While Alok successfully navigated the process to perform, he acknowledged the increasing difficulties faced by artists from abroad. "For me as a Brazilian, it's always been hard to get a visa. So, for us, it didn't change much," Alok explained in a backstage interview with Reuters at the Southern California festival grounds. He noted, however, the shifting landscape for artists from other regions: "But, of course, for Europe and others, they changed the rules, right?"
The DJ expressed awareness of fellow artists encountering recent visa-related obstacles, citing cancellations affecting the 2025 festival circuit. British artist FKA Twigs, for example, announced in early April via Instagram that she was cancelling her scheduled Coachella performance and entire North American tour due to "visa issues." Furthermore, Alvin Gibbs of the British punk band UK Subs reported on Facebook in March that his band was allegedly denied entry to the US ahead of a planned performance at LA Punk Invasion 2025.
These incidents occur amidst reports of broader shifts in US immigration policy, including actions affecting international student visas and the legal status of hundreds of thousands from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, highlighting that the music industry is not insulated from these changes. Alok expressed gratitude that his own entry was successful, attributing it partly to logistical advantages. "For us, we were very lucky. The team were all here from LA, so that was amazing," he said.
Despite the background anxiety surrounding international travel and visas, Alok’s focus on stage was squarely on artistic innovation and connection. Known for incorporating technology like LED projections to create virtual background dancers, his Coachella set marked an evolution by featuring live performers. "It was very challenging," Alok admitted. "I'm very used to doing a lot of crazy stuff in the shows, very integrating with new technology, but this one for sure was the most difficult."
He emphasized the unique power of human collaboration in performance. "We're dealing with human technology and the synchronizing. But it's also something beautiful because once we are connected in the same synergy, same purpose, we can do stuff that is extraordinary," he stated, underlining a desire to maintain the human spirit in art rather than leaning too heavily on artificial intelligence. "Art is made by soul," he affirmed.
The set also featured a guest appearance by American singer Ava Max, collaborating on a track Alok described as working "super well." He added, "She's a rock star, so she did great." They also performed a new version of Alok's classic 2016 hit "Hear Me Now" specifically for the Coachella audience. "I'm just going with the flow," he remarked.
Alok's performance drew not only from his well-known singles but potentially from his recent work, including the 2024 album "The Future is Ancestral," which distinctively merges electronic dance tracks with indigenous chants and songs from Brazilian tribes, some centuries old. His successful and evolving performance stood as a vibrant moment at the festival, juxtaposed against the real-world anxieties surrounding the future of international artistic exchange in the US.