2.11.2009

U2 headlining Coachella 2009?

What? Is there any truth to this rumor? Not really. This has been one hotly debated rumor that has arose as of late. U2 does have a new album debuting in March, and they haven't announced their tour dates yet. So, one is to wonder.

Coachella has pulled some amazing feats before, like an out-of-the-blue Madonna performance, and of course last year's addition of Prince. There's no doubt that U2 could play at Coachella, but the problem lies with the idea if Coachella can actually afford them. They are probably the biggest band in the world, and their concerts sell out in minutes, so there is no doubt that U2 will sell out Coachella in no time. In fact, they could probably headline all three nights and still sell it out, even adding tour stops in Los Angeles and San Diego.

What is known, is that Coachella paid Prince $4.8 million to headline in 2008. So where on that scale does U2 fit? I can imagine that they might be near the same or a lot higher... $5 to $10 million? It's been reported that out of 60,000 ticket sales for each of the 3 days, Coachella's profit is $18 million. So are they willing to spend $5 to $10 million on just one band? We'll see if that happens. Then again, Bono and company could be nice guys and just play for the hell of it. You never know. I'm sure they will add some big named artists to the lineup, but as for U2, it seems like a far fetched one.

Update: U2 has just announced their tour dates for 2009 click to see where Coachella fits: U2 Tour Dates and Coachella.
U2 - No Line on the Horizon Album Review

Coachella 2009 Rumored Add-ons List
Coachella 2009 Official Line Up
Coachella Virgins... What to Expect at the Festival.
The Last Coachella?
Coachella TV Commercial

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