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There’s a notion in business that if you aren’t growing, you are dying. It’s a mentality that feels easy to combat, yet everything we experience regarding capitalism, about startups and the stock market, tells us differently, and it infects every aspect of our lives. You’d think culture would be immune, but Americans treat the arts in a similarly toxic manner, building things up only to tear them back down. If something finds too much success (and “too much” is generally the precipice of people outside their target demographic becoming aware of something and feeling the need to weigh in), a camaraderie forms in villainizing it, a common enemy that feels safe to punch up at. Marvel, Taylor Swift, Drake, Shohei Ohtani, Caitlin Clark; the list could go on and on.

Coachella is very much in this boat, with the advanced narrative of Coachella’s regression stemming from lower-than-usual ticket sales, headliners that were less headline-grabbing (all of whom came from marginalized demographics, mind you), and an overall lineup that seemed as far from its initial identity as its ever been. But being out on the polo fields again, it’s clear the rumors of Coachella’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. A larger footprint and a new Quasar stage helped make the crowd feel a bit thinner despite the event selling out, though it wouldn’t be surprising to discover a lower overall attendance. Still, you could pack in a day of non-stop music as well as ever. And if a moment wasn’t stacked with conflicts, you could wander around and discover something unexpected.

And it has to be said, that beyond the printed lineup, we got Vampire Weekend and Kid Cudi added to Weekend 1 and 2, respectively. Plus, surprise appearances from Shakira, Billie Eilish (multiple times), Sky Ferreira, Mac Demarco, Katy Perry, Olivia Rodrigo, Will Smith, Childish Gambino, Metro Boomin, ASAP Rocky, Becky G, Jackson Wang, Kesha, 21 Savage, Justin Bieber, and many more. Plus, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce prowled the audience on Saturday to take in Ice Spice (and more covertly took in Bleachers from side stage). If Coachella wasn’t still the biggest music news-generating event of the year, I’d be shocked. Sure, there are rumors that Weekend 2 will be much more sparsely populated and that this seems like a bit of a regrouping year as the fest looks to continue big splashes. But if this is what an off-year for Coachella looks like, we should all be so lucky.