The buzz going into the second and final weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was how the event’s organizers and artists would pay tribute to Prince, who died Thursday, a day before the Indio festival reopened its gates.
Throughout the weekend, fans could be spotted in T-shirts with Prince’s likeness, while others just wore purple. Flags in the singer’s beloved color popped up on cars in parking lots and the campgrounds.
There was even a shrine in his honor close to the gates of the festival entrance: a poster announcing Prince’s 2008 set at Coachella, surrounded by purple ribbons, flowers and a pink-and-purple sign with “Nothing compares to you” written in glitter.
FULL COVERAGE: COACHELLA 2016
But inside the festival, the most poignant tribute came from Prince himself.
Before Friday night’s headliners LCD Soundsystem appeared, the main stage went dark and Prince’s voice rang out across the Empire Polo Club field. It was accompanied by video of the singer’s 2008 set at Coachella, where he covered the Radiohead song “Creep.”
As Prince sang, dozens of palm trees lining the grounds were illuminated in purple courtesy of spotlights that typically turn them into myriad colors as dusk falls on the field.
“From now on, this is Prince’s house” was spelled out on the mainstage screen after his video performance, and the crowd erupted into a thunderous applause.
Purple lighting illuminated the Empire Polo Club field, reminding the festival’s 99,000 attendees that Prince was in the house, at least in spirit.
Artists also paid their respects throughout the desert fest.
LCD Soundsystem played an electronic dance version of Prince’s “Controversy” as more lights washed the stage in purple.
Ellie Goulding sang an arresting take of “When Doves Cry” with just a slight piano accompaniment. Without prompting, the thousands of fans taking in her late Friday set joined in on the refrain of the Prince classic.
On Saturday, when Guns N’ Roses took the main stage, bassist Duff McKagan appeared with his white bass adorned in a purple, glittery decal of Prince’s infamous, unpronounceable symbol.
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Ice Cube performs during the second weekend of the 2016 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. He will headline the Hard Summer festival this year, along with Major Lazer.
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A mask of presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders was held above the crowd during the performance of rap duo Run the Jewels, during Weekend 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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Ice Cube and Dr. Dre after reuniting N.W.A during Weekend 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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Ice Cube is joined by Dr. Dre, MC Ren and DJ Yella, from left, as N.W.A reunites at Coachella.
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Killer Mike, left and El-P, who form the rap duo Run the Jewels, perform.
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Killer Mike, left and El-P, of Run the Jewels, perform during Weekend 2.
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Fashion on the polo field as the sun sets during the second weekend of Coachella.
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Musicians Diplo, Jillionaire, Walshy Fire of Major Lazer and special guest MØ perform onstage.
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DJ Baauer spins a set.
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Singer-songwriter Alessia Cara performs onstage.
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Frontman Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros performs onstage.
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Aluna Francis of AlunaGeorge performs onstage with DJ Baauer.
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Kim Schifino, left, and Matt Johnson of Matt and Kim perform onstage.
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Pete Yorn performs onstage.
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DJ Tukutz of Epik High performs onstage.
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Dave Quackenbush of The Vandals performs onstage.
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Frontman Nathaniel Rateliff performs with his band The Night Sweats.
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Lars Frederiksen, from left, Branden Steineckert and Matt Freeman of Rancid perform onstage.
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Ice Cube on stage at Coachella.
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Ice Cube and Dr. Dre together during Weekend 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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Ice Cube and Dr. Dre hug after reuniting N.W.A at Coachella.
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La Grande Wheel as the sun begins to set on Weekend 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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With “Tower of Twelve Stories,” by artist Jimenez Lai at left, the sun sets on the polo field as CHVRCHES finishes its set during Weekend 2 of Coachella.
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A sign language interpreter, left, during Ice Cube’s performance.
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A sign language interpreter during Ice Cube’s performance during Weekend 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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Fashion on the polo field during Weekend 2.
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Gary Clark Jr. performs on the Coachella Stage on Saurday at the Coachella Festival.
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Gary Clark Jr. performs on the Coachella Stage during the second weekend of the Coachella Festival.
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A festivalgoer dances while waiting to be sprayed inside the Do Lab during the second weekend at Coachella.
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Kenyan artist Ngene Maura continues working on his yet-untitled piece inside the Do Lab.
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Dancers cool off in the Do Lab on April 22 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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The scene inside the Sahara tent while DJ Mustard performs on Weekend 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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Inside the Sahara tent April 22 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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A man wearing wings walks through the crowd on April 22, the opening day of Weekend 2 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio.
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Art installation “Katrina Chairs,” by Cuban artist Alexandre Arrechea, as night falls on April 22, the opening day of Weekend 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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Brisk afternoon winds made hat wearing an adventure on April 22 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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Dancers cool off in the Do Lab on April 22 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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Dancers cool off in the Do Lab on April 22 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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A festive umbrella offers a bit of shade on Weekend 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 22.
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Dancers cool off in the Do Lab at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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Dancers cool off in the Do Lab at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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Rapper Joey Badass performs April 22 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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Security sprays the audience with cooling mist before the start of Joey Badass’s show April 22 on Weekend 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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Dancers cool off in the Do Lab at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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Model and artist Chris De King walks the grounds on Friday, the opening day of Weekend 2 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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Megan Elischer, from west Los Angeles, a member of the Go-Go Hoop Dance Stars in L.A., dances to the sounds of LCD Soundsystem with her LED-lit hoop, on Weekend 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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A man passes through the crowd wearing a pink wig and a tutu on opening day of Weekend 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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A music fan pauses on the polo field as the sun begins to set on opening day of Weekend 2 at Coachella.
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Gallant performs during Weekend 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, on April 22, 2016.
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Coachella revelers sit inside the art installation “Portals” by Phillip K. Smith III as night falls on opening day of Weekend 2 of the music and arts festival.
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A crowd gathers during the Snakehips show on Weekend 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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Festival-goers rest inside the Mojave tent before the start of the Snakehips show at Coachella.
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An art installation “Portals” by Phillip K. Smith III is seen as night falls on opening day of Weekend 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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Friends, from left, Rio Wilkinson of Australia, Marie Bjoentegaard of Norway and Lindsay Gilbert of Australia dance during the performance of Joe Badass at Coachella.
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Debbie Savigny, 64, left, from Cool, and her friend since third grade Julie Hamilton, 65, from Bloomington, bring their walkers with seats to better enjoy the second weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Hamilton, who says she has worked at 10 Coachella events, said she finally decided to enjoy one as a fan and looked forward to seeing Sia.
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Alejandro Murcia, left and Wanda Quintero, both from Colombia, at their first Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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People stopped to take pictures at a tribute to Prince.
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Rapper ASAP Rocky performs from the middle of the crowd during weekend two of Coachella.
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Gallant performs during weekend two of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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Rapper ASAP Rocky performs from the middle of the crowd during weekend two of Coachella.
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A memorial to Prince is seen during the first day of Weekend 2 at the 2016 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio.
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A tribute to Prince is seen at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 22, 2016.
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Joey Bada$$ pays tribute to Prince during the 2016 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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Joey Badass performs a Prince tribute onstage during Coachella Valley on April 22, 2016.
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AJ Whitaker, from Los Angeles, attending her first Coachella, poses in front of “Besame Mucho,” by R & R Studios.
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A sign language interpreter, left, during Ice Cube’s performance.
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Ice Cube, from left, is joined by Dr. Dre, MC Ren and DJ Yella.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Earlier that evening, Ice Cube, who wore purple shoes and a purple bandanna onstage, began the set by displaying a large image of Prince. “To an icon in music and entertainment, I would like to dedicate this show to my man Prince Rogers Nelson,” he said.
Run the Jewels’ Killer Mike kicked off his duo’s set with a nod to the audience. “I want everyone to look to the sky,” he said. “Prince, wherever you are, we are burning this to the ground in your name.”
Prince was also a presence on smaller stages throughout the weekend.
On Friday afternoon, revered soul singer Mavis Staples stopped her set to honor the late “Purple Rain” artist.
“I lost a dear friend. He was my son … my angel,” Staples told the audience of the performer who was found dead in his home studio Thursday morning at age 57. “He was the most beautiful spirit I ever met. He was a gentleman. … He was respectful.”
Staples recounted meeting Prince for the first time and recording for his Paisley Park imprint, then she led the crowd in a moment of silence for “our dear friend” before singing a few lines of “Purple Rain” a cappella, which opened a rollicking take of “Wade in the Water.”
Brooklyn rapper Joey Badass flashed Prince’s symbol on the video screen behind him.
During another set, rising alternative-R&B singer Gallant was joined by surprise guest Jhené Aiko for a brief but touching version of “Diamonds and Pearls.” And later, Gallant popped up with Sufjan Stevens to tackle “Purple Rain.”
Electronic duo Jack U did a short Prince mash-up, sending a burst of confetti over the audience during a frenetic remix of “I Wanna Be Your Lover” as images of the singer flashed on the screen.
The Despacio dance tent spun Prince classics throughout the weekend as purple lights bounced off disco balls.
Though it’s been close to a decade since Prince played on this very field, his presence permeated Weekend 2, reminding artists and audience alike just how lucky we were to once have him in our midst.
gerrick.kennedy@latimes.com
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