Coachella, now a huge venue headlining the biggest artists in the world, was once irrelevant until Empire Polo Club debuted as a music venue in 1993. That year, Pearl Jam rebelled against conglomerate Ticketmaster and hosted their concert at the remote location in Indio, California.
Six years later, Coachella was born, and Rage Against the Machine and Beck headlined the first-ever Coachella for just 70,000 viewers. Fast forward to 2025, Clairo bringing out Bernie Sanders and Benson Boone bringing out Brian May is nearly expected at this point, and every influencer under the sun is treating the festival like a runway. W
ith more than 150 in the lineup, here are five of the most underappreciated sets at Coachella.
Kneecap
During the second weekend of Coachella, Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap set the stage with absolute controversy. The group proudly sported a Palestine flag as they ran out on stage with political YouTuber and streamer Hasan Piker, a fellow Palestine supporter. During their set, they displayed messages like “F*** Israel, Free Palestine” and called out Israel for committing genocide, and criticizing U.S. support for Israel. The act led to their removal from the festival’s livestream and sparked widespread backlash, including calls for visa revocation and concert cancellations. Despite the fallout, Kneecap defended their actions as expressions of political activism and artistic freedom.
Unsurprisingly, Kneecap has a long history with controversy. The group blends Irish and English lyrics with themes of Irish republicanism and anti-establishment sentiment. Irish radio banned their debut single, “C.E.A.R.T.A.”, due to its explicit content, sparking debates on censorship. They’ve faced criticism for murals depicting burning police vehicles and for chants like “Brits out” at concerts. UK counterterrorism police even investigated a band member who expressed support for Hamas and Hezbollah in footage in 2024. While Kneecap’s performance caught the eye of many at Coachella, it didn’t receive as much cover as the headliners.
Amyl and The Sniffers
In a year with political turmoil, it isn’t surprising that other bands spoke up about political issues at Coachella. Australian punk band Amyl and the Sniffers delivered a high-energy set, but it was frontwoman Amy Taylor’s bold political statements that captured attention. During their performance, Taylor condemned U.S. President Donald Trump, declaring he could “eat my arse,” clarifying it wasn’t “in a cute way,” and criticized his stances on abortion rights and transgender issues. She emphasized the global impact of U.S. politics, noting that “Australians are always sucking them off, so it’s gonna hit us up too.”
Amyl and the Sniffers are no strangers to non-conformity, much like Kneecap. The band, based in Melbourne, Australia, has become increasingly popular over the past year. In April 2025, they won Song of the Year at the APRA Awards for “U Should Not Be Doing That,” a track from their 2024 album Cartoon Darkness. The band also secured Best Live Act and Best LP/EP at the 2025 Rolling Stone Australia Awards. Known for their raw energy and frontwoman Amy Taylor’s dynamic presence, their music blends 1970s punk influences with contemporary political themes.
Arca
Arca’s Coachella 2025 performance was a mesmerizing fusion of avant-garde sound and theatrical artistry. Taking the Gobi Tent stage, the Venezuelan producer delivered a dynamic set featuring tracks like “Rakata,” “Puta,” and “Desafío.” The show also brought on surprise appearances from Tokischa and former TikTok star turned popstar Addison Rae, who joined Arca for a live debut of their collaborative remix “Aquamarine/Arcamarine.”
If you are unfamiliar with the electronic goddess that is Arca, get familiarized. Arca serves as an LGBTQ+ icon, experimenting with deconstructed club and various forms of pop to separate herself from the competition with an avant-garde style. Her creativity has also gained her production credits on several critically-acclaimed projects, such as Kanye West’s Yeezus and Björk’s Vulnicura.
Underscores
Underscores, a criminally overlooked performer at Coachella, put herself into the headlines after previewing new music with legendary Detroit rapper Danny Brown on April 12th. The rapper’s song comes as a surprise after Underscores featured on Oklou’s latest album, Choke Enough, which is also heavily geared toward the electronic genre.
Underscores is the musical project of April Harper Grey. She crafts a genre-defying sound that blends elements of hyperpop, dubstep, emo, and indie rock. She produces music characterized by glitchy production, distorted vocals, and a sense of nostalgia toward 2000s pop-punk and alt-rock. Grey’s debut album, Fishmonger, showcases this unique mix, reflecting influences from artists like Skrillex and MGMT. In her second project, Wallsocket, she crafts a concept album set in suburbia, actively exploring themes of class, identity, and suburban life through a more respectable diversity of sounds, including country and garage rock influences. Grey emphasizes world-building in her work, creating immersive experiences that extend beyond music into visual and narrative realms. She aims to push boundaries by combining various sounds to create forward-thinking art, and with a creative mind like Danny Brown’s, she will certainly get there.
Snow Strippers
The upbeat, sexy electronic group Snow Strippers is much more than just their TikTok hit “Under Your Spell.” Regardless, they certainly delivered a killer performance at Coachella. Pink strobe lights filled the air as Snow Strippers frontwoman Tatiana Schwaninger put on her usual swagger in front of an overwhelming Coachella crowd, despite them being at the Sonora Tent, which is usually low-key.
Since the group’s emergence in 2022, they have released three mixtapes and one album, with the latest release being an EP in 2024. “April Mixtape 3” served as their breakout project. The track “Under Your Spell” amassed over 10 million streams on Spotify and was featured on the hit show Dexter. Rapper Lil Uzi Vert also hopped on a remix of the mixtape’s final track “It’s A Dream.”
Coachella continues to generate hype year after year, making it impossible to keep up with each set. Some artists took initiative on such a huge platform to advocate for human rights and political issues happening across the world. Others simply used their stage to entertain, which made memories. Coachella’s 2025 festival is one to remember.
