Behind the Scenes: DJing at Coachella Weekend 1
- Kailyn Brown, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times who performs under the name Kailyn Hype, recently provided a firsthand account of her experience as a DJ at...
- Brown's performance took place on Sunday afternoon, April 12, 2026, as part of the Party in My Living Room activation.
- The activation where Brown performed is a house party concert series established in 2015 by Yannick Thurz Koffi, a native of Inglewood.
Kailyn Brown, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times who performs under the name Kailyn Hype, recently provided a firsthand account of her experience as a DJ at Coachella. Balancing a professional journalism career by day with music production by night, Brown performed during Weekend 1 of the festival.
Brown’s performance took place on Sunday afternoon, April 12, 2026, as part of the Party in My Living Room
activation. Her high-energy set featured a blend of several genres, including baile funk, jersey club, hip-hop, and house music.
The Party in My Living Room Activation
The activation where Brown performed is a house party concert series established in 2015 by Yannick Thurz
Koffi, a native of Inglewood. The pop-up is designed to resemble a physical living room, complete with artwork and couches, and serves as a collaboration with GV Black, an organization dedicated to ensuring Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) are visible at the festival.
For the past four years, Koffi has curated a lineup of musicians and DJs for the activation. Previous performers at the pop-up have included Isaiah Rashad, Kamaiyah, P-Lo, and Ty Dolla Sign.
Backstage Access and Festival Culture
Beyond her time on the decks, Brown detailed the exclusive experiences available to artists at the festival. This included access to a celebrity-packed artist compound and free dining options.
Brown also visited several exclusive pop-ups during the weekend, specifically noting the Soho House hideout and Redbull Mirage.
Technical Insights on Festival DJing
Brown noted a significant difference between performing at a daytime desert festival compared to a traditional bar or club environment. Because she was tasked with kicking off the activation on the final day of Weekend 1, she was responsible for setting the tone for the entire day.
She explained that if she were spinning at a flea market, club, or bar, she would typically begin her set with more chill songs
before transitioning into bangers
. However, the requirements for the Coachella activation demanded a different energy from the start.