Kanye West became one of the most talked-about topics in the Coachella rumor mill around the mega-festival’s 2019 when word began circulating that he’d been tapped to headline. Right before the billing was unveiled, however, a new story arose: Kanye had apparently pulled out of headlining due to contention over the main stage design.

An exclusive report from Billboard dove deeper into this rumor, and found the truth to be seemingly more absurd than what curious onlookers had originally thought. Apparently, Kanye wanted to bring in one of his longtime arts collaborators, John McGuire, on board to build an entire new dome stage in the middle of the Coachella grounds for him to perform under. Such a plan would require removal of porta-potties, a reinvisioning of the entire venue organization, and more than likely would take too long to complete before Weekend 1 settled in, according to a report. As a result of Golden Voice rejecting this idea and Kanye not wanting to disrupt his vision, Ariana Grande was soon brought in to headline instead.

Billboard also pointed out that a similar dissolution between Kanye and festival promoters happened earlier in 2018, when the rapper was initially set to headline Governor’s Ball in New York. It seems as though he’s simply not a festival-friendly act.

 

H/T: High Snobiety

Tags: coachella, dome, headliner, kanye west

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