Karol G made history at Coachella on Sunday night as the first Latina ever to headline the annual festival, delivering a stunning, visually stunning set that included surprise guests Becky G, Maria Angelique, Wiseen and Greg Gonzalez.
“I’m Carolina Giraldo from Medellin, Colombia, and today I’m the first Latina to headline Coachella,” the star said as her fans erupted in cheers near the end of her concert on Sunday. “And I’m very happy and very proud of it, but at the same time, I feel like it’s late. I just want to say that before me there were a lot of legendary Latin artists that gave me the opportunity to be here tonight.”
Starting slightly behind her schedule at around 10:30 p.m., the Colombian star began her set with a cave painting-style video that told the story of a wild, free woman who loses her voice to the pressures of fitting into the world, only to regain her freedom and become a goddess. Karol G came out next, starting with “Latina Foreva”, then “Un Gatito Me Llamo”.
Angeliq was the first guest to come out to perform “El Makinon” from Karol G’s third studio album KG0516.
Heading to Coachella, Karol G said she’s looking forward to her historic night leaving a lasting impact on the broader Latino community, especially since the Trump administration has been particularly aggressive in its tactics with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in targeting immigrants. She acknowledged that in her set on Sunday as well, both with the many genres she showcased and with the message of resilience as she told the audience that tonight “isn’t just about me, it’s about my Latino community, it’s about my people.”
“At the same time, it’s about Latinos who have been struggling in this country lately,” she said. “We stand up for them, and I stand up for my Latino community. I’m proud because this brings out the best in us, the unity, the resilience, the strong spirit. We’re not doing this because we want to push everyone out, we’re doing this because we want everyone to feel welcome in our culture, in our music. I want everyone to feel proud of the country they come from. Please don’t feel afraid, feel proud. Raise your flag.”
Her show came two years after her fellow Bad Bunny star became the first Spanish-language artist of any gender to land the headline spot, with her show set to return in 2023.
This weekend, Karol G tuned in to a complex set of Friday night titles from Sabrina Carpenter, as well as a more stripped-down Saturday night show from Justin Bieber. Carol Gee tended to a much larger scale than Carpenter, featuring an impressive stage design evocative of an old adobe house, as she was surrounded by more than a dozen background dancers. The show was ambitious, with many costume changes and transformations. At one point, she’s dancing on a giant parrot, while at another, she’s in a dreamy lake setting while her backing dancers douse her with water.
From the intro video to the final song, her set felt like a constant celebration of women, from her backing dancers to the many female musicians highlighted including an all-female mariachi band.
Other guests during the night included Becky G who duetted with Karol for their multi-platinum single “Mamiii.” She debuted an ethereal new track with Cigarettes After Sex as well, and brought out reggaeton star Wisin for several songs.
Karol G closed out the first weekend with “Provenza,” sending the crowd dancing while fireworks exploded behind her as she and her team took their final bow.
