Stagecoach hints Shaboozey will play this year's fest. Here's who we think could join him
Could Stagecoach fans be treated to a big ole' glass of Shaboozey at next year's festival?
That seems to be the strong implication of a post teasing the 2025 country music festival — which will take place April 25-27, 2025 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio — on Stagecoach's social media accounts Tuesday afternoon.
The post consisted of a 16-second clip depicting the Stagecoach sign that can be found near the festival entrance that was set to the chorus of singer Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," which has topped the charts and become a strong contender for the "song of the summer" (at least the country one) since it was released in April.
The clip was posted with the song's lyrics "Someone pour up a double shot of whiskey" and a link to Shaboozey's own social media pages.
Such teasers, which usually come just days before the release of the lineup, have become something of a festival tradition. Last year, the festival posted a clip of a cartoon Willie Nelson driving toward the festival with the words "I Can't Wait," a reference to his song "On the Road Again."
A lineup with Nelson on it was posted the next day. The year before that, a video with audio from Brooks & Dunn's "Neon Moon" was posted before the duo were announced as part of the lineup. 'It should be noted that the artists who the festival hints at have not usually been the headliners, although they have nonetheless been big draws.
A second weekend for Stagecoach festival?
While the video seems to almost surely point to a return Shaboozey appearance (he appeared as a surprise performer alongside The Chainsmokers at last year's festival), one commenter also speculated whether the word "double" in the caption could also be a hint that a second weekend is being added to this year's festival.
A spokesperson for the festival did not immediately respond to an inquiry from The Desert Sun asking about both possibilities, which was unsurprising given that Goldenvoice historically does not respond to questions about the festival lineup ahead of its release.
However, a second weekend does not seem without merit as those looking to buy tickets for this year's festival are directed to the waitlist on the event website. That comes on the heels of last year's festival also selling out. Coachella has consisted of two weekends with (mostly) identical lineups since 2012.
So, when will the Stagecoach lineup be released? It's unclear, but last year's lineup was posted on Sept. 7 while the 2022 one came on Sept. 12.
And if Shaboozey is likely in, then who is likely to join him? Although we won't know for sure until the full lineup is released, that didn't stop us at The Desert Sun from starting to think about the most likely possibilities. Here are our best guesses (each of whom does not have any tour dates currently scheduled during the festival):
Lainey Wilson: Wilson is no stranger to the desert. She first played the festival on a small temporary stage early in the day in 2022, only to return and perform in a much more high-profile time slot on the Mane Stage the next year. But as fast as her star rose between her first and second Stagecoach appearance, Wilson has seemed to only take off even more exponentially since. She now boasts several CMA awards, several No. 1 hits, a brand-new album and a star that currently seems to rival almost anyone in the genre. A triumphant headlining return to the fest where she played to a mostly empty field just a couple of years ago seems to make almost too much sense. The one thing possibly standing in the way? Wilson is slated to perform at another festival in Florida in May, although Goldenvoice seems to have relaxed long rumored rules requiring an exclusive festival "window" for its fest performers.
Zach Bryan: Bryan is one of the few contemporary country musicians whose star could be said to have risen as fast as Wilson's. For proof, look no further than the NFL stadiums he's been selling out all summer long, which seem to leave little doubt that Bryan would bring quite a crowd to Stagecoach. In fact, Bryan seems so popular that the only thing that gives us pause is that it seems like Stagecoach could want Bryan more than he wants it at this point. That said, he also has a crossover appeal that could make him the unique sort of artist who could stick around in the desert for a rare Coachella/Stagecoach double billing.
Snoop Dogg: This one doesn't feel as farfetched as it might first seem. From Smokey Robinson to Nelly and Wiz Khalifa, Stagecoach has been developing something of a new tradition of booking renowned hip-hop and R&B/soul artists whose music isn't considered country by any traditional definition. So who better to look to than the rapper of Gin and Juice, which was covered by everyone from Eric Church to Jelly Roll at last year's fest. Need further evidence of Snoop's country cred? Look to his 2008 collab with Willie Nelson "My Medicine." Plus, he probably needs something to look forward to now that the Olympics are over.
Kenny Chesney: Stagecoach typically looks to balance its headlining spots with a mix of fresh faces and country veterans. So enter Chesney, who last headlined in 2017 and seems due for some time on the Mane Stage. Plus, the success of "Take Her Home" from his recent album and his own just completed tour of massive football stadiums suggests he is still one of the biggest draws in country music despite now being closer to 60 than 50.
Luke Combs: Yes, Combs just headlined back in 2022, which initially had us thinking it might be a little soon to have him back. But then we got to thinking about all the great songs he's released in the 2.5 years since he was last here and started to realize he could almost put together an entire show consisting solely of songs that were even out during his last Mane Stage gig. Heck, we had no idea how much Combs loved "Fast Car" back then. Plus, is any country music fan really going to say no to more Luke Combs?
Jelly Roll: OK, if it's too soon to have Luke Combs back, then it's most definitely too soon for Jelly Roll, who just performed last year. Except as we've all been learning, the normal rules don't seem to apply to this burgeoning superstar. Jelly's, uh, larger-than-life personality left an indelible mark on last year's festival as he crashed the sets of everyone from Willie Nelson to Nickleback and triumphantly declared that he would someday come back and headline. So why put off the inevitable?
Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and email him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: When will this year's Stagecoach festival lineup be announced?
