The 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival’s opening weekend is drawing to a close in the sunbaked California desert, and history is on the line Sunday as Colombian reggaeton icon Karol G takes the main stage as the event’s first-ever Latina headliner. The chart-topping artist, who first wowed Coachella crowds in 2022, is prepping a career-defining performance that promises never-before-seen choreography centered on her latest Caribbean-influenced project *Tropicoqueta*.
In an exclusive interview with AFP ahead of Sunday’s headline set, Karol G’s longtime makeup artist Duvan Foronda teased that audiences will see a new side of the star. “She is going to look absolutely stunning; you’ve never seen her dance the way she’s going to dance today,” Foronda shared. The *Mañana Sera Bonito* singer’s 2022 Coache debut quickly became one of the festival’s most iconic Latin sets, turning the stage into a raucous cross-cultural celebration that featured surprise guests including fellow Colombian star J Balvin, Dutch DJ legend Tiesto and rapper Becky G, with whom she performed her female-empowering hit “Mamiii.”
Since that breakout 2022 set, Karol G has cemented her status as a global Latin music leader, dropping two full-length studio albums capped by 2023’s *Tropicoqueta*, the Caribbean-flavored project anchored by the fan-favorite anthem “Latina Foreva.” For Sunday’s performance, the singer is leaning into the record’s tropical aesthetic, taking inspiration from vintage Caribbean showgirls for a look that is designed to get thousands of fans dancing from the first note. Beyond the stage, Karol G has extended her support for the Latinx community off the festival grounds, partnering with small businesses to host a pop-up market near the Indio festival grounds that centers Latinx-owned brands from across the U.S. — a initiative she promoted heavily across her social media channels to drive foot traffic.
For long-time fan Cristina Medina, who traveled to the festival specifically for Karol G’s headline set, the moment was already emotional before the first chord. “I’m so emotional,” Medina told reporters, tearing up as she browsed the Bichota Records-organized vintage pop-up market, which was curated to help fans replicate Karol G’s iconic signature style. “’Latina Foreva’ represents strength and pride in being Latinx, and in supporting one another. Just look at this opportunity she’s created for the Latinx community. She is truly special.” Medina even got a surprise interaction with Foronda, who was on-site at the market giving fans custom *Tropicoqueta*-inspired makeup looks and promoting his own beauty line. “People want to wear lots of glitter — lots of sparkle. They’re ready to see ‘La Bichota,’ but looking absolutely dazzling,” Foronda explained, noting that the signature *Tropicoqueta* aesthetic balances glowing skin with warm orange tones for a look that feels “super natural” to the Medellín-born star.
Karol G’s landmark headlining set is the capstone of a diverse, star-studded Sunday lineup that includes British rising songwriter flowerovlove, electronic dance group Major Lazer, punk godfather Iggy Pop, experimental British artist FKA twigs, big beat pioneer Fatboy Slim, Atlanta rapper Young Thug and legendary K-pop group BIGBANG. This year’s opening Coachella weekend, which officially kicks off the North American summer festival season, launched Friday with a standout set from pop star Sabrina Carpenter, who brought her cinematic “Sabrinawood” concept to the stage with surprise appearances from Hollywood icons Sam Elliott, Susan Sarandon and Will Ferrell.
Saturday’s schedule brought no shortage of viral moments and surprise guests, starting with electrifying sets from techno-industrial collaboration Nine Inch Noize — a joint project from Nine Inch Nails and German producer Boys Noize — and New York indie rock mainstays The Strokes. The biggest surprise of the day came when Canadian superstar Justin Bieber made his first major public performance in nearly four years, reconnecting with a adoring crowd after an extended hiatus from large-scale touring. Additional unplanned appearances included Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, who joined rising indie artist Sombr for a performance of the 1990s hit “1979,” and pop icon Jennifer Lopez, who joined French DJ David Guetta during his headlining set.
After Karol G closes out the musical portion of opening weekend, Coachella will cap the weekend with a special advance screening of the first episode of *Euphoria* Season 3, the hit HBO drama that returns to television Sunday after a four-year production hiatus. The festival’s second weekend, which will replicate the full opening weekend lineup, kicks off next Friday in Indio.