Frank Ocean's shock departure from Coachella's second weekend sent ripples through the entertainment industry. After sustaining a leg injury at the festival site in the week prior to weekend 1, Ocean proceeded to show up an hour late to his April 16 10:05pm slot. He then cut his set short due to the festival's midnight curfew. Fans were also left disappointed when it was revealed the set would not be live-streamed. Overall, it was a complete mess of a set from the artist.
Ocean was meant to perform at a similar timeslot on April 23. However, it was announced on April 20 that Ocean would not be returning to Coachella for its second weekend. Ocean's representatives cited his injuries as the primary reason for his withdrawal. Blink-182 was scheduled as a replacement for his Sunday night set. Ocean's set, however, included a large ice rink problem. Now organizers are struggling to work out what to do with it.
Ice Rink Gives Festival Organizers Logistical Headache
Ocean's Coachella set reportedly included a large rink, which would have contained 100 trained skaters who performed during his session. However, the rink was allegedly scrapped prior to his Weekend 1 set. The problem is that the rink is a physical ice rink that Coachella now just owns. Furthermore, it's now a symbol of Ocean's departure, which is reportedly costing the festival "several million dollars." The rink itself was allegedly the most expensive part of Ocean's set. However, it was scrapped after Ocean suffered multiple fractures and a sprain during rehearsals.
Coachella's organizing staff is now trying to find a way to incorporate the rink into the festival's second weekend, which kicks off later today. Due to liability concerns, the rink cannot be turned into a public skating rink. However, the organizers are hoping that it can be incorporated into another artist's set. blink-182 are scheduled to fill Ocean's 9:20pm timeslot. Additionally, the 10:25pm closer is listed as "tba". However, there is no word as of yet as to which artists may take on the responsibility of the ice rink. Coachella Weekend 2 opened at 12pm PDT on April 21 with sets by Dave from the Grave and Juliet Mendoza.
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