California headliners to look for at Stagecoach 2025, including two ‘American Idol’ winners
McKenna Mobley- Five California-based artists are scheduled to perform at the Stagecoach Music Festival this month.
- The country festival often features artists from Tennessee and Texas over Californians, who typically dominate other music genres.
- The California artists performing include American Idol winners Abi Carter and Chayce Beckham, Annie Bosko, Dasha, and Sammy Hagar.
Just over 60 artists are billed to perform across Stagecoach Music Festival's three stages this month.
Of those performers, only five are California locals, including Indio- and Apple Valley-based American Idol winners Abi Carter and Chayce Beckham.
It is typical for the country festival to include a profusion of Tennessee and Texas-based performers over California artists, who historically dominate other musical genres.
For instance, of the top 25 artists on Apple Music's Top 100 2024: Shazam Radio Chart: Country, only three – Dasha, Nicky Youre, and Nate Smith – are California locals compared to six local artists on the rock 'n' roll portion of the 2024 Shazam chart.
This year's low California artist count is on par with the recent average: three California natives performed to an Indio crowd at Stagecoach last year — including The Beach Boys — and five California locals in 2023.
“I’m so excited to get back home to California and finally play one of the biggest stages for country music - Stagecoach Festival," Beckham said, American Idol Season 19 winner. "I’ve always wanted to be a part of this festival."
Of the California entertainers to look for at this year's country fest, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar claims unsolicited notoriety over the lot, who are up-and-coming country artists carving a name for themselves on the country charts by performing at Stagecoach alongside "Mane Stage" artists like Jelly Roll and Luke Combs — country crooners with tens of millions monthly listeners on Spotify.
Here is the roundup of California artists to look for at the 16th annual Stagecoach Music Festival:
Abi Carter
Carter is one of two "American Idol" winners to perform at this year's Stagecoach. The Indio local took home the Season 22 title at only 21 years old in 2024.
In between classes at Cal State San Bernardino, where she graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in marriage and family therapy before "American Idol," Carter was seen busking on the streets of Palm Springs, reeling in a fanbase of Southern California desert locals.
The Coachella Valley native released her debut album "Ghosts in the Backyard" in 2024, influenced by the sounds of Phoebe Bridgers, Manchester Orchestra, and Gracie Abrams, her team said in a press release.
“I am so so excited to be playing Stagecoach," Carter said. "Not only is this my first ever festival, but the grounds are mere minutes from where I grew up. The nerves are definitely settling in, but I know this is going to be something I’ll remember for the rest of my life!”
Carter's performance is one of the first to kickstart Stagecoach weekend. Catch the show from 1:10 to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, April 25, at the Mane Stage.
Annie Bosko
Singer-songwriter Annie Bosko is among the newer California natives taking the stage at this year's festival. Her debut hit “Crooked Halo” amassed more than 3 million streams in 2014, earning her the Rolling Stone Country Artist to Watch title, but more recent successes scored her a recording deal with Stone Country Records in 2023 that officially got her idle career to turnover.
The daughter of a California farmer, Bosko, 39, says sharing the Stagecoach stage with such an incredible lineup of artists while simultaneously representing her home state is "an honor."
"As a California native, Stagecoach has always been a bucket list moment for me," Bosko said days before her anticipated performance at the country festival. "Performing last year was such an unforgettable experience, and to be invited back this year to play the Mane Stage feels like a dream come true."
Bosko's career highs include writing a song recorded by Willie Nelson and Jessica Simpson, touring alongside Tim McGraw and Blake Shelton, and selling out the famed Hollywood Troubadour venue. Catch her performance from 1:45 to 2:10 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, on the Stagecoach Mane Stage.
Chayce Beckham
Beckham was crowned America's Idol in May 2021. He indulged the judges' sweet spot during his journey to success, with judge Luke Bryan comparing Beckham’s coolness and style to “The Boss” Bruce Springsteen, and judge Katy Perry predicting his placement in the top five from the get-go.
In his post-Idol days, Beckham, 28, has tasted success as a rising country act. His hit song "23" placed on the Billboard Hot 100, the only Idol contestant in the last seven seasons to do so. Since its release, "23" has earned over half a billion streams worldwide.
The 2025 Opry NextStage Artist will make his Stagecoach debut from 3:20 to 3:55 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, at the Stagecoach Mane Stage.
"Finally getting to play [Stagecoach] means a lot - I’ve been looking forward to it my whole career," Beckham said. "I just can’t wait to get there, see all the fans, be back in my home state, and sing some country music.”
Dasha
The 24-year-old pop-country sensation returns to Stagecoach for her second performance from 3:20 to 3:55 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, on Mane Stage.
Listeners can expect to hear Dasha's multi-platinum single "Austin," as well as the latest single under Warner Records, "Not At This Party," which became one of the most-streamed country songs in 2024 and won the People’s Choice Country Award for Female Song, her team said in a press release.
A San Luis Obispo local, Dasha is currently nominated for Best New Female for the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards, up against "you look like you love me" artist Ella Langley. "Tennessee Orange" singer and Stagecoach 2024 performer Megan Moroney took home the prize last year.
Dasha sold-out her first global headlining tour, Dashville USA, and performed on two of the biggest televised broadcasts of the year – Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve.
Sammy Hagar
Van Halen lead singer and frontman for over a decade, Sammy Hagar holds a headlining position at this year's festival after the alternative rock band Goo Goo Dolls.
Born in Salinas, California, the "I Can't Drive 55" singer has rocked the spotlight for nearly 50 decades with hard rock band Montrose, "Jump" artist Van Halen and as a platinum-album solo musician.
Most recently, Hagar announced his intention to release a new single on Stagecoach opening day, April 25. The Eddie Van Halen-inspired song, titled "Encore, Thank You, Goodnight," came to Hagar in a dream, the Hall of Famer told his Facebook audience in a post, and is "a long overdue thank you to Eddie Van Halen for the music [and] the good times."
Catch the new song live, mixed with a few Hagar classics from 7:20 to 8:20 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, on the Palomino Stage.
McKenna is a reporter for the Daily Press. She can be reached atmmobley@gannett.com.