Lady Gaga Confirmed To Replace Beyonce At Coachella Festival

After it was confirmed that pop superstar Beyonce would not be headlining this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, numerous fans of the event were a bit apprehensive. After all, very few artists out there could stand toe-to-toe with Queen Bey herself. In a recent announcement, however, it appears that the event has found a worthy replacement for the “Formation” singer — no other than Super Bowl 51’s halftime act, Lady Gaga.

A Billboard report has recently released the news, stating that the chart-topping “Million Reasons” artist would be headlining both weekends of the upcoming music festival. Beyonce was originally slated for the role, but due to her pregnancy, the iconic artist has opted to forego this year’s event, much to her fans’ disappointment. While Beyonce’s absence in this year’s Coachella would definitely be felt, the event’s organizers have confirmed that Queen Bey would be headlining next year’s festival instead.

With Lady Gaga headlining both weekends of Coachella, fans of the powerhouse artist should expect the iconic singer to perform on two both April 15 and 22 at the Empire Polo Ground in Indio, California. Though no official announcement has been released by the organizers of the high-profile music event, Billboard stated that the festival’s organizers, Goldenvoice and AEG Live, are set to release an official statement soon.

A Bustle report stated that Beyonce’s decision to pull out of the event was brought about by advice from the artist’s doctors. An official statement from the Coachella organizers described the reasons behind the female powerhouse singer’s absence from this year’s event.

“Following the advice of her doctors to keep a less rigorous schedule in the coming months, Beyoncé has made the decision to forgo performing at the 2017 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. However, Goldenvoice and Parkwood are pleased to confirm that she will be a headliner at the 2018 festival. Thank you for your understanding.”

Beyonce’s sudden departure from this year’s Coachella caused a significant uproar from fans, with many stating that the event’s ticket price this year was hiked by as much as $200 due to Queen Bey’s supposed appearance. Some were so upset by the cancellation that they even demanded a refund. The event’s organizers, however, maintained that the terms and conditions of Coachella tickets state that sales are non-refundable, according to an International Business Times report.

Requests for ticket refunds as a result of Beyonce’s cancellation were not the only thing that embroiled the event organizers of this year’s festival. After the “Single Ladies” singer confirmed that she won’t be appearing in the event, sales for the event’s first weekend immediately took a plunge by as much as 12 percent.

Despite the certainty that other high-profile artists such as Coldplay, Rihanna, Kanye West, or the Red Hot Chili Peppers could replace Beyonce‘s act, fans of the powerhouse singer remained unimpressed. Considering Lady Gaga’s appeal to the same demographic as Beyonce’s, however, it appears that the Coachella organizers’ decision to hire the “Poker Face” singer as a replacement for Queen Bey is both strategic and logical.

Lady Gaga already has a pretty busy schedule for 2017, and it is set to get even more hectic with the addition of the two Coachella weekends. Hot off her critically acclaimed performance at Super Bowl 51 in Houston, Texas, the singer is expected to go on her Joanne World Tour, which is set to kick off in August at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Lady Gaga’s upcoming tour is scheduled for performances in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Boston, among others.

The “Million Reasons” singer is expected to be joined by Radiohead, Kendrick Lamar, the XX, Bon Iver, Future, Lorde, and Justice. Notably, Lady Gaga would be the first woman to headline the music festival in almost 10 years. The last female artist that headlined the event was Bjork back in 2007. The 2017 Coachella Music and Arts Festival runs on April 14-16 and April 21-23.

[Featured Image by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images]