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On Friday morning, the iconic turquoise-haired virtual idol, Hatsune Miku, is set to grace her largest stage yet: Coachella. Having embarked on a North American tour, enchanting thousands in grand concert venues, Miku has solidified her presence with branding deals, including collaborations with tech giant Google. Now, she’s poised to captivate her devoted fans at one of the world’s premier music festivals, sharing the spotlight with luminaries like Lana Del Rey and the Deftones.
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival organizers have confirmed the long-awaited appearance of Hatsune Miku, Japan’s foremost virtual diva, marking the fulfillment of a promise left unmet for four years due to disruptions in 2020. While Miku enjoys global popularity, her inclusion in such a prestigious music event underscores the profound impact of Vocaloid programs on the music landscape.
Reported by both Pop Base’s X account and Crunchyroll, Miku is scheduled to perform on Saturdays during the festival’s two consecutive three-day weekends in April: April 12-14 and 19-21.
While other Japanese acts are slated for different days, Miku’s presence stands out as that of a virtual creation treated as a genuine, flesh-and-blood performer.
Despite this not being Miku’s inaugural appearance at Coachella, efforts to bring her to the festival were previously thwarted. Initially slated for the 2020 edition, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the event’s cancellation, a fate shared by numerous annual gatherings. Though Coachella resumed in 2022, Miku was absent from the lineup until now. Alongside Miku, esteemed Japanese performers like YOASOBI and Atarashi Gakko! are set to grace the festival stage.
Miku’s Coachella debut marks a significant milestone in her journey, from a mere voicebank designed for Yamaha’s Vocaloid program to a cultural phenomenon. Having lent her voice to countless songs, she’s cultivated a vast discography, co-owned by both her and the artists who utilized her program. While Miku’s past live performances incorporated hologram technology, her upcoming appearance in California is likely to continue this trend. Though holograms and virtual singers are commonplace in Japan, Coachella attendees may find it a novel experience.
While some may dismiss Hatsune Miku as a fictional vocalist, her contribution to the creation of thousands of songs has sparked a vibrant subculture of anime-adjacent music production. Groups like Supercell, known for their work on anime series like Bakemonogatari and Takt Op. Destiny, owe their start to Vocaloid. Miku’s presence at Coachella is not just an acknowledgment of a fictional character but also a celebration of the vast community that has embraced her voice and the music it represents.