The Most Talked About Music Festival Moments of 2024 So Far

A No Doubt reunion performance at Coachella was cause enough for excitement, as the beloved California band hadn’t played a show in nearly 10 years. Add ascendant superstar Olivia Rodrigo to the mix and it was a generational collaboration for the ages. O-Rod made her Coachella debut as a surprise guest during No Doubt’s set, bounding onstage during “Bathwater,” a ska-flavored number from Return of Saturn—one of Rodrigo’s favorite albums. The youthful Rodrigo skipped around the stage, pogoing in time to the rhythm while the ever-energetic Gwen Stefani matched her step for step. These are the things that pop-punk dreams are made of.–J.F.

It’s Chappell Roan’s summer, and Governors Ball 2024 was her splashy coming out party. The performer drew a massive crowd for her set, and she did not disappoint either her day ones or those who are just now starting to hear “Good Luck, Babe!” everywhere. With theater-kid glee, she made her entrance an homage to New York—rising from a big red apple, dressed as the Statue of Liberty, complete with green body paint, crown, and torch. More than just a bit of cosplay, the look was a powerful statement about the work still necessary for everyone to feel free in this country. It was her moment to shine, and she showed everyone why she’s one of the most exciting things happening in pop right now.–J.F.

Janelle Monae’s typically sweaty, movement-friendly show got a little extra dose of star power at Outloud during WeHo Pride back in early June. During Monae’s “Paid in Pleasure” from 2023’s The Age of Pleasure, the artist brought out Gabrielle Union and Queen Latifah to join in the fun with some fans pulled to the stage for a dance off. The crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers when Monae walked arm in arm to the front of the stage with Union, who twirled in her baggy jacket, and Latifah, looking eternally cool in her dark shades, dropped it low for a little twerking action. In ballroom style, Monae saluted her guests as they strutted: “Legends! Legends!”–J.F.

“She doesn’t need an introduction,” Lana Del Rey told the crowd at Coachella, and considering her surprise guest was Billie Eilish, she was very correct. The two singers, expert purveyors of moody, vulnerable pop, embraced on Del Ray’s stage scaffolding and then gave ecstatic fans a double dose of moody vulnerabilty by singing one another’s songs. Del Ray chimed in on Eilish’s stormy “Ocean Eyes,” which the crowd knew by heart, then Eilish returned the favor by singing a verse on “Video Games.” Is it too much to hope for more duets in the future?–J.F.

Peso Pluma broke his foot during his headlining set at Governors Ball — but that didn’t stop the Mexican phenom from performing. The injury appeared to have happened while he was dancing on stage. “I can’t even barely stand, but I don’t give a fuck,” he told the audience before jumping into “AMG.” But despite keeping the energy up on stage, he definitely was suffering, as he revealed in the aftermath of the injury via his Instagram stories. “Thanks New York it was so craaazy I fucking love you!,” he captioned a photo where he flashed a peace sign from a hospital bed.–A.L. 

It was 4 a.m. when Carlos Contreras showed up at the Moody Theater in Austin, Texas — more than 16 hours before Peso Pluma took the stage for Rolling Stone’s second annual Future of Music SXSW showcase. The avid concert-goer arrived early to make sure he was the first in line, and it paid off. Not only did Contreras’ dedication help him snag a great view of the performance, he also managed to meet Peso. Backstage after the showcase, Contreras took several photos with his idol and asked Peso to sign a photo for him. The fan’s excitement is palpable in videos capturing the interaction. “I was shaking,” he told Rolling Stone.–M.G.

Wallen may have just entertained a massive crowd of Brits at Hyde Park in London on July 4th, but it was his Stagecoach headlining set that still has fans buzzing. While the “Lies, Lies, Lies” singer can hold a crowd on his own, his fest-closing performance was heavy on cameos: Post Malone appeared for the live debut of “I Had Some Help”; Eric Church popped out to re-create “Man Made a Bar”; Hardy brought along “He Went to Jared”; Ernest joined in on “Cowgirls”; and Bailey Zimmerman gave an assist on “Up Down.” It was a country jukebox, delivered by some of the most popular (male) artists in the genre.–J.H.

Rumors were flying across the Farm that Post Malone would bring out Morgan Wallen during his Friday-night headlining set to re-create their Number One, “I Had Some Help.” For better or worse, that didn’t happen, but Malone did have a surprise guest on tap for Bonnaroo: Billy Strings jammed with Posty on two songs, a pyro-assisted rendition of “Rockstar” and a hushed acoustic duet of “Stay.” The pair’s friendship goes way back, but only once before (a 2022 performance of “Cocaine Blues”) has it manifested onstage, making this moment extra special. —J.H.

The country iconoclast turned in one of the most polarizing Stagecoach performances in the history of the California festival, choosing to play a nearly continuous set of gospel hymns, covers (from Tupac to Kenny Loggins), and only a smattering of his own hits. Many in the crowd were confused, some furious, while others savored the you-had-to-be-there of it all. Those who caught Church’s one-man show at his Nashville bar, Chief’s, may have noticed some similarities between the performances — an artist challenging not only himself, but his audience.–J.H.

It’s possible to rock a little too hard, as Kid Cudi found out at Coachella. The rapper was fully in the moment when he leapt off the stage mid-song and came away with a broken foot. The downstream effect was that the “Day ‘n’ Night” singer had to cancel his 2024 tour to recover from the injury, which required corrective surgery. He had a sense of humor about it, though: “This is what happens when a 40-year-old man tries to prance around off stage like he’s 26 like he used to do back in the day,” he shared on social media afterward.–J.F.

Never one to hold back, Kesha left little doubt about her feelings toward Diddy during a surprise appearance at Coachella. The singer popped out during Reneé Rapp’s set so the two could perform her 2009 hit “Tik Tok,” which originally featured a cameo from the rapper, who’s currently facing several lawsuits for sexual assault. The first line, which originally went “wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy,” was altered to become “wake up in the morning like fuck P. Diddy.” Kesha and Rapp put a little extra sauce on top, adding an extended middle finger as they sang the line.–J.F.

The British hardcore band Idles put on a typically pulverizing performance at England’s Glastonbury Festival in June, but this time their sharp political stances were amplified in tandem with an installation from legendary street artist and activist Banksy. During Idles’ song “Danny Nedelko,” which features lyrics about welcoming and empathizing with immigrants, an inflatable life raft filled with dummies was launched into the crowd — pointed criticism of the U.K.’s immigration policy that was shown live during festival coverage on the BBC. The band claimed to have no prior knowledge of the stunt, but it made for a powerful collision of uncompromising art. —J.F.

Coldplay got a little rush of caffeinated energy from “Espresso” singer Sabrina Carpenter during Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2024 in Luton, England. The British rock giants welcomed the rising pop star for a performance of “Magic,” a single from the group’s 2014 album, Ghost Stories. Singer Chris Martin and Carpenter sang much of the mellow, synth-powered tune together, then harmonized beautifully during Martin’s falsetto parts near its conclusion. Carpenter, who’s been having a massive summer, seemed to be enjoying a pinch-me moment. “I love Coldplay! What is this?” she said in awe as she exited the stage. —J.F.