CULTURE

Everything That Went Down At Kanye West’s Coachella Sunday Service

Merch reached a whopping $225.


2019 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival - Weekend 2 - Day 2
Timothy Norris

After Coachella reportedly wouldn’t make a custom stage design for Kanye West, the rapper dropped out of headlining the Indio music festival. However, West decided to host one of his generally exclusive “Sunday Services” on a mountainside spot in Palm Springs. “Sunday Services” usually feature gospel choirs singing remixed renditions of West’s songs, including “Beautiful Morning,” “I Wonder” and “Father Stretch My Hands.”

While his ongoing series usually features celebrity attendees like Courtney Love, Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry, he opened up the Easter event to weekend two Coachella ticketholders. And if you weren’t available to attend the service, fans could livestream the special event on YouTube.

From music to expensive festival merch, West’s “Sunday Service” had it all. Here’s a breakdown of the event in case you weren’t able to make it.

Music

West’s Easter “Sunday Service” included versions of Stevie Wonder’s “Do I Do,” Gap Band’s “Outstanding,” and more. At the 45-minute mark, the gospel choir sang snippets of “Ultralight Beam” and “Ultralight Prayer,” and the hymn “How Excellent.” Both Pastor T.L. Barrett and the rapper’s renditions of “Father Stretch My Hands” and “Power” were performed. Later they played an unreleased West cut with the makeshift title “Everything We Need,” plus a new song titled “Water.” There was also, of course, a heartfelt performance of “Jesus Walks.”

Special Guests

Chance the Rapper joined West on the “stage” to sing his verse on “Ultralight Beam.” He was one of many who joined the 41-year-old rapper during the gospel service, including Kim Kardashian West and her sisters Khloé, Kourtney, Kylie and Kendall Jenner, as well as producer Mike Dean, Ty Dolla $ign and Kid Cudi. On Saturday, West joined Cudi on stage where they performed a medley of Kids See Ghosts songs. Fans attending the Sunday Service also caught West’s daughter North making her dancing return as she usually does at his services.

And then, of course, there was Kanye’s congregation of singers and dancers, all of whom matched him in draped, light purple, likely Yeezy ensembles while roaming through the crowds and coming together in a circle formation at the center of the performance.

An overhead view of Kanye West’s Sunday Service at Coachella on Easter, April 21, 2019.

Courtesy of YouTube

Merch

According to some photos posted by fans on Twitter, West was selling a variety of merch to support his “Sunday Service.” From the looks of it, he was selling novelty t-shirts and sweatshirts emblazoned with phrases like “Holy Spirit,” “Trust God” and “Sunday Service At The Mountain” ranging from $70 to $225.

Related: Kanye West Pivoting to Preaching With Kardashian-West Family “Sunday Service”