Drake at the premiere of The Carter Effect, 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. Photo: GabboT, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Drake was at one point reportedly in talks to perform at Coachella 2027, but his name is absent from the final lineup — and the Toronto rapper responded to Wednesday’s reveal with a crying emoji in the festival’s Instagram comments.
Coachella 2027, set for April 9–11 and April 16–18 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, will be headlined by Dua Lipa, SZA, and Tame Impala, with Madonna returning to the Dance Tent, Daddy Yankee and Justice in special slots, and Murda Beatz among the upper-billed acts, per Variety and The Guardian.
Consequence reported that Murda Beatz — Drake’s frequent collaborator — will be on the bill, set to play many of their collaborative hits. Drake’s absence comes despite earlier reports, cited by Billboard Canada, that he was in talks for the festival.
Drake did not comment beyond the emoji, but the snub lands amid a heavy 2026 for him: his album ICEMAN debuted with 463,000 equivalent album units in the U.S., the biggest opening week for a rap album in 2026, per Billboard.
Festival passes go on sale Friday, Nov. 13 at 12 p.m. PT on coachella.com. Whether Drake makes a late-addition appearance is unconfirmed; Coachella has a history of last-minute guests, but nothing official has been announced.
