Kanye West has reportedly scrapped negotiations to headline the 2019 Coachella music festival in California after organisers reportedly refused to let him rework their stage set-up.
West previously topped the festival bill back in 2011, and had been in talks to return as one of three headlining acts for this year’s bash, however sources tell TMZ that Kanye and festival production officials at Goldenvoice mutually agreed to abandon the idea after failing to reach an agreement regarding the kind of stage the rapper wanted to perform on.
Reports suggest he did not want to stick to the traditional static rectangular platform, branding it “artistically limiting”, and wanted instead to bring in his own contraption – likely something similar to the floating stage he used during the Saint Pablo Tour in 2016.
Goldenvoice bosses reportedly declined to give in to Kanye’s demands, fearing it would negatively impact the other acts scheduled to perform, and as a result, the talks fell through.
Kanye has yet to comment on the claims.
Coachella officials have yet to unveil the 2019 line-up, but it has been rumoured that Childish Gambino, Justin Timberlake, and Rihanna will be topping the bill at the event, which will take place over two consecutive weekends in Indio in April (19).
If the news is true, it will mark one of Childish Gambinos biggest final shows, as the rapper and actor, real name Donald Glover, plans to retire the stage moniker after one final album and close that chapter in his life as a musician.
Meanwhile, Rihanna’s reported involvement is sure to get fans excited as she recently teased plans to release new music in 2019 – her first full project since Anti in 2016. She has scaled back her live performances in the last couple of years to focus on her Fenty Beauty makeup brand and her acting career, which was given a big boost in 2018 with the release of Ocean’s 8.
The Weeknd, Beyonce, and Eminem headlined the 2018 Coachella festival.
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