Massive Attack Say They Turned Down Coachella Due to Festival’s Environmental Impact

Massive Attack have turned down an approach from Coachella to perform at the 2025 festival, citing its environmental impact, Robert “3D” Del Naja told NME in a recent interview. Speaking with Greg Cochrane, Del Naja lamented the burden on water supplies of the festival, as well as others in desert locations and those accessible only by air.

“We said no to Coachella for next year,” Del Naja said. “We’ve been there once, and once was enough. It’s in Palm Springs. It’s a golf resort built on a desert, run on a sprinkler system, using public water supplies. Mental. If you want to see something that’s the most ludicrous bit of human behaviour—it’s right there.”

Del Naja and Cochrane came to discuss Coachella via the Las Vegas Sphere. “That’s an aviation destination,” Del Naja said. “You can’t get to Vegas [without flying]…. What a brilliant bit of infrastructure in the worst possible place it could be—in the worst setting in the world.” Among the band’s various ecological touring initiatives, he added, the band is planning to release new music next year.

Pitchfork has reached out to Massive Attack and Coachella’s respective representatives for additional comment and information.