After fervent speculation about whether Kanye West would perform at Coachella 2022, the DONDA rapper has abruptly pulled out of his planned performance, according to reports.
West, was slated to close out the festival, which takes place over the course of two weekends, April 15–17 and April 22–24, with a finale performance on its final night on Sunday, April 24. News of Kanye’s cancellation comes amid protests calling for his removal from the lineup, including a petition citing his treatment of estranged wife Kim Kardashian and his recent behavior on social media as reasons that he should not be allowed to perform.
However, Coachella had not hinted at any intent to remove West from the bill, but may have accounted for the possibility of his exclusion with the inclusion of EDM rockers Swedish House Mafia on the lineup, albeit with a floating time slot that could be the one formerly reserved for West.
News of West’s cancellation follows him being barred from a planned performance at this year’s Grammy Awards, which took place on Sunday (April. 3). The decision came due to what the organizers deemed as “concerning online behavior.”
Coachella, the largest music festival in the U.S. with 125,000 attendees per day, is already sold out. The festival, which has been postponed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will take place at the Empire Polo Ground in Indio, Calif.