On Wednesday (April 6), Coachella organizers indicated the official news of The Weeknd stepping in. According to Page Six, the organizers allegedly tried to short The Weeknd on his Coachella earnings. The singer reportedly threatened to pull out if his stipend wasn’t equal to Kanye’s. For clarity, Kanye was set to bring in a total of $8 million plus a $500,000 production fee.

Page Six notes a source said, “The Weeknd came in at short notice to take Kanye’s top spot. But Phil Anschutz [who owns the Coachella Festival through AEG Live] wanted to hold on to Kanye’s money and pay The Weeknd far less, just a few million. The festival would pocket the rest.” The Weeknd, 32, was revealed as the leading contestant to replace Kanye at the festival. Kanye, 44, was banned from performing at the 2022 Grammy Awards, due to “concerning online behavior.”

Despite his three nominations and two Grammy wins, the rapper completely dismissed his presence at the award show. Coachella 2022 marks the festival’s return back to the limelight after the previous two festivals (2020 and 2021) were canceled due to COVID-19. The festival will take place over the course of two weekends ( April 15–17 and April 22–24, 2022). The Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia will perform on the two Sundays (April 17 and 24).