brinkley and social critic Naomi Wolf, all of whom were appearing at the festival. Reader, my mind was suitably blown. I just kept my mouth shut and listened.
I will be moderating a panel Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the Ray Stark Family Theatre (plug) and I can’t wait. There is nothing like this festival; it is The Times’ annual gift to the Southland, and we should all be grateful we get to enjoy it.
Here are some of this weekend‘s festival highlights. All panels are an hour in duration.
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Graphic novelists Henry Barajas, Eagle Valiant Brosi, Anders Brekhus Nilsen, Mimi Pond and Angie Wang discuss their latest graphic novels, each of which is based on true events or popular myths.
Where: Albert and Dana Broccoli Theatre When: 10:30 a.m.
Acclaimed author Amy Tan is the recipient of the 2025 Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement, which recognizes a writer with a substantial connection to the American West. Tan’s expansive body of work, including essays, memoirs and bestselling novels “The Joy Luck Club,” “The Kitchen God’s Wife” and “The Bonesetter’s Daughter,” is widely celebrated for its profound exploration of the immigrant experience, family bonds and the quest for individual identity. Join us for a conversation with Amy Tan and award-winning former Los Angeles Times writer Thomas Curwen.
Novelists Jade Chang, Kevin Wilson and Sarah Levin discuss their new novels, which are fresh examinations of family in contemporary life: the ones we’re born with, the ones we make, and the ways we reach out for connection in an increasingly isolated, chaotic, and lonely world.
Lana Lin, Melissa Febos, Susan Orlean and Amanda Uhle have produced literary and artistic work that has shaped conversations, influenced culture and established them as leaders in their fields. Now, they turn the pen inward and become the story. Exploring their careers, relationships, sexuality and more, these writers offer a rare and intimate look at the vulnerability, creativity and humanity behind their work
Join California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, Steven J. Ross, Omer Aziz, Erwin Chemerinsky and Los Angeles Times reporter Seema Mehta for a conversation about the state of our freedoms today and what our current political atmosphere could mean for the future of our democracy.
Where: Hancock Foundation, Newman Recital Hall When: 1:30 p.m.
How do we raise children in an age of rapid technological change, political polarization and global uncertainty? Drawing from their new books and their experience as parents, Reza Aslan and Jessica Jackley will explore how to have honest, age-appropriate conversations with kids about complex and challenging topics, while psychologist Darby Saxbe shares groundbreaking research on the science of fatherhood.
Join Austin Channing Brown, Tre Johnson, Tamika D. Mallory and Carvell Wallace as they reflect on the moments that shaped their lives, work and perspectives. Through individual stories of resilience, love, purpose and self-discovery, their experiences weave together like a mosaic to form a deeper collective portrait of Black life and identity in America today.
Where: Hancock Foundation, Newman Recital Hall When: 10:30 a.m.
Panelists Matthew Cuban Hernandez, Karla Cordero, Sonia Guiñansaca and Yesika Salgado will dive into what it means to be autonomous, to be your own supreme authority, to belong to yourself, the land(s) and people you choose.
Christine Bollow, Karen Tei Yamashita and Naomi Hirahara dive deep into the myriad Asian American experiences at turning points in American history, shedding light on untold stories and essential characters in our shared history.
Commenters who never have been — and never will go — complain about the cost, the influencers, the hype. Purists wax poetic about the days when they disappeared into three days of music and the field wasn’t overtaken by brands like Barbie and e.l.f. cosmetics. Defenders claim they can camp their way to an affordable weekend, and others spend the whole time posting. A select few even talk about great performances they saw — it’s still a music festival.
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But one thing everybody can agree on: Coachella has changed. I should know. I’ve been covering it as a journalist since 2007.
Rapid advancements in technology and mass adoption of social media have brought out the best and worst of the festival — not just on screens thousands of miles away, but to those of us trying not to trip over the makeshift photoshoot you might have seen on Instagram.
In the early years, there were no brand activations on the field; nobody knew what an influencer was and the only corporate sign you saw was for Heineken in the beer gardens. (There was no Heineken House with its own stage, just signs advertising the beer.)
The grounds were also considerably smaller, making it easier to explore the different stages and discover new music. You didn’t have fancy food options, but a slice of Spicy Pie was less than $10. (Coachella upgraded its food options from festival staples to weekend outposts of L.A. restaurants in 2014.)
The music was the draw. The festival’s track record includes artists like the Killers, the Black Keys, Childish Gambino and Kendrick Lamar climbing up from small type to headliner on the lineup poster.
Livestreams and influencers made Coachella’s reach global
The vibes started to shift in 2010 as smartphones grew in popularity, although the service on the field was spotty. It was the first year Coachella offered a livestream — available via Facebook and MySpace. The next year, the stream moved to YouTube, where it remains and draws millions of viewers.
As Coachella expanded to twin weekends due to popular demand on the ground in 2012, it also had the first viral moment fans could enjoy from thousands of miles away: Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg brought 2Pac back to life via a hologram.
Celebrities were always at Coachella (I spotted Ryan Seacrest, Corbin Bernsen, David Hasselhoff and Danny DeVito in my early years), but the rise of social media made celebrity culture a key part of the event. By 2011, TMZ was posting about stars like Lindsay Lohan. Clips from Coachella went viral and ended up on shows like “Tosh.0” and referenced in “Community.”
The art, which was always part of the festival, became bigger and more iconic. On the growing photo app Instagram, larger-than-life sculptures of astronauts started appearing in selfies.
Brands saw an opportunity. American Express, H&M and Samsung launched activations on-site in 2015. The party scene outside the festival, with non-affiliated events that were timed because everyone was in town for Coachella, became marketing vehicles. Brands are still cashing in more than a decade later.
The next watershed moment was Beyoncé in 2018. Today, most headlining sets at the fest feel as if they are designed for the viewing experience on the livestream rather than the fans on the field (ahem, Justin Bieber and his laptop). But Beyoncé’s spectacle was just as mind-blowing on-site as it was at home. A year later, the “Homecoming” special debuted on Netflix, widening the reach.
Coachella became a key part of the pop culture landscape, and then it became a cornerstone of the influencer economy.
Behind all the hype, there’s still a music festival hiding
I inadvertently photobombed approximately 500 people just trying to go to and from the press tent last weekend and my inbox is overflowing with requests for coverage of off-site events with brands, celebs and TikTok influencers, including social media clips.
Coachella is what you make of it. And besides, everyone knows there are fewer influencers on Weekend 2.
Today’s top stories
A health worker administers a measles test on Fernando Tarin, of Seagraves, Texas, at a mobile testing site outside Seminole Hospital District on Feb. 21, 2025.
The Automated People Mover system began construction in 2019 and was initially slated to open to the public in 2023.
Nationwide recall of a popular anxiety drug
Specific bottles of Xanax, one of the most widely prescribed medications to treat anxiety and panic disorders, has been recalled due to its failure to dissolve at a standard rate.
FDA officials are not warning against consuming the product at this time.
What else is going on
Commentary and opinions
This morning’s must-read
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Reporter Deborah Vankin gets a massage by an “Aescape” robot at Pause Wellness Studio.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Going out
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A question for you: Are you planning on leaving California for another state? If so, tell us why.
Laura says, “I left California during the pandemic. Part of the push factor for me was politics, but not blue politics. I had been living in OC since 2018 and was surprised it was so Conservative (and conservative). That became a bigger source of discomfort for me as the vaccine question demonstrated how our neighbors’ decisions can impact us directly. Rather than moving elsewhere in California, which would have sorted out the political discomfort nicely, I moved to a much more affordable state where I had family.”
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jim Rainey, staff reporter Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor Andrew Campa, weekend writer Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
Coachella’s 25th anniversary was more than just a milestone in the festival’s history. It’s a year that showcased its vitality and vision for the future — and yes, it’s still a great place to take a selfie. While the amount of great music we absorbed as a staff left us a little delirious, it ensured we’d have plenty of moments to recall for a highlight reel of Weekend 1. From Radiohead’s immersive bunker experience, to Sabrina Carpenter’s triumphant return, Justin Bieber’s YouTube karaoke set and Karol G becoming the first Latina to headline the fest on Sunday night, here’s our list of the 21 most memorable moments we caught during Weekend 1.
FRIDAY
(Mark Potts / Los Angeles Times)
Radiohead’s bunker is Coachella’s version of Disney’s Tiki Room
Finally! Coachella has its own version of the Enchanted Tiki Room attraction from Disneyland — and it comes from the most unlikely of artists: British alt rockers Radiohead.
Here’s what I mean by that.
Say you’re in search of an air-conditioned place to rest your weary feet while a visual and musical spectacle plays out before you. Where do you go? If you’re a parent taking your kid to the happiest place on Earth, you go to the Enchanted Tiki Room. If you’re a desert festivalgoer in Indio, you go to the Bunker.
Tip: The ushers appeared to be letting festivalgoers into the experience throughout the runtime of the movie, so there’s a possibility you’ll be able to get in even if you didn’t land one of the scarce time slots. And seeing as how the experience was only about a quarter of the way full by the time it ended, you might be in luck. (David Viramontes)
Devo performs at the Mojave Tent during Coachella.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Devo’s new wave dance party at sunset
Look, it’s a very different Coachella than when we last saw Devo here in 2010. The Mojave Tent should have been more packed for these legends.
However, those of us who hightailed it here were treated to a set of the band’s best. Early on in the performance, the band played “Girl U Want” into “Whip It,” and during the latter, Mark Mothersbaugh tossed a handful of red “energy domes” — you know them as the Devo flowerpot hats — into the crowd.
Similar to Bini earlier, Devo had a costume change from the navy worksuits into their signature yellow Devo suits for a rousing performance of “Uncontrollable Urge.” There was even some choreography. (Vanessa Fanko)
A festivalgoer holds a Coachella sunset cocktail.
(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
A Coachella sunset served as a cocktail
One of the best parts of Coachella is catching the sherbet-colored sunset at the end of the day, not just because cooler temps are ahead but because of the Lisa Frank explosion of colors that bleed into the horizon as it shifts to night. That event was made all the sweeter today when I paired the actual sunset with the Coachella sunset cocktail, which layers citrus and a speared kumquat with tequila, served in a branded cup that doubles as a souvenir. (Danielle Dorsey)
The xx performs on the Coachella Stage.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
Indie minimalists the xx come back bigger, brasher than ever
The xx’s return was among the most buzzed-about sets of the festival this year, a credit to how well their catalog has stood up on its merits. At their debut, they almost singlehandedly inaugurated a shift toward hyper-intimate headphone pop — it’s hard to imagine Billie Eilish sounding quite the same without them.
Yet on Friday, they bolstered that purity with the confidence, swagger and precision of the veteran rock act they’ve become.
Dressed in their typical all-black palette, their faces carrying a little more gravity and composure with age, the set slipped between the ships-in-the-night duets of “Shelter” and “VCR” to the after-hours whomp of Romy’s “Enjoy Your Life.” “On Hold” best married the band’s two worlds, sample-soaked yet rock driven; “Angels” remained a peerless devotional ballad. (August Brown)
Katseye performs on the Sahara Stage.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Katseye performs ‘Golden’ with ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ at Coachella
Katseye proved no this ain’t their debut at their first Coachella performance, bringing out Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami for a kinetic performance of “Golden” from “K-Pop Demon Hunters.” Despite the absence of Manon, the girl group packed the festival field with Eyekons packed shoulder to shoulder as far as the Do Lab. (D.V.)
Turnstile performs at the Outdoor Theatre.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
Turnstile’s hardcore roots and tender hearts on display at Coachella
Turnstile’s set on the Outdoor Theatre on Friday night had some unexpectedly poignant moments from the Baltimore band with hardcore roots.
Before the band took the stage, there was footage of interviews with fans and also a previously recorded message from Bill Yates, the father of Turnstile singer Brendan Yates.
“We love you, Turnstile loves you and enjoy the ride,” he said.
The band played a 55-minute set split between its last two albums, 2025’s “Never Enough” and 2021’s “Glow On,” in a condensed version of the tour they brought through Southern California last fall. Highlights included “Seein’ Stars” off the latest record, where Blood Orange’s Dev Hynes joined the band on the cello before his own late night set in the Mojave Tent, “Mystery” and “Holiday” off “Glow On” and set-closer “Birds,” which won a Grammy earlier this year. (V.F.)
Sabrina Carpenter brings her hits (and Susan Sarandon?) to Coachella
“How you feeling, Sabrinawood?” Sabrina Carpenter asked as she gazed out at the tens of thousands of fans she’d gathered into a makeshift city Friday night. “I can’t believe I’m headlining Coachella.
“I mean, I can a little bit.”
Indeed, when Carpenter made her Coachella debut in 2024, the Disney kid turned pop icon vowed that the next time she played the desert festival, her name would be atop the bill.
She returned as promised this weekend as one of music’s biggest acts, with two No. 1 singles and a pair of Grammy-nominated albums under her belt and a story to tell about her rise to stardom. (Mikael Wood)
SATURDAY
Jack White draws a crowd at the Mojave Tent.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Jack White kicks off Coachella’s rock-tastic Day 2
I thought Jack White’s opening riffs were a beacon. Then he ended his surprise Mojave Tent set with the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.”
It will not surprise you that the tent, which attracted an overflow crowd once he played the iconic riff, had people singing along and jumping and pumping their arms in the air to the track that has become a sporting event staple (including for my beloved Baltimore Ravens).
What did surprise me was that the crowd was also ridiculously loud for a sing-along to the Raconteurs’ “Steady As She Goes” a few songs before.
White ended the set by telling the crowd that he was planning to catch Geese and the Strokes that day and that music is sacred.
Rock is indeed alive and well at Coachella, especially as the fans kept singing “Seven Nation Army” after White and his band had left the stage and the set was over. (V.F.)
A visit to Coachella’s coolest rock club, literally, to catch Ecca Vandal
I know my phone says it isn’t as hot as it was Friday but maybe it was rocking out with Jack White that made us all a little more sweaty.
I booked it over to the Sonora Tent to catch a little bit of Ecca Vandal to confirm that the Sonora Tent still has the vibes of a cool rock club in the middle of the festival. I mean cool both figuratively and literally since the AC is always blasting.
The blue-haired singer leaped onto the stage — wearing a short poofy dress and tall boots — accompanied by a drummer and a multi-instrumentalist with a lot of flashing lights.
The beginning of her set was leaning on more of her pop crossover songs than the punk vibes that initially drew me to her, but I did catch her do the rocking “Bleed But Never Die” before I needed to move on to catch another set. (V.F.)
The Goodyear blimp flies over the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Saturday.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
We sent our reporter to see what Coachella looks like from the Goodyear Blimp
The ride on the Goodyear Blimp over the Coachella grounds was gentler than I’d anticipated — kind of like a boat ride in a harbor. We took off from a giant dirt field at the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport in Thermal, Calif., and tooled around for 30 minutes or so; when we got over Coachella, we could see a few hundred Beliebers camped out as close to the main stage as they could get — nine or 10 hours before Bieber’s performance was scheduled to begin.
They looked so little down there — so small in size, so big in Beliebf. (M.W.)
Giveon performs at Coachella on April 16, 2022.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Giveon bottles the magic hour
Long Beach’s R&B savant Giveon kept his Coachella stage to a monochrome motif during his sundown set. Black suit, white lights — he didn’t need anything more to bottle the magic hour on Saturday.
An old soul with with a huge, commanding voice, his catalog hovers between the orchestral swoon of pre-rock ballads, the pristine melodies of Anita Baker and the rangy, resilient yearning of his hometown’s soul tradition. Kendrick Lamar and SZA may have formally kicked off the Luther Vandross revival, but Giveon has inherited it, especially on his latest 2025 LP “Beloved.”
Backed by a big, throwback live band, “Lost Me” beautifully papered over a failed relationship with an uncertain young bravado; “Backup Plan” gave his one-of-kind baritone room to roam and plead. He brought out Kehlani for “Folded,” another perfectly regal ballad that revels in a small aperture. But by the time he got to “Heartbreak Anniversary,” his suit was coming off and the mood was positively lusty.
Giveon should be counted among the great SoCal voices, and his Saturday show proved his ambitions for it have no ceiling. (A.B.)
Sombr performs at Coachella on Saturday.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
Sombr’s star burns brighter when he brought out Billy Corgan
Sombr’s performance happened on a day when Coachella had a notable number of rockers — Jack White kicked things off in the Mojave Tent in a set announced earlier this week and there was much excitement for the Strokes on the Coachella stage Saturday night before headliner Justin Bieber.
But one of the moments that simultaneously proved that rock never died and that it’s on the rise was when Sombr brought out a special guest, who Boose said was making his first visit to the festival. Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins came out to join in on a cover of his band’s mid-’90s alt-rock hit “1979,” which was more recently trending audio on TikTok and Instagram. (V.F.)
David Byrne performs at the Outdoor Theatre at Coachella.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
David Byrne and the art of performance as an experience
More than an hour before Justin Bieber decided to have a YouTube karaoke party to headline Coachella, David Byrne closed out the Outdoor Theatre on Saturday night in stark relief.
Byrne’s set started 25 minutes late and he arrived on stage wearing an orange jumpsuit and holding an acoustic guitar. He was soon followed by a dozen or so instrumentalists and backing singers in matching garb for “Everybody Laughs,” a track off his 2025 album “Who Is the Sky?” (V.F.)
Nine Inch Noize performs at the Sahara Stage.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Nine Inch Noize revamps industrial rock for a ghoulish rave
Performing in a cutout in the middle of a huge elevated ramp, Reznor, his Nails bandmate Atticus Ross and Boys Noize hovered atop a dense rack of synths and samplers. They built on the ethos of their arena show, stripping the NIN catalog — including “Closer,” “Heresy,” “The Warning” and “Copy of A” — for parts, and then rebuilding the songs for this strobe-licked club setting.
One surprise for Coachella fans driving out was a billboard announcing Nine Inch Noize had a whole album of collaborative material en route, and the segments they played revealed how crucial Boys Noize is to this new setup. His bone-snapping breakdowns and vicious, detuned clangs wouldn’t be possible without Reznor’s ‘90s industrial vision, but here he returned the favor to ensure this combo translated on a dedicated rave stage. (A.B.)
The Strokes perform at the Coachella Stage.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
It’s kind of a joke that the Strokes are still this good
Ninety minutes or so later, JB was indeed due to take over the space. But while Casablancas and his bandmates had control of it, it was theirs: This was an almost laughably strong showing by a band of rascally garage-rock veterans who somehow might sound better now — tighter, punchier, more effortlessly tuneful — than they did a quarter-century ago.
With an upcoming album to hype, the Strokes did their new single “Going Shopping,” a characteristically droll critique of late-capitalist apathy. (“Solidarity can be difficult when you got cool stuff to lose,” Casablancas sings.) But for the most part they stuck to the indelible hits, each as ingeniously structured — and as bitterly romantic — as the last: “Hard to Explain,” “Someday,” “Last Nite,” “New York City Cops.”
“You guys excited about the draft?” Casablancas asked at one point. “I hope to lead one of the Coachella units — the sexiest unit in our proud military.” (M.W.)
Justin Bieber performs at the Coachella Stage.
(Kevin Mazur / Getty Images)
Justin Bieber (and his laptop) headlining Coachella Night 2
This is how we found out Justin Bieber is a YouTube Premium subscriber.
The 32-year-old teen-pop survivor headlined Coachella on Saturday night, and for roughly half an hour in the middle of his set, what Bieber did was sit behind a laptop and sing along to his old music videos — often an octave down from where he recorded them — as he searched up the songs on YouTube and played them over the festival’s state-of-the-art sound system.
YouTube Premium, that is, given that he (and we) faced no ads during the performance. (M.W.)
SUNDAY
Clockwise from top left, Los Angeles Times staffers David Viramontes, Kayla Bartkowski, Rebecca Castillo, Danielle Dorsey, Mark Potts, Kailyn Brown and Christina House gather inside the Party in My Living Room activation at Coachella.
(Courtesy of Kailyn Brown)
Times staffer takes the stage at Coachella
For most artists, landing a gig at the most prestigious music festival happens at the zenith of their career. For reporter Kailyn Brown, playing Coachella is a side gig. But after seeing her set at the festival, at least one reporter anticipates that, sooner or later, being a Times journalist might become the real side gig.
On Sunday afternoon, Brown, a.k.a. KailynHype, played a DJ set at Party in my Living Room. The activation is a collab with GV Black, “a commitment and opportunity for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) to be seen at the festival,” according to the Coachella website. “We actively promote diversity to change the narrative of what it means to be at Coachella.” (D.V.)
Wet Leg performs on the Coachella Stage.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
Rock still isn’t dead at Coachella: Wet Leg edition
Even without rock headliners at Coachella, the genre is alive and thriving with a new generation. This afternoon’s evidence? A blistering set from British rockers Wet Leg.
Opening with “Catch These Fists,” the set seemed to wake up Coachella’s typically sleepy Sunday with a jolt of rock. Other early highlights included “Wet Dream” and “Liquidize.” (V.F.)
Less Than Jake performs at Coachella’s Heineken House on Sunday.
(Vanessa Franko / Los Angeles Times)
Less Than Jake transports us from Coachella to the Warped Tour
Less Than Jake at the Heineken House was definitely one of the most unexpected moments in my years of covering the festival — especially considering that Sean Paul had the venue, an open-air beer hangout that includes a modest stage without a metal barricade near the Indio Central Market, so overflowing Saturday night that the Coachella app sent an alert to people that it was at capacity.
But for us Xennials and millennials in the crowd who remember the OG Warped Tour, the ska punk band’s set was a fun break from the more traditional Coachella fare.
Singer and guitarist Chris DeMakes made some jokes about how out of place the band was compared to the likes of Saturday night headliner Justin Bieber, but even on a small stage, Less Than Jake brought out its production tricks of toilet paper guns, inflatable dancing wind socks and a gaggle of balloons. (V.F.)
Iggy Pop performs at the Mojave Tent.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
At 78, Iggy Pop still has a lust for life
I was worried that Iggy Pop would have suffered the fate of Devo and David Byrne on Friday and Saturday, respectively, of not having nearly enough fans watching these legends. I shouldn’t have.
On Sunday evening, a respectable crowd showed up in the Mojave Tent to pay their respects to the Godfather of Punk, who first played Coachella in a reunion with the Stooges in 2003.
Not only did Pop have a full band that included the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Nick Zinner on guitar, but and also a full horn section.
The set kicked off with “T.V. Eye” before “Raw Power” (a song I never knew could be so enhanced by the aforementioned horn section), but the early highlights also included “Gimme Danger,” “The Passenger” and “Lust for Life” in a 1-2-3 punch of perfect Pop. (V.F.)
Karol G performs on the Coachella Stage.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Karol G’s historic headlining set was lusty, powerful and overdue
On Sunday night, Karol G became the first Latina to headline Coachella. Along with all her pride in that achievement, she seemed a little angry at that fact too.
“It feels late,” the Colombian superstar said onstage, in a brief English-language address to the audience in a set otherwise fully in Spanish. “ It’s been 27 years of this festival going on. … Before me, there were so many great Latino artists that gave me the opportunity.”
“Latinos have been struggling in this country lately,” she continued. “We stand for them. I’m proud this brings out the best of us — unity, resilience, a strong spirit. We want everyone to feel welcome to our culture, our roots, our music, I want everyone to feel proud of where you come from.”
Karol let those lines here serve as her brief indictment of the present, jackbooted environment around immigration and repression in the United States. Making belated history by headlining Coachella would seem far removed from those concerns.
Yet as this sweeping, heady, spectacularly ambitious and relentlessly lusty set showed over its hour and half, the body is the first site of liberation. If you can’t move like you want, where you want, you’re not free. Karol G finally commanding this stage was living proof it’s possible to kick that door in. (A.B.)
Windy conditions are not unusual to the festival, which attracts roughly 125,000 attendees to the Empire Polo Club each of its weekends, but it’s rare to see the weather cause performances to be canceled.
“Due to strong wind conditions affecting Anyma’s stage build, he is unable to perform. Coachella & Anyma have made this decision together with your safety as the priority,” the fest wrote in a message on its app just after midnight on Saturday morning.
On Friday night, there were social media reports that showed that the Do Lab — a stage on the southern side of the festival grounds, which includes shade structures with colorful bolts of fabric — was closed for the night with yellow caution tape around the area and that a speaker may have fallen to the ground.
Festival promoter Goldenvoice and the organizers of the Do Lab stage did not provide comment at the time of publication.
The wind wreaked havoc in the campsite as well, blowing tents and canopies over.
“It was definitely pretty impactful last night. The wind reports in the area saw gusts up to 35 to 40 mph yesterday during late afternoon,” said Isaac Longley, a meteorologist with AccuWeather. “Unfortunately, that was when there were a lot of performers on the main stages, and a pretty impactful situation with the tents at Coachella.”
According to the online forecast for the weekend from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, temperatures in Indio were expected to reach 86 degrees on Saturday with 5- to 10-mph winds in the afternoon and a low of 56 degrees with the winds increasing to 15 to 20 mph and changing direction after midnight. Gusts were expected to be up to 30 mph later into the evening.
“As we head into Saturday afternoon and evening, we expect pretty similar conditions to [Friday] and for winds to pick up,” Longley said. “I would definitely consider staking my tent down.”
Sunday’s forecast was cooler, with a high of 79 and winds of 10 to 20 mph in the day. The expected low is 53 with winds expected at 15 mph with gusts of up to 30 mph.
There’s also an air quality alert for the windblown dust through 5 a.m. Sunday.
A POPULAR DJ has expressed regret after his Coachella set was cancelled due to high winds.
The Italian-American DJ Anyma — whose given name is Matteo Milliera — apologised to fans after Coachella bosses put a pin in his live show.
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DJ Anyma had his Friday night set at Coachella cancelledCredit: GettyFestival bosses blamed high winds for the cancellationCredit: Instagram
The festival issued a statement about the cancellation on its official social media.
“Due to strong winds affecting Anyma’s stage build, he is unable to perform tonight,” it began.
“Coachella and Anyma have made this decision together your safety as the priority.”
In the comments section Anyma added: “I’m sorry everyone. We’ve done everything in our control to build the show I’ve worked an entire year on. Safety always comes first and we’re working on a solution now.”
There was no mention of whether his set will be rescheduled at the music festival but he is also planned to hit the stage on Saturday night.
Anyma was set to perform on the main stage at midnight about 90 minutes after Sabrina Carpenter headlined on Friday night.
His DJ set is described as an immersive 360 digital art and music experience whose performances invite the audience to interact with the art and music.
He has recorded music with some of the world’s biggest artists including BlackPink’s Lisa, Lana Del Rey and Ellie Goulding.
Anyma alos forms one half of electronic music duo Tale of Us and he has 3.5million followers on Instagram.
Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter and Karol G are among the pop stars taking over the stage at the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Anyma’s sets are designed to be interactiveCredit: Getty
The anticipated desert party kicked off on April 10, and runs until April 19 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.
Friday performances at Coachella this year were headlined by Sabrina Carpenter and also featured The XX, Teddy Swims, KATSEYE, Devo and Turnstile.
Justin Bieber will headline both Saturdays, April 11 and 18, featuring The Strokes, Addison Rae, Interpol, SWAE Lee and SOMBR.
And finally, Karol G, Young Thug, BIGBANG and FKA Twigs will take over the stage on Sundays, April 12 and 19.
Music lovers can skip the flight and watch the livestream from their sofa via the festival’s official YouTube channel.
Coachella 2026 will stream in its entirety on the streaming platform, with separate channels for each stage.
Organizers canceled the popular Wireless Festival after the United Kingdom denied its headliner, the embattled rapper Ye, a visa into the country.
The U.K. government cited Ye’s history of antisemitic outbursts as a reason for denying him a travel permit.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Tuesday that “Kanye West [Ye’s former name] should never have been invited to headline Wireless.”
“This government stands firmly with the Jewish community,” he continued, “and we will not stop in our fight to confront and defeat the poison of antisemitism. We will always take the action necessary to protect the public and uphold our values.”
As a result, the entire summer festival was scrapped and ticket holders were issued refunds.
“The Home Office has withdrawn YE’s [electronic travel visa] ETA, denying him entry into the United Kingdom. As a result, Wireless Festival is cancelled and refunds will be issued to all ticket holders,” Wireless Festival organizers said in a statement on Tuesday. “As with every Wireless Festival, multiple stakeholders were consulted in advance of booking YE and no concerns were highlighted at the time.”
“Antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent,” they continued, “and we recognise the real and personal impact these issues have had. As YE said today, he acknowledges that words alone are not enough, and in spite of this still hopes to be given the opportunity to begin a conversation with the Jewish community in the U.K.”
Ye said, in a statement reported by the BBC, that he was “following the conversation around Wireless”, and that “I know words aren’t enough…I’ll have to show change through my actions. If you’re open, I’m here.”
Ye has been mounting a comeback after years of erratic and conspiratorial remarks about Judaism and Jewish people, and openly embraced Nazi symbols in his merchandise. He recently took out an ad in the Wall Street Journal, saying he struggled with a frontal-lobe injury from a car crash and a bipolar type-1 diagnosis. “I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika…I lost touch with reality. Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret.”
He recently released a new album “Bully” and headlined SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, performing a hit-heavy set without incident. He did not address his recent behavior.
We’re headed to the 25th edition of the festival, which returns to the Empire Polo Club in Indio on April 10-12 and April 17-19 with Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber,Karol G at the top of the bill.
Our crew heading to the desert has literally decades of experience covering the festival, giving us unique insight into one of the world’s most famous music festivals.
So tell us — what do you want to know about Coachella? And what do you want to see from our live coverage in the field?
Are you heading to Indio or celebrating Couch-ella (and its more affordable beverage options) at home? Do you have tried-and-true tips you tell anyone when Coachella comes up in conversation? We want to know about them.
AN ICONIC noughties star looked unrecognisable to many as he took to the stage during this weekend’s Estero Picnic Festival in Columbia.
Over two decades since his initial rise to fame, the now 52-year-old musician looks a far cry from the twenty-something many fans remember.
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This iconic Indie star took to the stage at a music festival in Columbia this weekend, but do you recognise him?Credit: Shutterstock EditorialThe musician rose to fame back in the nineties and was a staple in British music throughout the noughtiesCredit: Shutterstock EditorialIt’s Fran Healy, the frontman of iconic Scottish band Travis (pictured here in 1998)Credit: Getty
Do you recognise him?
The singer in question in Travis frontman Fran Healy!
Known for hits such as Why Does It Always Rain On Me? and Sing, Travis dominated the music scene in the late nineties and early noughties.
Lead singer Fran has swapped the bright red hair he rocked a few years ago for a bleached look, donning a sky blue jumper as he joined numerous stars in fronting the Columbian festival this weekend.
Alongside his Travis bandmates, Dougie Payne, Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose, Fran took to the festival’s Smirnoff stage to perform to the waiting crowds on Sunday.
The three-day festival also saw Sabrina Carpenter, Tyler The Creator, Swedish House Mafia and The Killers perform.
Alongside their own set on Sunday, Travis joined The Killers on stage to perform with them on Saturday.
Born in Stafford, Fran was raised in Glasgow and formed Travis back in 1991 while studying at the Glasgow School of Art.
Still going strong, the band are performing across Chile this month and next, with gigs in Viña del Mar, Frutillar and Santiago.
While the band have taken breaks throughout their lengthy career, they are famous for having never split up.
Their tenth studio album, L.A Times, was released in 2024.
Fran was in a relationship with German photographer Nora Kryst for 23 years before splitting back in 2019.
At the time, Fran took to Instagram to explain that he was wheeled out on a gurney and put into an ambulance.
Admitting that he thought he’d broken his ankle, the musician confirmed it was simply a “gnarly sprain”.
The band have been going strong for over three decades and have never officially split upCredit: GettyFran and his bandmates joined the likes of Sabrina Carpenter and The Killers this weekendCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
LORNA Luxe has been seen out for the first time since her husband John’s death – joining race-goers at Cheltenham Festival this week.
The fashion influencer, 43, was seen out on Friday for the Gold Cup and was quids in after backing a horse in John’s memory.
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Lorna Luxe puts on a brave face as she’s spotted at Cheltenham Festival following husband John’s deathCredit: InstagramHer husband John died in FebruaryCredit: Instagram
Johnny’s Jury was priced between 25/1 to 33/1 with bookmakers like Betfair before jockey Gavin Sheehan took him from last to first to win the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.
Lorna said in a video message to fans: “It’s been raining all week, but the weather was perfect with blue skies.
“I started betting on the horses but didn’t get any winners at all.
“I bumped into Amanda Wakely, whose dress I wore for my wedding to John, and we went to the betting box.
“She said ‘look, one of the horses is called Johnny’s Jury, shall we have a go?’
“It was a bit of an outsider but I put £20 each way – and it won.
“It flipping won. I’m absolutely buzzing. I had all this cash.
“It was just, so John.”
Lorna’s voice cracked as her eyes filled with tears.
Lorna shared a video of her collecting her winnings
She added: “It really made me smile. It was just a brilliant moment.
“I was really teary to be honest. I’m teary now just thinking about it.
“Even though he wasn’t there with me, it felt like he was there in spirit.”
Lorna was dressed in Holland Cooper, the official luxury fashion partner of The Jockey Club, to enjoy a day at the races.
The brand’s founder – Jade Holland Cooper – described Lorna as “the strongest woman I know”.
Lorna Luxe puts on a brave face as she’s spotted at Cheltenham Festival following husband John’s deathCredit: Instagram
Lorna’s late husband John was initially diagnosed with stage three cancer, but it developed to stage four while he was undergoing treatment.
Lorna kept her followers updated throughout his journey, and they supported her when he went into remission in November 2023.
But his cancer returned in May 2024, spreading to his brain.
Tragically, just before Christmas, he was rushed back to hospital with organ failure, following a complication with his chemotherapy treatment.
Lorna was advised to prepare for the worst but John defied the odds and was able to recover and spend Christmas at home, before passing away two months later.
Lorna and John, pictured together previously at Cheltenham, met when she was 25 and he was 46Credit: Getty
From “sticking a pen in a couple” while having a youthful flutter to owning a King George VI Chase winner and potential Cheltenham Gold Cup victor, Harry Redknapp has come a long way in horse racing.
The FA Cup-winning football manager’s love of the sport can be traced back to his grandmother Maggie Brown, who was a bookmaker’s runner in London’s East End, at a time when betting shops and off-course betting were illegal.
On Friday, his horse Jukebox Man will attempt to add the Cheltenham showpiece to his King George win in December.
The King George VI Chase is considered the biggest jumps race of the season before the Cheltenham Festival, while the Gold Cup is described by the Jockey Club as the most prestigious steeplechase in the world.
After claiming a photo-finish victory at Kempton Park on Boxing Day to topple 2024 King George winner Banbridge and 9-4 joint-favourite Gaelic Warrior, Redknapp said: “We’ve come into the Champions League today.”
But can he win jump racing’s equivalent of the Champions League?
“We have a chance, but it is a tough race,” Redknapp told BBC Radio 5 Live:
Among those standing in his way are Gaelic Warrior, Jango Baie, Haiti Couleur and last year’s winner Inothewayurthinkin.
Redknapp said: “Just to have a runner in the Gold Cup is a dream come true.
“We have had so much fun with Jukebox Man, which won the King George on Boxing Day, which is one of the most iconic races in the racing calendar.
“To go to the Gold Cup and to have a runner with a bit of a chance is great.”
Victory would be the crowning moment of a 70-year love affair with the sport that began during childhood.
“My nan would take the bets,” he said. “I’d come out for my school dinner when I’m eight or nine and she was getting put in the back of a police van and taken to Poplar police station.”
Redknapp’s nan would tell him to “stick a pen in a couple“ that would be her bets for the day.
Despite his love of the sport, he has never been tempted to ride – “not for all the money in the world”.
”They get injured, these jump jockeys, and then they come back about three weeks later, he said.
“They’re not like footballers, are they?”
Redknapp owns shares in 26 horses.
“You’re not always successful,” he said.
“For every Shakem Up’arry and Jukebox Man and Taurus Bay, there’s lots of others that never really did anything.”
After first accusing De Boinville of being “abusive”, Queally told The Racing Post, external on Wednesday he had received “repeated racist abuse” from his rival.
The Irishman, riding I’ll Sort That, and De Boinville on Act Of Innocence could be seen exchanging words at the start line, but the Englishman denies any wrongdoing.
De Boinville told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra on Thursday: “It is an ongoing investigation.
“The stewards are gathering all the evidence they can from all the video footage.
“From my point of view, I deny all the allegations against me.
“I can categorically say there weren’t any racial slurs or anything like that. Let’s let it play out.”
Queally, 37, appeared to topple off his horse before Wednesday’s race started and had to be checked over by a doctor. He was given the all-clear to race, along with Ballyfad, who was kicked pre-race and assessed by a vet in a chaotic few minutes.
A number of false starts to the planned rolling start meant the horses were moved to a standing start at the tape – leaving jockeys jostling for position.
After the race, Queally, who finished fifth, was interviewed by ITV Racing before entering the weight room.
He said: “Being abused by an English rider, Nico de Boinville, not very nice.
“I am an amateur, coming over here and riding in front of my kids. Horrific.”
When informed of Queally’s comments about a difficult start to the race, De Boinville responded: “Maybe he should look in the mirror.”
Legendary jockey AP McCoy said Queally has “as much right to be there as anyone”, while Ruby Walsh said the start system “hasn’t worked for 20 years”.
Walsh told ITV: “It’s 2026. How has nobody devised a tape that rolls in front of the horses?
“The tape should have been in front of them when they went on to the track and it should be moved in front of the horses.
“We can send missiles after fighter planes in the Gulf, but nobody can design a rolling flyaway tape. That’s the joke.”
For the third year in a row, De Los, the Latino-centric vertical of the Los Angeles Times, will be returning to South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and things are a little different this time around. While the music portion of the festival has typically been given its own weekend to shine, in 2026, it’ll be “folded into” a week-long event alongside film, TV and interactive programming.
But despite these changes, one thing is clear: After a banner year for Latin music at SXSW in 2025, it seems like everyone’s doubled down in 2026, with the festival welcoming a historic number of Latin artists to Austin. That includes the De Los showcase.
If our 2024 event was more of an intimate kickback, 2025 was an all-out party. Thanks to energetic sets from acts like trap corrido pioneers Arsenal Efectivo and the clashing cumbia punk stylings of Sultanes del Yonke, the crowd was up on their feet dancing, twirling and even forming a mosh pit at one point — all into the early hours of the morning. We hope to bring those same vibes back to SXSW this year.
If you’re in Austin for the festival, join us at Mala Fama, located at 422 E. 6th St., Austin, on Sunday, March 15 starting at 8 p.m. As always, the festival is a great opportunity to discover new artists and exciting new sounds, so whether or not you’ll be joining us in Texas, we hope this lineup might inspire you to find a new favorite artist, song or band.
Here’s who’s playing at the 2026 De Los showcase.
Hermanos Espinoza
With their South Texas upbringing (Puro 956!), it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this duo’s Norteño sound has plenty of Tejano flair too. Hailing from Edinburg, brothers Joel and Leonel Espinoza broke out not long after making their debut in 2022, when their song “Prueba de Fuego” hit more than 100 million streams. Their lively, accordion-rich music feels classic enough to be right at home on the playlist for your next carne asada.
Noteworthy track: “Dios por Delante”
Vanita Leo
Music is in Vanita Leo’s DNA. Born and raised in San Antonio, the singer’s father and aunt are both Tejano musicians who inspired Leo to take up the family mantle and put her own spin on the genre. With a love for the old-school sound of the 1990s, Leo manages to weave together her flirty, unserious humor with vintage romance, writing songs that’ll either validate your heartbreak over a bad ex or have you ready to dance it off and forget they ever existed.
Noteworthy track: “Caballito”
Tropa Magica
The second sibling duo on our lineup, Tropa Magica is the brainchild of brothers David and Rene Pacheco. Their signature sound, much like the East L.A. neighborhood they grew up in, is a melting pot of influences, combining old-school cumbias, ’90s grunge, and psychedelic rock into something completely unique to them. Since coming onto the scene in 2018, the band has gotten the stamp of approval from established acts like Bomba Estéreo, Los Tigres Del Norte and Chicano Batman.
Noteworthy track: “Ojos de Lágrimas”
Eddy
This is set to be Eddy’s year. Born Eduardo Hernández Payán, Eddy first made waves when he was discovered by corridos singer-songwriter Diego Millán (Calle 24) and signed to his Ondeados Mafia label. Last year, he built up a reputation for being an artist to watch in the Regional Mexican space thanks to collaborations with Gabito Ballesteros and Ed Maverick. Now, Eddy is prepping for the release of his debut album, “Náufrago,” later this month.
Noteworthy track: “Ultimo Cigarro”
Nezza
Many of you might know Nezza from her viral moment last summer, when she went viral for singing the national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium — her form of protest against the immigration raids that had been taking place all over L.A. But just take a listen to the Dominican-Colombian singer’s original music, and you’ll see that she’s much more than a viral moment. With her Spanglish lyrics, soulful vocals and glittery production, Nezza has her sights set on international pop stardom.
The event will feature authors, poets, artists and podcasters across panels, book signings, cooking demonstrations and screenings. This year’s lineup includes comedian Larry David, actor and Booker Prize judge Sarah Jessica Parker, musician Lionel Richie, Beyoncé’s mother and multihyphenate Tina Knowles, bestselling author and social critic Roxane Gay and News & Documentary Emmy- and Peabody-nominated scholar Reza Aslan, among others.
Scheduled for April 18 and 19, the literary festival will feature more than 550 storytellers and nearly 100 panels across the University of Southern California’s campus.
Other notable personalities include: Pat Benatar, Blippi, Mark Harmon, David Duchovny, Susan Lucci, Jennie Garth, Hannah Brown, Anne Lamott, Chanel Miller, Lisa Rinna, Stephanie Garber, Jon Klassen, Mac Barnett, Meghan Quinn, Hayley Kiyoko, Megan McDonald, Elyse Myers, Eli Rallo, Raegan Revord and Molly Jong-Fast.
As part of the Ideas Exchange speaker series, Richie will sit down with Times Pop Music Critic Mikael Wood, to discuss “Truly,” Richie’s new memoir. The book explores the singer’s upbringing in Alabama and his rise to stardom, including performing with the Commodores.
This year’s event will debut the Audiobook and Podcast Stage presented by Spotify, hosting talent like “Crimes of The Times” host and Times writer Christopher Goffard and “Remarkably Bright Creatures” bestselling author Shelby Van Pelt. The festival will also screen a preview of the Hulu show “Rivals,” which will be followed by a discussion between producer and writer Dominic Treadwell-Collins and actor Nafessa Williams.
At the Times Food Stage, Cassandra Peterson, known for her work as Elvira, will be demoing from her book “Elvira’s Cookbook From Hell.” Culinary influencer Cassie Yeung will also be stopping by to discuss recipes from her new Asian takeout cookbook “Bad B*tch in the Kitch.”
The festival will kick off April 17 with The Times hosting the 46th annual L.A. Times Book Prizes at Bovard Auditorium. The ceremony will honor Amy Tan with the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement, We Need Diverse Books with the Innovator’s Award and Adam Ross with the Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose. The prizes recognize 61 works in 13 categories.
General admission to the festival is free. Friend of the Festival packages, which include panel reservations, parking and merchandise, are currently on sale.
Il Etait Temps powered over the line in the Queen Mother Champion Chase to earn trainer Willie Mullins his third win of day two at Cheltenham Festival.
Majborough was the odds-on favourite to claim victory in the big race of the day but a poor jumping display made it an impossible victory.
A mistake at the final fence almost cost Il Etait Temps the win, but jockey Paul Townend steered him over the line at the Festival’s first Ladies Day in five years.
“There was a lot of work put into this horse after Ascot so I have a lot of people to thank,” Townend told ITV Racing. “It shows how tough this lad is. He’s such a courageous horse again today. He was flat as a pan everywhere.
“I wasn’t going to force him but he just found his rhythm.”
Mullins told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra: “Out of the corner of my eye I could see Paul Townend thinking ‘now we have a horse race’.
“He started to get confident and he planned his move around the last bend.”
Libberty Hunter, priced at 50-1, and Sir Alex Ferguson’s horse, L’eau Du Sud, finished third.
The first winner of the day for Mullins came in the opening race with 11-1 shot King Rasko Grey powering over the finish line.
Act of Innocence, ridden by Nico de Boinville, followed up in second.
Mullins was “disappointed” with his horses in Tuesday’s Supreme Hurdle, but King Rasko Grey’s “form worked out”.
He told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra: “We were all disappointed with our horses in the Supreme, but his form worked out. The day we bought him from the sales, he looked like a really smooth mover.
“I am very happy. When I saw them here on Monday, my worry was they looked too well.
“I don’t think I have seen my team on the gallop look so well, but they are racing well.”
It was a Mullins one-two in the Novices’ Chase with a brilliant jumping display from 11-1 chance Kitzbuhel allowing him to hold off the challenge of 7-2 shot Final Demand.
Jockey Harry Cobden labelled Kitzbuhel a “phenomenal little horse”.
He told ITV: “He’s braver than I am, this little chap. He’s a phenomenal horse.
“He was brilliant today, looking right the whole way, so that’s why I kept him in the middle. Everywhere I asked him, he delivered. He’s very tough.”
