Every year, I convince myself that Coachella is not worth all the hype. And every year, I’m proven wrong. While I brace myself for the jealousy I’ll feel over the headlining sets and my favourite up-and-coming artists, I always seem to forget about the dozens of surprises that make the festival what it is. From unexpected collabs to tour announcements to new songs, it was these moments that finally made me admit to myself that okay, fine, I had FOMO. Keep scrolling for the top 7 moments that had us wishing we were in the desert…

Coachella 2024 has been the epitome of “you had to be there to see it” moments. New music is being teased, and unexpected but highly anticipated mashups of artists joining big names on stage are taking the internet by storm. Lana Del Rey and Billie Eilish performing “Ocean Eyes” AND “Video Games”? A dream come true. Gwen Stefani and No Doubt brought Olivia Rodrigo along for an iconic performance of “Bathwater” on Saturday, and yesterday, Renée Rapp took us on a trip down memory lane by inviting Kesha on stage to perform her 2010 hit “TiK ToK.” And for those who missed seeing Justin Bieber live, the pop icon popped up with Nigerian singer Tems and Wizkid to bring the heat to her already piping hot Coachella performance, performing their hit “Essence.”

If you, like us, are on the edge of your seat waiting for Billie Eilish’s new album, Hit Me Hard And Soft, out on May 17th, prepare to be massively teased. Following her appearance on Lana Del Rey’s headlining show on Friday, Billie did a surprise DJ set on one of Coachella’s smallest stages on Saturday, The DoLab, giving a taste of a handful of new songs from her new album: “Lunch,” “L’Amour De Ma Vie,” and “Chihiro.”

If you’re unfamiliar with Taylor Swift’s platinum era, allow me to catch you up to speed. Prior to this transformation, every major change the star made to her hair seemed to mirror a new album release, or “era”: a bob for 1989, bangs for Red, so on. So, when Swift showed up to her first ever Coachella experience as a blonde blonde, a look she had recently debuted on the cover of Vogue’s May 2016 issue, fans went crazier than you’d anticipate for simply a hair change. Captioning an Instagram post with “BLEACHELLA”, she created a sub-era that had the internet in a frenzy. Was the platinum just a bit of fun after the Vogue cover shoot? Promotion for the Met Gala, where she was a host that year? Or was there a future album in there that never saw the light of day? We may never know — for shortly after her hair started to fade, our favourite star disappeared for a year.

Anyway… eight years later, she’s back in the desert to support Ice Spice and Bleachers, and have some fun in the crowd. Her first time at Coachella since the 2016 Bleachella moment, she wears a more simplistic look — with natural hair and a baseball hat referencing Travis Kelce, who joins her at the festival. If one thing is true, it’s that Taylor’s happiness is making us all smiley on this Monday morning.

Speaking of Miss Swift, she got serenaded by the one and only Ice Spice this weekend — with her own song. “Shout out to Taylor motherfucking Swift! I love you! And I love karma too, bitch!” Ice Spice yelled, before breaking out into their collaborative version of the single. Swift sang and danced along from her spot in the crowd. We’re obsessed with these two. Oh, and Ice Spice also performed a new song to this lucky crowd. We’re officially jealous.

As if we weren’t jealous enough of the festival-goers who got to see Sabrina Carpenter perform her new track, “Espresso”, we are also fangirling over the cute little wave she gave Barry Keoghan, which seemed to melt his heart. Along with the set design, dance routines, and glorious Coachella-ified outro, another highlight of the pop princess’ set was her wardrobe — which included a “Jesus was a Carpenter” t-shirt and two custom Roberto Cavalli looks in honour of the late designer.

Date night, but make it desert-infused! Rihanna and boo A$AP Rocky took a trip to Indio, California, for a little couple outing this weekend, as A$AP joined Tyler, The Creator’s headline show for a surprise performance of “Potato Salad” and “Who Dat Boy.” The outfits, of course, were on fire — we can’t stop thinking about Riri’s blonde locks and her dreamiest fur coat.

Coachella 2024 feels like a lucky game by now. You sign up for one performance, but might get 10 in return. During the set of Argentinian DJ Bizarrap, Shakira rose from a platform mid-stage to perform their new track, “La Furte,” leaving concertgoers in awe. Following the presentation, she took to Instagram to announce a world tour, six years since her last one. “So stoked to finally announce that LAS MUJERES YA NO LLORAN WORLD TOUR is happening! Can’t wait to be back on stage partying and celebrating with my wolfpack!,” she said on IG. Go on, mama!