Coachella 2022 Day 1 talking points: From Harry Styles’s Shania surprise to Arcade Fire

Friday’s festival included a number of surprise guests and a rendition of ‘Barbie Girl’ by Aqua

After a two-year absence, Coachella finally made its highly anticipated return on Friday (15 April).

Located in Indio, California, the desert festival has gained popularity over the years for its glitzy Instagram-worthy dress code and major celebrity guest sightings.

Here are 10 of the biggest talking points from day one..

1. Harry Styles

Harry Styles delighted fans with new songs – and a surprise cameo from country icon Shania Twain. On stage the former One Direction star credited listening to Twain’s albums with teaching him to sing, then he brought her out to duet on timeless mega hits “Man I Feel Like A Woman” and “Still The One”.

2. Snoop Dogg

Shania wasn’t the only unannounced special guest of the day. West Coast rap icon Snoop Dogg took time out from his busy schedule to appear with Brazilian pop sensation Anitta.

3. Lil Baby

Atlanta rapper Lil Baby turned in one of the most emotive performances of Coachella’s opening day as he closed his set with a powerful performance of protest song “The Bigger Picture”, written and released in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.

4. Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber also made a cameo at Coachella, joining Daniel Caesar for a performance of their collaboration “Peaches” – and doing it shirtless, no less.

Bieber made a surprise appearance at Coachella (Getty Images for Coachella)

5. Phoebe Bridgers

British rising star Arlo Parks joined Phoebe Bridgers for a transatlantic duet – an “incredible” rendition of Bridgers’s love song “Graceland Too”.

6. Arcade Fire

After headlining in 2014, Arcade Fire returned to play a show in the intimate environment of the festival’s Mojave Tent - and delivered a performance both cathartic and joyful.

7. Slowthai

Slowthai was responsible for one of the days most unexpected pleasures – a dance party set to Aqua’s 1997 hit “Barbie Girl”.

8. Idles

Idles continued to win over American fans with a blistering set – not to mention guitarist Mark Bowen playing in the sort of lacy white dress that Kurt Cobain would have worn in the Nineties.

Arcade Fire performed a surprise slot at Coachella (Getty Images for Coachella)

9. Baby Keem

Grammy-winning rapper Baby Keem proved there’s much more to him than just “family ties” with a storming set that required no help from cousin Kendrick Lamar.

10. Carly Rae Jepson

The crowd watching Carly Rae Jepson noticeably thinned after she played “Call Me Maybe” midway through her set – although that meant the early leavers missed “I Really Like You” and “Cut to the Feeling.” Heathens.