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Dear April 2023: Frank Ocean will headline Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival three years after he was originally supposed to, according to co-founder Paul Tollett.
The Goldenvoice CEO broke the news in an interview with the Los Angeles Times on Monday (Aug. 2). He solely revealed Ocean’s name from the 2023 bill, but his unorthodox strategy of naming an act years in advance was meant to reassure fans that the enigmatic R&B superstar will perform as promised after the COVID-19 pandemic derailed Coachella in 2020 and 2021. In June, Goldenvoice announced that North America’s largest multi-genre music festival will return after a two-year hiatus, with weekend one scheduled for April 15-17 and weekend two marked for April 22-24, 2022, at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.
“Right now, it’s the Wild West,” Tollett said. “I’m just trying to be as fair as I can to artists and to the fans to make sure that eventually they get to see everyone that we talked about.”
Travis Scott and Rage Against the Machine, who were previously billed with Ocean as the three headliners of the 2020 festival, will do the honors next year. Ocean was not available for the 2021 rescheduled edition of the festival, and Tollett did not reveal who will be joining La Flame and RATM as the third big name on the latest festival bill. It also remains unclear who will join the “Thinkin Bout You” artist on the 2023 bill.
Ocean last released two singles in March 2020, “Dear April” and “Cayendo.” His magnum opus of a sophomore album, Blonde, will celebrate its fifth anniversary on Aug. 20, 2021.
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The estate of Dolly Parton has revealed the first major public celebrations dedicated to the late superstar’s life and musical legacy. Titled “DollyFest: The Celebration of a Lifetime,” the events will be held in Nashville and London on consecutive weekends in 2027.
Exact dates for the two day festivals have not yet been confirmed. According to the estate, a Nashville edition of DollyFest had originally been arranged for January 2027 with Parton involved. That event will now proceed as a tribute to her, while another celebration has been added in London.
For many fans, DollyFest could serve as the nearest equivalent to a public memorial. Danny Nozell, Parton’s longtime business partner and the founder and CEO of CTK Enterprises, explained in a statement that “as far as a traditional memorial goes, that is not something Dolly wanted.”
The festival announcement states that “what was originally planned as a multi-artist event for January 2026 in Nashville and intended to feature Parton as performer and host will now morph into a global double-day, double-weekend, double-continent party of a lifetime.”
Nozell explained that the initial idea was to stage the celebration on Parton’s birthday on Jan. 19. “What Dolly started, we will ensure is brought to life. Many people behind the scenes know that DollyFest is a dream of Dolly’s that was intended to take place on her 80th birthday in Nashville. We had the venue booked and we had the announcement ready to go. And then, in August 2025, Dolly had to take a step back after her initial health challenges. A lot of people always say, WWDD (What Would Dolly Do?), and, well, at this moment, DollyFest is WDWD (What Dolly Would Do!).”
Nozell indicated that the estate does not intend to interfere with the numerous tributes and memorials expected to take place this fall. However, DollyFest will stand as the estate’s official celebration of Parton’s life, reflecting the belief that she would have preferred to be remembered through a joyful festival instead of a more sombre public ceremony.
“We are not discouraging people from celebrating Dolly in the ways they choose,” he said. “However, as far as a traditional memorial goes, that is not something Dolly wanted. So, instead, it feels more appropriate for us to take a beat, let all the tributes that immediately make sense occur naturally, and then, see through this festival-style concept that was truly dreamed up by Dolly. This is something that is authentic to her, something that feels right to me, and something that artists and fans around the world can participate in, while also giving everyone time to grieve, and giving everyone time to plan.”
The estate confirmed that further information about both festivals will be shared soon.
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