Coachella is famously one of the most trendsetting festivals on the planet, meaning that a strong performance there can significantly boost an artist’s profile and trajectory.
A new documentary series from Coachella producer Goldenvoice explores this phenomenon through the lens of 2025 performances from Shaboozey, Ivan Cornejo, Djo, The Marias and The Dare. Sponsored by T-Mobile and co-produced by creative agency MGX, the five-part Arrival began unrolling on YouTube earlier this summer, with the final episode featuring Djo debuting more recently.
Arrival looks at how artists often design their entire annual schedule around a Coachella set, with Djo’s manager Nick Stern saying in the doc that “it was really an exciting moment when we found out we got our Coachella offer. We had been planning the album cycle and the touring cycle really based around Coachella, so in a way, it was a big relief to get that offer, but also always exciting to be asked to play for 20,000 people.”
Taking viewers behind the scenes, from each artist preparing for the show to the performance itself, Arrival looks at how playing Coachella is a milestone moment for most any act. “Thankfully we got through … all of those really difficult and awkward moments to now playing the Outdoor Stage at Coachella,” María Zardoya of indie pop band The Marias says in the group’s episode, with the bandmate Josh Conway adding that “we stuck to our gut, and here we are.”
“I’m so grateful that Goldenvoice Productions chose us to document such a special moment for us in Arrival,” Zardoya tells Billboard. “It memorialized a performance that ended up being my favorite in the band’s history. It truly felt like the ‘moment’ we had been working toward over the last eight years as a band. I know it won’t be our last; main stage next.”
“Making the episode of Arrival really put everything into perspective for us,” adds Conway. “Between the conversations about our experience and history as a band, and going through our memory boxes, it made an already monumental Coachella performance even more special.”
Arrival follows a 2024 mini-documentary from Goldenvoice Productions called Busy P Says Oui that explores the process of booking Daft Punk’s history making 2006 Coachella set.
“When we began this partnership between MGX and Coachella, our goal was always to create a series that went beyond just the lead-up to the festival,” series director at MGX CEO Karam Gill tells Billboard. “We wanted each episode to explore deeper cultural themes, creative influences, and personal stories — giving fans an intimate look at some of this year’s most exciting artists.”
Watch the Djo episode below and find the complete Arrival series on YouTube.
