BigBang reunites at Coachella stage

“Coachella, what’s up!”

South Korean group BigBang opened its 20th anniversary campaign with a long-awaited performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, one of the world’s largest music events. Members G-Dragon, Taeyang and Daesung took the stage together under the group’s name for the first time in nine years.

The trio delivered a roughly hourlong set at the Outdoor Theatre in Indio, California, on April 12 local time. The venue is Coachella’s second-largest stage. BigBang had been scheduled to appear at the 2020 festival, but the event was canceled due to the pandemic. The performance finally came together six years later. Although Taeyang and Daesung joined G-Dragon at the 2024 MAMA Awards in Osaka, this marked the group’s first full performance together since its 2017 “Last Dance Tour.”

The setlist traced the group’s musical trajectory. The three members emerged among flag bearers and opened with “Bang Bang Bang,” immediately energizing the crowd. A string of hits including “Fantastic Baby” and “Sober” sustained the momentum. Rearranged versions of “A Fool of Tears,” “LOSER,” “Haru Haru” and “Lies” shifted the mood, with Taeyang and Daesung’s vocals standing out.

The midsection highlighted each member’s individual style. Taeyang drove the pace with “Ringa Linga,” followed by G-Dragon’s performance of “Power.” The pair then moved into their unit track “Good Boy.” Daesung followed with “Wings” and “Look at Me, Gwisoon,” introducing what he described as “K-trot” to the Coachella stage. The set continued with a mix of tracks including “HOME SWEET HOME” and “Bad Boy.”

Performing as a three-member lineup, the group reflected on the moment. “This stage means a great deal to us. Thank you for being here with us,” Taeyang said. Daesung said he would carry the memory with him and hoped to create more this year. G-Dragon added that BigBang’s 20th anniversary “is just beginning.” At a solo concert last year, he hinted at renewed group activity, saying the band was preparing a distinctive concept to mark the milestone.

Ahead of the performance, attention had focused on whether former members would take part. Seungri, who left following the Burning Sun scandal, and T.O.P, who previously departed amid a marijuana controversy, did not join the show. T.O.P recently released a solo album for the first time in 13 years. BigBang is scheduled to return to the Coachella stage once more on April 19.


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