7 of the Coolest Surprise Musical Guests at Coachella Weekend One

Article by: Emily Ward|@_drawylime

Mon April 17, 2017 | 12:29 PM


At an event like Coachella , where the who's who comes out to play, it makes sense that myriad musical superstars find their way onto the festival's stages. We've assembled seven of the biggest "holy sh*t" moments from Weekend One.

Pharrell with Hans Zimmer at the Outdoor Theater

For many, the head-scratching was in full force when legendary film composer Hans Zimmer was listed on Coachella's lineup. Sunday night wiped that all away. Zimmer, backed by an expansive orchestra, was the most surprising win of the weekend. Zimmer split up a slate of rousing scores from "The Lion King," "Inception" and "Pirates of the Carribbean" with frequent collaborator Pharrell for "Freedom." Coachella knows what it's doing.

Dillon Francis with G-Eazy in the Sahara Tent

Dillon Francis and G-Eazy teamed up for the fresh April release on Francis' "Say Less." It's a curious pairing, the king of Moombahton with one of today's hottest hip-hop stars. However, after seeing Saturday's show, the doubt is gone. It's a fiery fit.

Kendrick Lamar with Travis Scott on the Coachella Stage

All eyes were on Kendrick for his Sunday headlining slot. After an intro from Dr. Dre, Kendrick's set hit us with kung-fu-inspired visuals, and an entrance seemingly from underground in the middle of the audience in an LED-lit cube for "LUST.," (Lamar snuck away as SchoolBoy Q came through for "THat Part.") To top it off, Lamar brought out Travis Scott for "goosebumps," their collaboration on Scott's 2016 album Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight.

Anna Lunoe with Skrillex in the Sahara Tent

Multifaceted electronica star and OWSLA staple Anna Lunoe, fresh off a pregnancy announcement, was joined by fellow OWSLA artist and frequent collaborator Skrillex to close out her packed set on Saturday.

DJ Snake with Lauryn Hill at the Outdoor Theater

DJ Snake brought out the elusive Lauryn Hill for "Killing Me Softly," the R&B superstar's timeless classic. It slowed down the beat and turned up the heat.

Future with Drake and Migos on the Coachella Stage

Future's catalog is ripe for surprise guests, so no one would have been astonished to see a fellow rapper saunter onstage to help the Atlanta MC up his performance's swagger factor. However, one surprise guest wasn't enough for Future; he brought out three. After hyping the masses with "Same Damn Time" and "New Level," Ty Dolla $ign came out to do “Blasé.” Then, stars-of-the-moment Migos also came out to play “Bad and Boujee” and “T-Shirt.” To top it all off, Drake joined Future to perform “Jumpman” together, and finished the set with More Life tracks “Fake Love” and “Gyalchester” as the crowd went nuts.

Wiz Khalifa with Tove Lo on the Mojave Stage

Pop forward to 2:50 as Swedish songstress Tove Lo reaches the halfway mark of hit single "Influence" and is joined by collaborator Wiz Khalifa.

HONORABLE MENTION: Gucci Mane with Rae Sreummurd in the Sahara Tent

Coachella 2017 week 1 Saturday #guccimane #raesmurda #bkackbeetle

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In yet another instance of hip-hop dominating the "surprises front" this year, Gucci Mane brought out real crow-pleaser Rae Sremmurd for a live version of "Black Beatle." Mane joined the duo, Swae Lee and Slim Jimmy,on the white-hot single off SremmLife2 back in 2016. The song's extended popularity is likely due to its role as background music for viral party trick, "The Mannequin Challenge." Mane also brought out Diddy, and Migos (who popped up in no fewer than three sets besides their own), for another version of "Bad and Boujee." (The group performed the same song with Future a few hours earlier).