Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert was released on Friday (April 10th), the same day that the annual festival was originally supposed to kick off this year prior to getting postponed to the fall as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Although the 2020 instalment of the popular arts and music festival in Indio, California will now be taking place in October amid COVID-19 concerns, hopeful attendees and music fans in general can all tune into the new documentary being dubbed "Couchella." The almost two-hour Youtube Originals film, directed and produced by Chris Perkel, explores the best moments between 1999-2019 that have made the festival so iconic. The doc includes clips from some of the most game-changing performances, including Beyoncé's history-making 2018 headlining set nicknamed "Beychella," along with tons of behind-the-scenes tales.
In addition to Beychella, further cultural-shifting moments are captured in the documentary, such as the appearance of Tupac in hologram form during Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s set in 2012, as well as Outkast's memorable reunion in 2014. Other appearances include the likes of Kanye West, The Weeknd, Travis Scott, Drake, Cardi B, and more.
Initially, Perkel was hesitant to go through with the scheduled release of film due to the festival's delay. “A lot of internal deliberation existed around when and how to release it in this new context,” he revealed. “As a filmmaker, I’m grateful for the fact that it’s coming out now, basically in lieu of the springtime Coachella. It provides an opportunity for a little vicarious, communal experience that we’re all really craving and forced to live without at the moment.” Coachella will now be taking place over the October 9th-11th weekend and the October 16th-18th weekend later this year. Headliners include Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, and Rage Against The Machine, with additional performances by Megan Thee Stallion, Big Sean, 21 Savage, DaBaby, Lil Uzi Vert, and many more. Watch Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert below:
