After facing major technical difficulties last weekend, Rema gave a rousing, redemptive performance during his Sunday slot at Coachella weekend two.
The Nigerian Afrobeats artist faced significant issues during the first weekend of the desert festival, as his DJ and band members stalled on stage for the first half-hour of his 45-minute set. When Rema finally emerged, he lip-synched for a couple of songs as the backing track took prominence, only to be rushed off after Coachella producers imposed a strict end time.
On Sunday, Rema gave the invigorated performance he’d initially planned without skipping a beat. After the DJ warmed up the crowd for a few minutes with Davido’s “Unavailable,” Rema emerged atop a makeshift mountain brandishing a sword — a moment excluded from weekend one, likely for time — as he blazed through “Amazan” and “Yayo.” What followed was a parade through his discography, including hits like “Calm Down,” “Charm” and “Bout U.”
“You know what? I think it’s time for the beautiful girls to dance tonight,” he told the crowd while leading into his verse from Darkoo’s “Favorite Girl.” Rema commanded the spotlight as his backup singers emboldened renditions of “Soundgasm” and “HEHEHE,” before he finished off with “Ozeba.”
Weekend one was a sore spot for Coachella, one of the first performances of the event to hit major snags. Reps for Rema explained that he’d arrived two hours before set time and soundcheck went smoothly, but 30 minutes before his actual start time, his in-ears were not fitting and the mic was malfunctioning. Once he got on stage, he couldn’t hear the band and vice versa, which led to the backing track doing much of the work.
But Rema got the opportunity for a second chance and delivered. As one of the final performances of Coachella 2025, Rema did exactly what he set out to do, bringing Afrobeats to California and executing the vision he apparently had in store.
