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After he was originally set to headline Coachella in 2020 — before the pandemic shut that year down — Frank Ocean again returned to Indio on Sunday to headline the first weekend of this year’s star-studded music festival.
The appearance marked Ocean’s first performance in six years — since 2017’s Flow Festival in Finland.
Ocean was set to take the stage at 10:05 pm — but he’d already stirred a great deal of controversy and backlash online when it was announced that his set would not be included in YouTube’s livestream from the festival.
The video platform confirmed this on Twitter, just a few hours before he took the stage, writing, “Frank Ocean is not scheduled to appear on the Coachella livestream.” No explanation was provided.
Frank Ocean is not scheduled to appear on the Coachella livestream. The current schedule is in the description → https://t.co/oweGcgaTZs
— YouTube (@YouTube) April 17, 2023
Additionally, signs were prominently placed around the venue declaring that no Frank Ocean merchandise would be available for purchase at the festival.
Fans were frustrated by this absence from the livestream and made their disappointment abundantly clear on Twitter.
“frank oceans set is not going to be livestream-“ pic.twitter.com/vVQVvzh6vD
— kylee | stream harrys house | (@spicythebread) April 17, 2023
All Frank Ocean fans right nowpic.twitter.com/80IhNkp0Sr
— NFR Podcast (@nfr_podcast) April 17, 2023
Frank Ocean’s coachella performance wont be live streamed ? pic.twitter.com/YiQBvdabP3
— DREW ☆ (@prettybabushka) April 16, 2023
Frank Oceans set not being live streamed has been the worst thing to happen all year pic.twitter.com/a75N0StFBI
— b😿 (@stupidth0ts) April 17, 2023
wdym frank oceans coachella set won’t be livestreamed…pic.twitter.com/qGdtNUmuGp
— venus🗝 (@gyuprntt) April 17, 2023
me if coachella doesn’t livestream frank ocean tonight pic.twitter.com/cyt2w3H6ho
— ur mom (@notauntblazer) April 17, 2023
WHAT DO YOU MEAN FRANK OCEAN’S SET WONT BE LIVESTREAMED WTF #Coachella
pic.twitter.com/B1nDkRdtRK— ◍ (@jair7s) April 17, 2023
frank ocean’s performance isn’t gonna be livestreamed anymore pic.twitter.com/38yLH8Gru4
— karina (@thekarinadiaz) April 17, 2023
what do u mean frank ocean’s set won’t be on the livestream pic.twitter.com/3yfYOilpBQ
— krits (@sdrgonn) April 17, 2023
When it came time for the live event, it seems Ocean was delayed as well, according to the abundance of tweets and posts from fans in attendance.
While those who couldn’t go to Coachella this year scrambled to find some Instagram live stream of Ocean’s set, those who were there posted that they were increasingly concerned it wasn’t going to happen at all.
Some made comparisons to Kanye West’s now-infamous Donda releases and listening parties, which were often delayed by hours or, in some cases, didn’t actually happen at all.
frank ocean really like the donda listening party’s that he decided to pull a Kanye
— . (@luis_ragerrr) April 17, 2023
Last time I had this much anxiety was Donda era🤣
— FLAWLESS LIKE ME (@tumisangr_) April 17, 2023
this genuinely might be worse than the donda 2 listening party
— . (@jaxwithnx) April 17, 2023
30+ minutes since frank ocean was suppose to perform there is no god
— wendy (@gaychickenmeth) April 17, 2023
frank ocean probably at home in bed rn
— BJORK (@delreyblvd) April 17, 2023
frank ocean is 30 minutes late to coachella. but hes frank ocean so ill wait
— m (@everytimb) April 17, 2023
frank ocean not streaming and being extremely late is the most frank ocean thing he could do.
— . (@pasttense0fdig) April 17, 2023
bruh frank ocean still hasn’t came on lmao he hate us
— 𝒞𝓎𝒶𝓃𝓃 (@Sighaann) April 17, 2023
Coachella about to turn into Woodstock if Frank Ocean cancels
— Drake (@HoffnerDrake) April 17, 2023
As of Sunday evening, one hour after Ocean’s set was scheduled to begin, it appeared that Ocean had finally taken the stage and started his performance. Some fans streamed the show, in part, on Instagram Live, and fans at home scoured the internet for links to said live streams.
It’s unclear why Ocean’s performance was dropped from the YouTube livestream schedule in the first place.
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