Coachella 2015: AC/DC and Azealia Banks perform on first day of eclectic festival

Tens of thousands watched AC/DC first performance in six years

AC/DC performing at Coachella (Getty)

Coachella Arts & Music festival opened with AC/DC’s first performance in six years last night as tens of thousands watched the iconic band in the US.

The eclectic festival, which has showcased increasingly mainstream acts in recent years, also saw rapper Azealia Banks deliver a drama-free set yesterday afternoon to an ecstatic crowd.

Tickets for this year’s Coachella, held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, sold out in less than 20 minutes with attendance reckoned at around 90,000.

Performing last night AC/DC’s lead singer Brian Johnson told the audience: "This is the first time we've played a gig in six years".

The Australian singer added: “We jumped straight in the deep end.”

Other headline acts this year include performances from Drake, Jack White and – unexpectedly – The Weekend closing the festival on Sunday night.

This year’s eclectic festival line-up also includes Annie Mac, Alt-J, Florence and the Machine, Hozier, David Guetta, Belle and Sebastian, Jamie XX and Kasabian.

The festival – like many others now – also attracts attention thanks to its celebrity attendees. So far the Hilton and younger Kardashian sisters have been spotted, as well as the obligatory clutch of models.

Although half of the venue is dedicated to music, the annual event is also notable for its art installations most of which are interactive, providing an extra treat for festival-goers.

The festival, which debuted the same year as the infamous Woodstock ’99, brings in an estimated $250 million to the desert region every year, making it one of the most profitable US festivals.

Just over ten years ago festival organisers permitted campers to stay on site during the festival’s three-day running time, bringing it closer to many UK and European festival formats.