Tyler, the Creator Wants Coachella Attendees to Put Their Phones Down

Rapper Tyler, the Creator has a pointed message for music fans headed to Coachella this weekend: put your phone away.

More specifically, Tyler told festival goers his thoughts via a massive billboard, posted by Complex to X, formerly Twitter, which reads:

"I WOULD LOVE TO SEE Y'ALL FACES AND NOT YOUR PHONE LIGHTS."

He signed off the message with his name and a smiley face. The billboard can be spotted on the drive from Palm Springs to Indio, where this year's annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will be held. The venue has hosted the iconic music festival since 1999, when it was only a two-day event.

 
The Camp Flog Gnaw founder is well known for his distaste of fans being on their phones at concerts and not fully absorbed in the real-life performance happening in front of them.

"If you have a cell phone out, put that sh-- in your pocket," said the IGOR rapper at a 2023 show in Dublin, Ireland. His statement was effective as the video is merely two seconds long.

In another instance, a fan at a Florida show threw his phone on stage at Tyler. His response was less than enthusiastic:

"Who threw their phone? You're a f--ing idiot," he said to the crowd, displeased with the action.

He continued, "I'm performing you f--ing f--k. That's what I'm talking about. Miami is f-ing crazy, bro!"

This phone throw is just one incident among a growing trend of concertgoers inappropriately throwing things at the artist onstage. A man threw a phone at Bebe Rexha in a now infamous incident. He reportedly thought that it would be "funny" to do so.

The topic of phones at concerts has been hotly debated. While many people take videos at concerts for the sake of looking back later and enjoying the memory, many also argue that phones take away the full experience of live music. Silk Sonic, composed of duo Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, made attendees lock their phones away at the opening night of their Las Vegas residency.

One attendee described the phone-less aspect of the concert as '"one of the best parts of the show." Mars himself said that performing in front of a real crowd, without their phones out, allows him to "Truly live in the moment."

Tyler, the Creator will headline both Saturdays of Coachella. Other headliners include Doja Cat, Lana Del Rey and No Doubt. The lineup boasts an impressive roster of artists from all genres, ranging from Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan to Dom Dolla and DJ Snake.

Coachella's first weekend sold out, but the festival's ticket sales saw their biggest slump in years. Tickets that used to sell out within hours took days to run empty this year. Those interested can still buy tickets for the event's second week.

Coachella's first weekend runs from April 12 to 14; the second weekend is April 19 to 21.