The group's set included a live premiere of their single "Pinky Up" and a cameo from Huntr/x but was marked by the absence of Manon Bannerman

Katseye have had Coachella on the mind for months. In an interview with Nylon that arrived just two days before the festival kicked off, they teased their performance: “I think Coachella is going to be a very huge and iconic moment for us,” Lara Raj said. “We want it to be very grand and this big pivotal moment for us.”

When they hit the Sahara Stage at 8 p.m. PT on Friday, the girl group transformed the set into Katseye City, complete with rooftop dance scenes and buildings named after their song titles. The performance kicked off with “Pinky Up,” the single they premiered on the eve of the festival. Like the song’s music video, the performance notably did not feature Manon Bannerman, who remains on hiatus from the group.

Still, the group held it down as a five-piece as they barreled through hits, from “Mean Girls” and “Touch” to “Game Boy,” “Internet Girl,” and “Gabriela.” The set continued with “My Way,” “M.I.A.,” and wrapped up with “Gnarly.” Their choreography remained sharp with each musical transition and was elevated by a crew of additional dancers.

The set was one of the most anticipated of the weekend. While Katseye were in planning mode, the pop world buzzed with speculation and curiosity about what the performance would bring — or more specifically, who. In February, Hybe and Geffen Records announced that Bannerman would be taking a temporary hiatus from the group “to focus on her health and wellbeing,” though her first personal statement regarding the matter assured fans that she is “healthy and taking care of myself.” 

A few days before Coachella, Bannerman updated fans in another WeVerse message that echoed what she said before. “HxG and I are having positive conversations and I feel supported,” she said. “I’m happy and I’m healthy. I’ll share more soon. Thank you for always being there for me.” On April 9, Hybe confirmed to the Korea Herald that Bannerman would not appear during the set. “Manon remains on hiatus,” the statement read. The group did not mention her absence, but did promise that it wouldn’t be their last time at the festival.

“Coachella has been our number one dream since we became a group,” Raj said. “I’m so happy you guys get to witness that. There will be many more Coachellas after today.” When the label partners announced the hiatus, it was made clear that Katseye would continue with all of their planned obligations, regardless. At the time, that included three iterations of Lollapalooza and, of course, their Coachella debut. “We look forward to being together again when the time is right,” the statement read. 

Katseye told Nylon they drew inspiration from Beyoncé’s historic 2018 set, during which she became the first Black woman to headline Coachella and nodded to her girl-group roots with a heartwarming Destiny’s Child reunion. They also looked to Blackpink, who became the first K-pop girl group to perform at the event in 2019 and the first K-pop group, overall, to headline in 2023. Hours before Katseye performed, BINI became the first Filipino group to perform at the festival.

In a heartwarming moment, Katseye welcomed Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami, the musical voices of Huntr/x in KPop Demon Hunters, to the stage to perform their Grammy and Oscar-winning song, “Golden.” 

These are the kind of feel-good spotlights that signal the emergence of a new guard. For as much training and curating as Katseye endured in their formation on Netflix’s Dream Academy — not to mention the passionate fanbase they have amassed in the two short years since they debuted — their place in that conversation should be unquestionable. But the past two months have permanently colored their narrative with the decision, amicable or not, to dismantle part of the image they’ve been selling from the beginning.

“We’re only as strong as our weakest member,” Sophia told Nylon. “We need to make sure that we’re all showing up for each other and all going at the same pace. We cannot leave anybody behind.”