Mohamed Ramadan is performing at Coachella, but he's doing it on his own terms

Egyptian pop-star and actor always wanted to make a name for himself in the region before turning his attention to the West

Mohamed Ramadan will perform across two weekends at next year's Coachella festival. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Mohamed Ramadan will perform at next year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California. The Egyptian actor and pop star is set to appear across two weekends on April 13 and 20.

Ramadan marked the occasion in a typically boisterous manner, telling his 32 million Instagram followers: "I’m super excited to be part of Coachella. Before this step, I had achieved 4.6 per cent of my ambition, and now I can say I’ve reached 4.7 per cent."

With his name appearing near the bottom of the large line-up for those days – which will be headlined by Post Malone and Megan Thee Stallion – Ramadan will likely perform in the early afternoon. Nonetheless, this marks a major career milestone for the artist. After establishing himself as a leading man in hit Egyptian films and television series, he has pivoted to becoming a fully fledged pop star.

Over the past decade, he has developed a distinct and eclectic sound, merging Egyptian Mahraganat, hip-hop, EDM and Balkan folk influences. His playful and witty lyrics, filled with colourful Egyptian colloquialisms, keep his music rooted in the region. This unique approach has produced viral hits such as the 2018 anthem Number One and 2019’s Mafia.

Mohamed Ramadan performs at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai in 2022. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A recipient of the UAE golden visa in 2020, Ramadan has leveraged his new status to shoot music videos in Dubai, including Versace Baby and Ya Habibi. The golden visa scheme, granted to investors, entrepreneurs and other skilled individuals, provides holders with a renewable 10-year residency. Ramadan credited the visa as a factor in his decision to film more projects in the UAE.

“I think the powers that be saw that I have the potential with my company to bring a lot of initiatives here to the UAE, and they gave me that opportunity," he told The National in a previous interview. He emphasised the economic impact, noting, “With Ya Habibi, the whole crew was about 150 people. Imagine the employment opportunities if I do 100 or more music videos here.”

Ramadan’s addition to Coachella is also the result of a long-term strategy. Despite his star power and significant production budget, he has deliberately avoided early collaborations with western acts. He previously told The National of his desire to introduce himself to a western audience as one of the Middle East and Africa's biggest artists instead.

Mohamed Ramadan filmed his music video Versace Baby in Dubai. Photo: Len Prasad

This approach has led him to focus on performing in the Arab world and Africa, including headlining Dubai's All Africa Festival in 2021 and the Africa Cup of Nations opening ceremony in the Ivory Coast in January. Ramadan also won the African Fans' Favourite prize at the 2019 All African Music Awards in Nigeria.

"What I am looking for is longevity. Tell me, what is the point of going to the West and singing with an American star, for instance, if my continent and region do not identify with me? I am focusing on Africa, and I will be for a while to come. I want to reach Nigeria, Congo, Zambia, Senegal and other important places," he said in 2020.

"To become an international star means first getting support from your country, then those in your region who share the same language, and then your continent. That is when you go global. With that process, the industry will truly listen to you. People will respect you as an artist because you arrived internationally with millions of fans behind you. You will be too big to ignore."

Ramadan is part of a growing contingent of Arab artists who have performed at Coachella. Past festivals have featured Palestine's Saint Levant and Egyptian singer Bayou, as well as 2023's all-Arabic set by Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna and an appearance by Palestine's DJ Sama.