Why did Frank Ocean drop out of Coachella? Cancellation drama explained

American singer Frank Ocean will not be performing on the second weekend of Coachella 2023. As per Entertainment Weekly, the 35-year-old star will no longer headline the music and arts festival on April 23 due to a physical injury.

A statement issued to the publication by one of his representatives reads:

"After suffering an injury to his leg on festival grounds in the week leading up to weekend 1, Frank Ocean was unable to perform the intended show but was still intent on performing, and in 72 hours, the show was reworked out of necessity. On doctor's advice, [the] artist is not able to perform weekend 2 due to two fractures and a sprain in his left leg."

The note finishes with Ocean's statement,

"It was chaotic. There is some beauty in chaos. It isn't what I intended to show, but I did enjoy being out there and I'll see you soon."

As per news outlet Variety, Blink-182 is set to take Ocean's spot as the main act.

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Frank Ocean performed his first live show in six years

On Sunday, April 16, Frank Ocean performed as the headliner at Coachella 2023 held in Indio, California, after years of delays. Ocean hadn't performed live before this since the summer of 2017.

He was originally slated to be the event's headlining act in 2020, but the singer was unable to appear on its rescheduled dates in 2022, so he postponed it once again. Quite strangely, Ocean's long-awaited set on Sunday night, which started an hour late, left fans shocked and unhappy.

Two hours before his performance, YouTube announced that it would not live-stream his performance, unlike that of Blackpink and Bad Bunny's.

Earlier, rumors began circulating that Frank Ocean might not even perform at Coachella after signs were posted during the event that no merchandise from the star would be on sale.

When Ocean finally took the stage one hour after his 10:05 pm PT start time, he was not visible, seated far back on the stage, drawing his hood over his head, and repeatedly turning his back to the audience. He made no mention of the delay.

During his performance, there was silence between the tracks that seemingly suggested that Frank Ocean was not interested in performing. He was also seen lip-synching most of his tracks.

Ocean also ended his segment at around 12:22 am stating it was past curfew and he would have to end the show, which left several fans enraged because the set was cut short due to his own mistake.

On Monday, April 17, allegations circulated that Ocean constructed an ice rink for the set but called it off at the last minute, creating an hour-long delay while the rink was dismantled. Ocean's decision to cancel the live broadcast soured his relationship with festival organizers, according to sources.

Moreover, skaters who were due to perform on the ice during the performance complained that they were not made aware of the change in plans until just hours before it was intended to start.