Coachella 2025’s first weekend was jam-packed with artists and cultural icons who went beyond the music to speak out on some of the most pressing issues of the day, encouraging the audience to follow suit. It was all in keeping with the tradition this festival has come to represent of providing an annual space where culture and consciousness collide and art and activism take center stage.

Musicians have always been instrumental in shaping culture, molding movements, and turning beats into battle cries for change. It is a role that has taken on particular importance these days with the sense of helplessness so many feel in the face of such challenging times.

Festivals like Coachella bring us all together. Not just for the music, but to protest injustice and rally for change. And not just for the hundreds of thousands of global attendees who flock to the desert or watch the virtual livestreams. But also for the millions of fans beyond the festival grounds who hear or read about its happenings and take in the call to action this musical platform so powerfully delivers.

We’ve rounded up some of the top Coachella moments from this year, and looked back at classic memories since the festival’s beginnings in the ‘90s, where participants and performers best personified the whistleblower spirit through their music and messaging and their demonstrated fearlessness, tenacity, and infinite quest to find and speak the truth.

Bernie Sanders Introducing Clairo

He may not know how to sing, but Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders certainly has a voice. And he is using it more and more of late to empower so many feeling so powerless in these trying times. He made a surprise appearance at the festival on April 12, fresh off the heels of his “Fighting Oligarchy” rally tour date in LA with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Neil Young, Joan Baez, Maggie Rogers, and friends.

Before introducing Clairo — an artist known for her political activism and calls for social change – Sanders used the platform to sing his own tune for change, criticizing the current administration and its attitude toward subjects like climate change and healthcare.

He encouraged everyone to speak up: “… You can turn away and you can ignore what goes on but if you do that, you do it at your own peril. We need you to stand up, to fight for justice. To fight for economic justice, social justice, and racial justice.”

Now, if Yo Gabba Gabba (who also performed at this year’s festival) could bring Bernie Sanders on stage for a surprise collaboration in the future, that would be incredible..

Beyoncé (#Beychella)

In 2018, Beyoncé was the first Black woman to headline Coachella. Her groundbreaking performance penned a love letter to Black culture as she celebrated Black empowerment, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU), pride, freedom, and feminism. She crafted her show around these themes and performed alongside an HBCU-style marching band. One of the most memorable songs from the performance was “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” She used this show as opportunity to inspire individuals and highlight African American culture.

Massive Attack

The British band reportedly declined Coachella’s request to play the 2025 festival, citing concerns over the festival’s environmental impact. Frontman Robert “3D” Del Naja explained: “It’s a golf resort built on a desert, run on a sprinkler system, using public water supplies.” The decision to skip the festival is the ultimate whistleblower power move, showcasing the band’s commitment to sustainability and eco-conscious touring behavior.

Green Day

It is no surprise that Green Day melded music and activism into their performance and brought their whistleblower spirit to Coachella 2025. We previously dove into the band’s catalogue and examined the best lyrics where Green Day calls truth to power, so of course we had to include them in this round-up.

At the festival, the band changed several lyrics to make various political statements including “not part of a MAGA agenda” in “American Idiot.”

In “Jesus of Suburbia,” Billie Joe Armstrong subbed the lyrics “Runnin’ away from pain like the kids from Palestine” in the “Tales from Another Broken Home” section of the song. Before “Holiday,” Armstrong declared it is an “anti-war” song. The band has prefaced the song live with this announcement since around 2004.

Amyl and the Sniffers

The Australian punk outfit is proud to take a stand for their beliefs during their performances. Amy Taylor, the band’s lead singer, decried sexism, racism, homophobia, and other types of mistreatment and harassment. On stage at Coachella this year, she advocated for LGBTQ+ and women’s rights. She also spoke about the war in Gaza. Some of their songs are more freedom-centric and share empowering themes, as heard in “Guided by Angels,” with lyrics detailing self-belief and personal strength. It’s a song about feeling protected even when the world feels wild and dark.

Kendrick Lamar

At his 2017 Coachella performance, Kendrick Lamar tackled themes such as institutional racism, police brutality, and spiritual struggles. During this era, Lamar debuted DAMN. The record’s lyrics grappled with systemic oppression, inequalities, media manipulation, expression, inner conflicts, racial identity in America, and surveillance.

In 2018, Lamar’s DAMN. won a Pulitzer Prize for cited reasons including “vernacular authenticity.” Such authenticity has carried throughout his career as recently highlighted during his 2025 social commentary-filled Super Bowl performance.

Lady Gaga

Mother Monster brought an opera house to the desert for her jaw-dropping, 2-hour Mayhem-filled cinematic masterpiece of a performance on April 11, 2025. There were plenty of out-of-the-box moments where Gaga promoted self-empowerment and naturally performed “Born this Way.” We previously applauded Gaga’s activism during Women’s History Month with our round-up honoring female artist whistleblowers. In 2017, Gaga also played Coachella where she similarly touted themes of acceptance, identity, and resilience.

Rage Against the Machine

The outspoken and politically charged band has played Coachella a few times. In 1999, the band paid most of their Coachella proceeds back to help the festival stay alive. In 2007, they returned to the desert to play protest songs and shout-along classics like “People of the Sun,” “Wake Up,” “Bulls on Parade,” and “Killing in the Name.” Staying true to their form, their setlist was filled with social commentary and government criticisms.

Run the Jewels

In 2015, Run the Jewels turned their performance into a loud and unapologetic rally for resistance and reforms. The group spoke out against systemic injustice, police violence, and inequalities, all echoing themes found in their lyrics.

2025 was not Bernie Sanders’s first appearance at Coachella – he introduced Run the Jewels via video message before their 2016 performance. In 2015 and 2016, Rage Against the Machine’s Zack de la Rocha joined the group on stage for Run the Jewels songs.

 

We applaud artists who use important platforms, such as music festivals, to share impactful messaging in efforts to change the world. Cheers to past, present, and future whistleblowing moments as they unfold at Coachella and beyond.

 

Read Beyoncé, Clairo, Lady Gaga, and More Artists Who Amplified Their Whistleblower Spirit at Coachella at constantinecannon.com