Frank Ocean’s Coachella performance had to be adjusted last minute because the singer injured his ankle during rehearsals, a source tells The Hollywood Reporter.
Ocean’s headlining set on Sunday night was delayed by an hour and his performance was cut short. But a source close to the situation says he suffered an ankle injury in the week leading up to the festival and that “production was adjusted according to doctors’ advice.”
Upset fans posted videos on social media detailing the drama, with some even leaving the festival early after waiting hours to see Ocean perform and after watching others hit the stage, including Björk, Kali Uchis, Latto and Willow. Blackpink and Bad Bunny headlined Friday and Saturday nights.
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Ocean is set to headline Coachella this Sunday night.
During his performance, Ocean sang songs like “Novacane” and “Bad Religion” and his set included a 10-minute performance by French DJ Crystallmess. Some fans posted that Ocean’s long-awaited performance was bizarre and unusual. The Grammy-winning star hasn’t performed live in nearly six years, and he was originally supposed to perform at the festival in April 2020.
Justin Bieber, who watched Ocean’s set live at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, posted in support of the singer on social media.
“I was blown away by Frank Oceans Coachella performance. His artistry is simply unmatched, his style, his taste, his voice, his attention to detail.. I was deeply moved. It made me want to keep going and get better as an artist. He continues to set the bar high and gave me a night I will never forget! Thanks Frank,” Bieber wrote.
Ocean’s set was originally supposed to livestream on YouTube — like all of Coachella’s performances — but the video giant tweeted Sunday: “Frank Ocean is not scheduled to appear on the Coachella livestream.”
Representatives for the singer, Coachella or YouTube did not respond to The Hollywood Reporter’s request for comment.
Last year, headliners for the annual music festival were Harry Styles, Billie Eilish and The Weeknd with Swedish House Mafia. The Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia replaced Kanye West after he pulled out of the festival days ahead of the first weekend.
Coachella returned in 2022 after two years of postponements and cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Childish Gambino, Tame Impala and Ariana Grande headlined in 2020 and Beyoncé famously changed the landscape of the festival with her Homecoming performance in 2019.
