Coachella Music & Arts Festival is one of the most prolific events in the world; spanning two weeks in Palm Springs, California – the line-up archives of its 25-year history consolidate some of the biggest names ever in the industry; with the festival itself serving as a nexus of celebrity culture, fashion, music and events. With a brief pandemic-break during 2020 and 2021, Coachella has come back with vengeance; this year with moments like Blink 182 reuniting since frontman Mark Hoppus’ recovery from stage 4 lymphatic cancer, or and Nigerian sensation Burna Boy’s acapella led performance. *That* poster lineup by Coachella, showcases the festival’s commitment to talent across all spectrums of established and emerging,  and lest we forget that ‘festival fashion’ as we know it, finds some of its origin in the time-capsule paparazzi pictures synonymous with Coachella’s cultural impact- as perfectly penned by Harper’s Bazaar in this retrospective. 

So, imagine the delight it continues to be a Southern African when we had two of our own stratospheric performers take the stage this past weekend! Uncle Waffles AKA Lungelihle Zwane has taken the world by storm – with her Amapiano-led skills fully on display, first wearing an iconic crochet set by local brand Crochet Couture, with the evening’s performance in a custom pink outfit by ‘Its Rigby’, affectionately known as the Super Star Tailor. Living her best life, Uncle Waffles had the crowd in a frenzy with the sounds of Mzansi and her home of Eswatini. Then, Jozi’s favourite deep-house DJ, Kyle Watson, also made his Coachella debut – which he was set to do in 2020, until the cancellation of both 2020 and 2021. Performing to a crowd of thousands in the dusty desert of California – it’s another reminder that South Africa is turning up – we keep telling you!

Kyle Watson in Palm Springs (courtesy of his IG).

Written by: Holly Beaton