Coachella attendees have spoken to NME about who they believe should’ve replaced Kanye West on the line-up, and how they feel about the rapper pulling out of the festival.After a year which saw him banned from the 2022 Grammys and banned from Instagram, Kanye decided to exclude himself from America’s biggest music festival, just 11 days before he was set to headline.News of his departure was followed by the announcement that The Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia would replace him on the line-up, closing out Sunday night on both this weekend (April 15 – 17) and next weekend (April 22 – 24) of the festival which takes place in Indio, California.“I feel like he’s dealing with some demons and anyone who needs support, we should give them that grace,” Emma McCardell, a 26-year-old attendee from Seattle, Washington said when asked about Kanye’s drop from the line-up. “If people need space, let them have their space.”Her partner, James who is also 26, shared in that sentiment. “It sucks that it was so last minute, but it feels like we’re watching him go through the worst moment of his life which is super weird because he’s such an outspoken guy.”Both fans bought their tickets before seeing the line-up and were excited to see Phoebe Bridgers, Vince Staples, Denzel Curry, and Billie Eilish.“She’s such a performer, and she cares so deeply about her music,” Emma said of Eilish. “I’m really excited to see it happen.”As far as who they would’ve gone with for Sunday night’s closeout set, James said the “Silk Sonic rumours” had gotten him really excited, before adding that Elton John would’ve also been a great pick “for the history”.Dan Flynn, a 23-year-old attendee from New Port Beach, said he “really liked” that Kanye pulled himself.
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