ITNTW: FRANK OCEAN’S LOST PERFORMANCE AT COACHELLA 2023

If you’ve been on social media this week, chances are you’ve seen pictures and posts from the biggest music and arts festival in North America. Coachella has become more than just a festival, it’s a cultural phenomenon where all the music lovers, influencers and celebrities gather for two weekends in April to experience some of the best music performances, art installations, and fashion trends.

Coachella has become a must-attend event for music lovers and culture enthusiasts from all over the world. But this year, there’s been some drama that everyone’s been talking about. 

Frank Ocean, the festival-closing headliner, delivered a shambolic performance that left many disappointed and frustrated, and not only because he was one hour late due to stage production changes. Frank Ocean hasn’t performed live for over 6 years and his last album dropped in 2016. 

Everyone, literally, everyone, was waiting for this moment in the festival. But the energy was low, pacing was bizarre, and a seemingly random DJ set was dropped into the middle of the show, leading many fans to think his performance was over. 

Fans and festival goers took to social media to express their disappointment with some saying their money was wasted. However, many were justifying his performance and agreeing that there was beauty in the chaos. 

From a PR perspective, the incident highlights the importance of an artist’s behaviour and its impact on the  festival’s reputation. The organisers must ensure that all artists are adequately prepared for their performances and provide the best possible experience for the audience. The crisis communication strategy for the organisers of the festival should involve transparency and accountability. 

In a case like this, the festival organisers and Frank Ocean’s team should ensure the issue at hand is fully acknowledged and a full apology is issued. Coachella organisers have since announced that Frank Ocean has decided to drop out of the festival’s second weekend with the prompt announcement that Blink-182 will be the replacement.

This is an opportunity for the organisers to learn from this experience and take steps to prevent similar issues in the future to maintain the festival’s reputation and ensure the satisfaction of its attendees and online viewers. We know the festival will continue to be a cultural phenomenon where artists unite and we wish Frank Ocean a good recovery! We can’t wait to see him back on stage!

By Laura Rodriguez Arias – PR & Influencer Coordinator at InsideOut PR and #AsSeenOn