10 Emerging Acts You Can’t Miss At Coachella

Don’t let the palm-tree-emoji-filled Instagrams or branded merch fool you — your Coachella experience is only as cool as the bands you see. This year, the two-weekend music festival runs April 11 to 13 and 18 to 20, with an all-star lineup including Lady Gaga, Charli XCX, Post Malone, and Megan Thee Stallion. That said, if this isn’t your first rodeo, you’ll know that the best views and vibes tend to happen before the headliners, when you can stumble upon a stage and leave with a new favorite artist.

But while a chance discovery is good, coming in with a game plan is highly encouraged, especially when there’s so much to see (and so much walking to do). Ahead, we’ve surveyed the poster closely, put together a list of the top 10 emerging acts to catch at Coachella 2025, and helpfully included introductory tracks for each.

Medium Build

Between his deep, soulful voice and indiscriminate love for acoustics and synths, Medium Build’s music is tailor-made for festivals. The nomadic performer, né Nicholas Carpenter, describes his live shows as a fusion of “concerts, testimony, and stand-up comedy.” It makes sense for a songwriter who can skillfully mention his Simpsons poster in a biting ballad (above) about childhood loneliness. He’s fresh off last year’s stripped-down LP Country and a Julien Baker collab, and concertgoers can expect “dog dad”-led spiritual awakenings in the best way possible.

Lola Young

Don’t believe the “nepo baby” allegations surrounding this British singer-songwriter. Yes, her great-aunt wrote a children’s book called The Gruffalo, but the 24-year-old’s recent success is hard-earned. There was her American TV arrival via a Fallon performance, a handful of Brit Award noms, and her undeniable TikTok-viral anthem “Messy.” With an Amy Winehouse-esque delivery and the tendency to “pull a Britney every other week,” her set — likely comprising cuts from her 2024 sophomore album This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway — is a can’t-miss.

Ravyn Lenae

Ignore the dessert stands because Ravyn Lenae’s honeyed vocals will be the sweetest thing in Indio. The 26-year-old Chicago native is a genre chameleon, interweaving R&B, alternative, lo-fi, and soul to concoct bops that sound like old photographs. Perhaps that’s why she described her latest album, Bird’s Eye, as a means of “returning to the little girl inside of me.” It’s also a surefire way to catch her live before she spends this fall on Sabrina Carpenter’s sold-out tour.

Ginger Root

Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Cameron Lew — better known as Ginger Root — describes his tunes as “aggressive elevator soul.” But you won’t be splitting hairs on Japanese city-pop versus funk influences when his warbling sound hits and demands grooving. Coachella marks the multimedia-inclined artist’s stateside return after spending the last month in Asia and Australia touring his 2024 album Shinbangumi, which fittingly translates to “new show.”

Horsegiirl

This German DJ, singer, and songwriter crafts hard-hitting EDM beats from her homeland of Sunshine Farms, over the Meadow Mountains and down Rainbow Road. Oh yeah, she’s also a teenage foal. (The bit rides strong, too; her last EP was even titled V.I.P. - Very Important Pony.) There’s an inherent level of mystery behind a performer wearing a giant horse mask, but nothing is befuddling about her psychedelic, high-intensity, hyperpop-tinged tracks. Watch her gallop, trot, and likely protest that “Horse rights are human rights.”

Arca

There’s no set genre, gender, or boundary in the world of Arca. The Venezuelan musician and producer has collaborated with everyone from Rosalía to Addison Rae (you might know them from “Arcamarine”) while releasing uncategorizable and critically acclaimed tunes of their own. In-the-know music heads will likely be familiar with Arca’s game: big swings, bombastic beats, and beyond-the-imagination hooks. Still, concertgoers might be in for surprises based on the unreleased atmospheric tracks they’ve previewed on Instagram.

Muni Long

Whether or not you recognize Muni Long’s name — pronounced “money long,” FYI — you know her music. Not only has the R&B singer penned hits for Rihanna, Ariana Grande, and Selena Gomez — and the still-inescapable “Timber” by Pitbull — but she’s stepped into the limelight on her own. Between “Hrs & Hrs” and “Made for Me,” Long’s voice will have you on the hunt for a lover. Find them at her set, delighting in some slow-grinding and soaring vocal runs.

Viagra Boys

Of course, a Swedish post-punk band named Viagra Boys has a song called “Man Made of Meat.” But don’t write this Stockholm-based six-piece off on verbiage alone. With amp-rattling guitars, throbbing beats, and dark humor, their unique discography (including an upcoming fourth album titled Viagr Aboys) is filled with anticapitalist bangers, intellectual musings, and a dash of far-right critique.

Still Woozy

Forget bedroom pop — 32-year-old Sven Gamsky records trippy tunes for his solo project in the garage. Music snobs and perfect-playlist curators might already be familiar with his bumping and experimental 2017 streaming hit “Goodie Bag.” And fresh off the release of his sophomore album Loveseat last summer, Still Woozy guarantees good vibes for taking a break to sit on the grass or, um, smoking it.

Amaarae

American Ghanaian singer Amaarae once said that she wants “every cool girl in the entire world to want to play” her music. And this festival season, they will be. (She has a song called “Co-Star” — what more could you ask for?) After her 2023 sophomore effort Fountain Baby, a show-stopping Tiny Desk performance, and solo tour, she deserves a crown for bringing Afrobeats to the mainstream with hints of pop, alternative, and R&B. Two weekends as Queen of the Desert will suffice.