Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar have reportedly declined the offer to headline Coachella 2025.
The news comes as a significant blow to the iconic music festival, which has been striving to secure top-tier talent for its upcoming edition.
According to sources, Kendrick Lamar is currently focused on preparing for his highly anticipated Super Bowl Halftime Show performance and a subsequent major stadium tour
This intense schedule leaves little room for additional commitments, including Coachella. Lamar, who previously headlined the festival in 2017, remains one of the most influential figures in contemporary music.
Rihanna, on the other hand, is reportedly dedicating her time to her family and business ventures. The superstar, who has not released a new album since 2016’s Anti, is also working on her ninth studio album while raising her two young sons with partner ASAP Rocky.
Despite her absence from the touring circuit, Rihanna continues to be a dominant force in the music and fashion industries.
Paul Tollett, CEO of Goldenvoice, the company behind Coachella, is now tasked with finding alternative headliners who can draw the massive crowds the festival is known for.
Bloomberg writes that Coachella may be “a victim of its own success.” The fest needs to book the biggest names to set itself apart and meet the expectations fans have set for it after 20 years, but those names don’t need Coachella anymore — they can make more from their tours or movies or multimedia empires (in one example, Bloomberg notes Coachella pays between $8 and $12 million for headliners, but Beyoncé and Taylor Swift can make $15 million)
Lamar grew up at the festival, performing on the main stage in 2012 and then headlining in 2017. A Pulitzer Prize winner, Lamar’s public war of words with Drake had made him the hottest rapper in the world. Rihanna, one of the most popular and elusive musicians around, hadn’t staged a proper tour in years. Her appearance would all but ensure a sellout.
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