Former Migos rapper Offset has become arguably the highest-profile act to announce a gig in Russia since the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.

The 33-year-old American revealed to his 25 million Instagram followers that he is set to play the 11,000-cap MTS Live Hall on 18 April, with support from Russian hip-hop artist Toxi$. Tickets are priced between 5,200 and 45,000 rubles (€54-465).

Offset’s announcement comes days after it was reported that the White House is drawing up a plan to potentially give sanctions relief to Russia.

Russia has largely been boycotted by foreign acts in the wake of the February 2022 invasion, while touring giants including Live Nation and Oak View Group pledged not to do business with the country amid widespread outrage over its actions. Other music companies such as Universal Music Group – parent firm of Offset’s record label Motown Records – also suspended operations in the country.

However, IQ reported last summer that more than 100 international DJs and artists had quietly returned to playing concerts in Russia.

Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts plan to launch their upcoming European tour with a free concert in Ukraine

Russian festivals identified as having Western acts on their lineups included Outline, Gamma, Mutabor, Afisha Picnic and Gazgolder Club, while two dance music events allegedly stopped announcing international headliner names until the day of the event to try and prevent them from being cancelled due to negative publicity.

American rapper DaBaby also played a show at VK Stadium in Moscow last week.

Meanwhile, Canadian-American rocker Neil Young said this week that he plans to launch his 2025 European Love Earth Tour with a free concert in Ukraine.

“Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts will open the upcoming Love Earth Tour of Europe in UKRAINE with a free concert for all,” the 79-year-old wrote on his Neil Young Archives (NYA) website. “We are currently in talks and will make the announcement of details here at NYA. Keep on Rockin’ in the FREE WORLD.”

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After a stormy start, the second weekend of the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival received a favourable reaction from the nearly 125,000 people on site, according to local media, with music fans responding positively to bookers’ hip hop-heavy, youth-focused programming.

Promoted by AEG’s Goldenvoice, Coachella – which traditionally marks the beginning of the international festival season – returned to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California for its 19th outing on 13–15 April and 20–22 April, with the Weeknd, Beyoncé and Eminem headlining.

Coachella weekend two got underway on Friday morning (20 April), after revellers were turned away from campsites on Thursday evening owing to intense winds. (Many camped out in the car park of Indio’s Walmart, holding a mini festival of their own,‘Walmart-chella’.)

Coachella has been split into two weekends since 2012, and while there are only minor differences in the music at each (mainly when it comes to special appearances), weekend two is widely regarded as the quieter of the two, with fewer celebrities flaunting their outfits for the ’gram and arguably more ‘real’ music fans, along with an increased number of industry guests.

Headliner Beyoncé largely repeated her performance from the first weekend, once again ‘turning Coachella into Beychella’ with the help of her former Destiny’s Child bandmates, although Japanese rock act X Japan simultaneously gave a strong performance in the Mojave tent, joined by special guest Marilyn Manson.

Temperatures were also higher for Coachella 2018’s second outing, reaching more than 90°F (33°C) compared to the low to mid-80s the previous weekend.

Following AEG UK’s events in banning plastic straws, the festival additionally notable for its ban on single-use plastic straws, phasing them out in favour of paper. “Plastic pollution is a huge problem around the world, and it’s exciting to pioneer change by phasing out the use of single-use plastics from our festivals,” says Mapi Moran, Goldenvoice’s director of festival marketing.

The eclectic line-up drew “an appreciative crowd that looks different from other years”

“Our new straw policy is estimated to eliminate about 300,000 plastic straws from Coachella and Stagecoach. We look forward to announcing similar initiatives later that go beyond just plastic straws.”

According the Desert Sun, Goldenvoice founder Gary Tovar described the audience for Coachella 2018 as a “new generation” of festivalgoers. The “youth must be served”, he said, referencing the urban-focused music line-up – which included fellow headliners Eminem and the Weeknd, along with Post Malone, Vince Staples, Tyler the Creator, Migos (pictured) and Cardi B.

And served the youth were, with the eclectic line-up drawing “an appreciative crowd that looks different from other years”, writes Desert Sun reporter Bruce Ferrier. “It seemed the diverse bands booked by Goldenvoice were attracting diverse audiences.”

“When a singer with Los Angeles Azules proclaimed, ‘We have no wall here’ in Spanish, cheers erupted from the crowd,” he continues.

“Singer Maria Conway of the Marias, dressed in a glittering gown in front of a quintet of guys wearing red suits and white open-collar shirts, mixed English and Spanish-language dream pop-rock in the Sonora tent. She noted there are 167 acts on the Coachella bill and 15 [are] Latino [or] Latino-led. ‘I’m so proud to be part of that,’ she said.”

Goldenvoice has yet to release audience figures from the festival, but CEO Paul Tollett said before the event he expects similar numbers to 2017, when all 250,000 tickets sold out, making it the highest-grossing festival in the world.

Coachella will return for its 20th-anniversary event next April.

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