Kanye West boosted interest in the traditionally slower second weekend of Coachella by revealing that he will bring his gospel-inspired “Sunday Service” to the festival’s second weekend, with a performance slated for Easter Sunday, April 21, at 9 a.m. West made the announcement at today’s service, which was tweeted by the festival.
“We were out in Palm Springs and they took us to a little campground, because we were thinking about a little performance in Palm Springs, just a little one. Then they had a mountain, he had a mountain waiting for us,” West told attendees, as captured in a video in the Coachella tweet. “He had a date waiting for us. Only one date that mountain would be available to us: Easter Sunday at Coachella. That confirmation was confirmed last night.” It’s unclear who exactly the “he” West is referring to might be.
The performance is both a surprise and a bit of a consolation prize, as West was slated to headline this year’s festival but pulled out at the last minute due to a disagreement over staging. Sources say that West found the festival’s traditional 60×40-foot stage “artistically limiting,” and Goldenvoice, which produces the festival, would not allow it to be altered or removed for West’s set, presumably owing to the logistical complications involved — although Beyonce put on an elaborate set at the 2018 festival.
Instead, the Coachella festival will be headlined by Childish Gambino, Ariana Grande and Tame Impala over the weekends of April 12 and 19. Presumably West will be available for featured appearances — his frequent collaborator Kid Cudi is on the bill as well.