As festivals expand their reach every year, more and more space has been created for Asian artists on lineups around the world. With familiar chart-toppers like LISA, JENNIE and ENHYPEN taking over the main stages at this year's Coachella, and rising stars like Xdinary Heroes and KickFlip making their Lollapalooza debuts, the upward trend of Asian diasporic representation at Western music festivals continues to grow.
Though this year may have marked their solo debuts at Coachella, LISA and JENNIE are no strangers to the Indio desert. In 2023, before the two branched off into solo ventures, BLACKPINK made history by becoming the first Asian act – and first all-female group – to headline the infamous music festival, opening doors for future Asian artists to take big stages.
Also in 2023, another Coachella milestone was marked for Asian artists. Expanding the Asian experience past the East Asian lens, singer/songwriter Diljit Dosanjh became the first Punjabi-language artist to perform at the festival. Dosanjh performed his set outfitted in a tamba and kurta – traditional male clothing in Punjab – proudly representing his culture and heritage on the global festival stage.
Across the country at Lollapalooza, Doja Cat was set to headline in 2022, but had to drop out of her set due to sickness. Stepping up to take her place, j-hope of BTS filled the vacancy and made festival history by becoming the first Asian headliner. Fast forward to this year's lineup, K-Pop girl group TWICE is making their debut as headliners on Saturday, following Filipino-American Olivia Rodrigo's Friday night headlining set.
Read More: 2025 Music Festivals Guide: Lineups & Dates For Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza & More
While K-Pop continues to dominate festival stages as of late, Asian indie rock artists like Luna Li and wave to earth are also making their way through the festival circuit, with appearances at events like Outside Lands and Governors Ball. Moreover, South Asian and Southeast Asian artists are also making strides in the industry, with acts like Sammy Virji and Beabadoobee gracing multiple festival stages this season.
As the Recording Academy celebrates Asian Artists around the world this AAPI Heritage Month, check out these five acts who proudly celebrate their Asian identity and are taking on some of the biggest festival stages this season.
Dubbed as the next Utada Hikaru, Japanese singer/songwriter Fujii Kaze is bringing his introspective J-pop discography across the country from Lollapalooza to Outside Lands this year.
First being discovered after posting piano covers on YouTube since the age of 12, Kaze quickly garnered attention within the industry and signed with Universal Music Japan in 2019. The following year, he released his debut full-length album HELP EVER HURT NEVER, which topped Billboard Japan's Hot Album chart and sprouted his roots as a rising J-pop star.
A multi-hyphenate composer, pianist and vocalist, Kaze's uniquely individual discography — which most recently includes 2024 singles "Michiteyuku" and "Feelin' Go(o)d," and 2025's "Masshiro" — seamlessly combines elements of R&B, trap and jazz with both English and Japanese lyricism. His genre-fluid sound not only sets him apart from other contemporary J-Pop artists, but also effortlessly creates a sonic landscape that is distinctly his own.
If you are an avid Boiler Room follower, you might have already caught onto the fact that British-Pakistani DJ Ahad Elley, known under the moniker Ahadadream, is a rising star within the electronic music scene.
When he isn't collaborating on tracks with Skrillex or playing live sets with Four Tet, Elley works as a co-founder of Dialled In, a music festival that champions South Asian creative expression and creates a dedicated space for South Asian artists.
In 2024, Elley took his talents to festivals like Coachella and Glastonbury. This year, Elley is taking his percussion-driven production — with sounds rooted in traditional South Asian and African music — to several international festival stages, including Lightning in a Bottle, Sziget, All Point East, and more.
With a name that nods to their British-Chinese heritage, siblings William Gao and Olivia Hardy joined forces in 2019 to create their debut single, "Why Don't U Love Me," a track that combines elements of modern jazz and soft pop with Hardy's haunting vocals. Since then, the duo has unapologetically continued to carve out a space for themselves in the industry.
In 2024, Wasia Project not only supported Laufey on her sold-out Bewitched Tour, but also embarked on their own solo European tour. Building on that momentum, the duo is now set to perform at some of the biggest festivals in the country, including Governors Ball, Outside Lands and Lollapalooza.
Jay Som is the brainchild of Filipina-American artist Melina Mae Cortez Duterte, who found her bearings in the industry after joining fellow Asian-American indie acts Japanese Breakfast and Mitski on tour in 2016. Fast forward almost a decade later, she has released three studio albums, with her latest titled in Tagalog, Anak Ko, which translates to "My Child." The project serves as an homage to her mothers tenderness and her own enduring Filipina identity in the wake of a constantly changing world.
With indie rock guitar synths layered over no-frills shoegaze vocals, Duterte is a force within the alternative music scene. Getting ready to make her debut at Kilby Block Party, Pitchfork Paris and Pitchfork London this year, her set is one you don't want to miss.
The lack of Asian representation within the Western electronic music scene never seemed to discourage Korean-American Joseph Chung and Filipino-American Joseph Abella from pursuing their creative dreams. As a result of their perseverance, the duo ultimately made history by becoming the first Asian-American electronic group to have a Las Vegas residency, with their 10-show run at XS Nightclub and Encore Beach Club at the Wynn.
ARMNHMR, pronounced "Arm and Hammer" is the collaborative project of Chung and Abella, and the two are no strangers to the festival circuit. Not only has the duo performed multiple times at one of the world's biggest electronic music festivals, Electric Daisy Carnival – including taking over the main stage in 2022 — but will also be returning to Las Vegas for this year's edition.
Apart from Electric Daisy Carnival, ARMNHMR is touring up and down the West Coast, with performances slated for Outside Lands, Head In The Clouds and Beyond Wonderland.