From Mohamed Ramadan to Elyanna: the rise of Arab artists at Coachella

This year’s Coachella festival in California is shaping up to be another momentous edition for the Mena music scene, with three Arab artists performing during the two-weekend event, the second of which is on April 18 to 20. While many eyes and ears will be fixed on sets by global heavyweights such as Green Day, Lady Gaga and Post Malone, a glance further down the bill reveals a vibrant Arab presence set to showcase their sound to their largest international audiences yet. They join a steadily growing contingent of performers – hailing from Palestine to Bahrain to Saudi Arabia – who have graced Coachella stages in recent years, reflecting a regional music scene as deep as it is diverse. Here are the Arab artists performing this year, as well as those who have already made their mark. As one of the Arab world’s biggest pop stars, it’s only fitting for Mohamed Ramadan to perform at one of the world’s most influential music festivals – even if his name appears near the bottom of the main stage bill. Still, his appearance at Coachella during the opening weekend marked a career milestone for the Egyptian artist, who has transitioned from leading man in blockbuster films and TV shows to fully-fledged pop star. Ramadan performed at the Gobi Tent – one of the many stages at Coachella – and delivered a high-energy set featuring regional favourites Number One and Mafia . A highlight of the performance was Ramadan raising the Egyptian flag on stage – a gesture that cemented the enduring presence of Arab artists at the festival. After getting 40,000 people jumping at Riyadh’s 2022 Soundstorm festival, performing at Coachella doesn’t seem like much of a stretch for the Saudi–Bahraini DJ. That confidence is reinforced by her rising profile on London’s club circuit – including a standout Boiler Room set in 2023 – where she blends electronic beats with Arabic percussion and melodies. One of North Africa’s most promising EDM talents, Ahmed brings a well-rounded skill set to the decks, as an accomplished player on the piano, guitar and drums. His 2022 EP Anchor Point , with its vibrant mix of deep house and Afro house, has racked up more than 10 million streams on Spotify, with superstar DJ Tiesto featuring the title track on an episode of his Club Life radio show. Spins will perform a back-to-back set with UK dance music pioneer Pete Tong. Ahead of the release of his affecting album Deira , the Palestinian singer gave the record its best promotion with an acclaimed Coachella set featuring viral tracks I Guess , Very Few Friends and Nails . The show set the stage for an expansive US and European tour later that year, before he returned with this year’s new EP Love Letters . It was as much a statement performance as it was a coronation. The Palestinian–Chilean singer , now performing in stadiums as part of Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour, became the first artist to deliver a full set in Arabic at Coachella. Accompanied by her brother Feras on piano, Elyanna – joined by dancers – powered through a set featuring her single Ganeni along with highlights from her two EPs, Elyanna and Elyanna II . She closed the triumphant performance by waving a Palestinian keffiyeh. The Coachella set followed the remarkable rise of the DJ widely credited with introducing techno music to Palestine and spotlighting its vibrant independent music scene to the world. Performing in the Yuma Tent across both weekends, Abdulhadi delivered a well-received set of deep house and hypnotic beats that moved a Guardian critic to call her one of the highlights of the event. The Jordanian–Egyptian–American duo showed why they’ve become festival favourites, from Jordan’s Petra to Burning Man, with an atmospheric set characterised by rich organic house, ethereal melodies and tribal rhythms. It’s a sound further refined with the release of their 2023 debut album Temple of Dreams . The Moroccan rapper's career was arguably at its peak after the global success of the previous year’s hit Unforgettable. Montana recreated the song’s energy by inviting guest artist Swae Lee of Rae Sremmurd to perform it live on stage, while also energising the crowd with other fan favourites, including Pop That . As a guest of R&B duo Louis The Child, the Iraqi–Syrian singer – full name Wafia Al Rikabi – made the most of the brief opportunity by performing their collaborative track Better Not , paving the way for the eventual release of her 2020 album Good Things . Those at the festival's Gobi Tent would have heard plenty of Arabic tunes courtesy of this Israeli-Arab group. Led by Tassa, the grandson of Kuwaiti musician Daoud Al-Kuwaity and hailing from a Mizrahi Jewish family from Iraq and Kuwait, the band’s set featured their signature rock versions of Iraqi and Kuwaiti folk songs. Tassa said they received a warm reception at Coachella. “The thing that we had in our minds before we came is how the American audience would take to Arab music, and Arab players with Jewish players,” he said in an interview with Billboard . “We were surprised because they loved us.” Since the Palestinian–American ’s recordings and club sets are defined by guest star appearances, it made sense to replicate that celebratory, communal atmosphere at Coachella. With Rick Ross, Migos, 2 Chainz, A$AP Ferg, French Montana and Wale joining him on stage, DJ Khaled delivered many of his biggest crowd-pleasers – including his anthems All I Do Is Win and I’m the One , alongside hits such as B.M.F. and Bad and Boujee .

From Mohamed Ramadan to Elyanna: the rise of Arab artists at Coachella

The Arab presence at the influential music festival has steadily grown over the years.