The Weeknd Threatens To Pull Out Of Coachella, Demands Kanye West Paycheck

The Weeknd threatened to pull out of Coachella due to the pay being less than Kanye West’s expected paycheck, Page Six reports. Earlier today, it was revealed that The Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia were set to replace Kanye West, who recently dropped out of both of his Sunday headlining slots.

West was reportedly prepared to make $8 million, plus a $500,000 production fee if he played the festival. A source told Page Six, “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.” This led to negotiations between The Weeknd’s management and Anschutz’s company Goldenvoice, which produces the festival.

“Even after Coachella announced the new lineup on Wednesday, a deal wasn’t in place for The Weeknd, who threatened to pull out at an hour’s notice if he didn’t get the same deal as Kanye,” the source continued. “Finally, on Wednesday — faced with the prospect of a second headline act pulling out of Coachella at the last minute — Anschutz’s company caved and agreed to pay The Weeknd the same money.”