Gaga steps in for pregnant Beyonce at Coachella fest

NEW YORK: Lady Gaga has stepped in to replace the pregnant Beyonce at Coachella, ensuring that the premier music festival has a woman headliner for the fi rst time in a decade. Coachella, one of the most lucrative music events in the world, late on Tuesday posted an updated lineup with Lady Gaga now the headliner on Apr 15 and Apr 22. “Let’s party in the desert,” Lady Gaga, who will offer a glimpse of her upcoming world tour, wrote on Instagram as she shared Coachel la’s new poster. Coachel la takes place over two consecutive we ek e n d s w i t h identical lineups in the desert of southern California, where up to 200,000 people flock each year for an extravaganza of music, fashion and partying.

Beyonce had been due to headline Coachella each Saturday alongside British experimental rockers Radiohead on Fridays and acclaimed rapper Kendrick Lamar on Sundays.

But Coachella last week said Beyonce had been obliged to cancel on doctors’ orders as she is expecting twins with her husband, rap mogul Jay Z.

Coachella would have been the sole concert this year by Beyonce and ticket resale prices for the sold- out festival had slumped immediately after her cancellation.

While Beyonce has been increasingly experimental in the past year, Lady Gaga — famous for her attention-grabbing outfits — turned to a more classic pop sound on her latest album “Joanne.”

Lady Gaga is set to start a world tour on Aug 1 in Vancouver, with dates scheduled across North America and Europe through the end of the year.

Coachella has not had a woman as one of the nights’ headliners since Icelandic pop diva Bjork in 2007. — AFP