Noga Erez makes Coachella history

She may have done it with a bloody nose – apparently caused by a head butt from her daughter – but Israeli indie artist Noga Erez has made history, becoming the first Israeli musician to perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Erez took to the Gobi Tent stage at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, on April 11, performing alongside Coachella headliners Sabrina Carpenter and Justin Bieber.

Erez, together with her partner and musical collaborator, bassist Ori Rousso, have been performing throughout the US and Europe since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, steadily growing their audience, but getting to Coachella this year was a whole challenge in itself. The lead-up to the show turned into a logistical and bureaucratic nightmare against the backdrop of the war with Iran, involving cancelled flights, a stranded crew, and soaring costs.

In the days before the performance, Pro-Palestinian activists had threatened to force a cancellation of her show, called on her to “go back to Israel,” and urged a boycott because of her nationality. Erez kept things light on social media throughout, at one point responding to an antisemitic commenter by deadpanning a grammar correction on camera.

Coachella hasn’t been immune to antisemitism and threats in the past.