Fans have been eagerly awaiting Frank Ocean‘s headlining performance at Coachella for three years. The “White Ferrari” crooner gave a memorable show on Sunday (April 16), though perhaps not for the best reasons. Production problems and a shortened set led to mixed reactions from attendees and observers alike.
After a polarizing first weekend at Coachella, Ocean won’t be back for round two this coming Sunday (April 23). A rep for the Blonde singer told Rolling Stone in a statement today (April 19) that he has canceled his scheduled performance to close out the California festival this weekend. Ocean suffered two fractures and a sprain in his left leg during the first week of the festival, and a doctor advised that he not perform his second show.
Ocean acknowledged that his first weekend set didn’t live up to his own expectations and shared his hope to connect with audiences in another venue in the future. “It was chaotic. There is some beauty in chaos. It isn’t what I intended to show but I enjoy being out there and I’ll see you soon,” he said in a statement.
The headlining set at Coachella last Sunday marked the Odd Future member’s first live show since 2017. He was originally slated to headline the massive festival in 2020 before the pandemic hit. Coachella officials confirmed in 2021 that he would headline the fest in 2023.
Needless to say, the expectations were high for Ocean’s grand return to the stage. Fans who weren’t able to attend were looking forward to watching the livestream online. But ahead of the show, it was announced that the show wouldn’t be livestreamed on Coachella‘s official YouTube channel. He eventually took the stage around 11 p.m., an hour after his scheduled start time. As a result, he had to cut his set short to abide by the festival’s strict midnight curfew.
This is the second year in a row a Coachella closing headliner has pulled out with short notice. In April 2022, Kanye West dropped out less than two weeks before he was meant to perform. He was replaced by Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd.