The 2020 edition of Coachella was canceled as the coronavirus pandemic went into full force
Revelers in thong bodysuits, sporting glitter eyeshadow and draped in neon, attended late Friday as the first Coachella event since the pandemic broke out in the California desert.
Twerkified dance routines on the lock, after Brazil's Anita invites Snoop Dogg and Sovetie on stage, brought lightning with the thrilling crowd, as Phoebe Bridgers strikes a light-wavy mood with her gloomy lyricism with dreamy strings. Admitted - and a guttural scream for good measure.
And as Harry Styles debuted as a headliner at Coachella, the night's premiere set covered in a fur coat, to reveal the disco ball of a dress he donned to dance on the stage runway, Thousands of screaming fans were shouting at his feet.
He later delighted fans by bringing none other than Shania Twain on stage for several duets, telling audiences that he used to sing along to the superstar's hits of the nineties in his mother's car.
"I'm a little starstruck ... singing this song with you is a little too real," said Twain when the pair sang their 1997 track "You're Still the One."
The massive event, taking place over two three-day weekends, is one of the world's most-visited festivals, and traditionally closes the summer concert circuit of the year.
The 2020 edition of Coachella was scrapped as the coronavirus pandemic went into full force, and two years of chaotic cancellations, rescheduled shows and lineup shakeups began.
As it returns after a three-year hiatus, Coachella is a bellwether for the multi-billion dollar tourism industry that continues to remain on shaky ground after the shock of the pandemic.
After other mass festivals including Lollapalooza last year required proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 result, Coachella announced this winter that no such mitigation measures, including masks or social distancing, would be required.
But it comes amid a spurt in coronavirus cases across the country, caused by a highly transmissible omicron subvariant known as BA.2.
Friday saw a rise in temperature and as we descended on the festival grounds to party for three days, contracting coronavirus came back to mind.