Attendees at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival were treated to an unexpected crossover moment as Huntr/x the voices behind KPop Demon Hunters, joined Katseye on stage for a live performance of the hit song “Golden.”

The surprise appearance saw Ejae (Rumi), Audrey Nuna (Mira), and Rei Ami (Zoey) step onto the Sahara stage alongside Katseye members Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza, and Yoonchae Jeung. Together, they delivered a high-energy rendition of “Golden,” a track that has dominated charts and award shows since its debut.

Fresh off winning the Oscar for best original song, “Golden” has also secured a Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award, and Grammy for best song written for visual media. The track spent eight non-consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the longest-leading hit by an animated act.

Katseye, who opened the festival’s first night, performed fan favourites including “Internet Girl,” “Pinky Up,” and “Mean Girls.” The group rose to fame through the 2023 reality series Dream Academy and gained wider recognition with the Netflix docuseries Popstar Academy: Katseye. Their growing momentum has earned them a Grammy nomination for best new artist, while their single “Gabriela” picked up a nod for best pop duo/group performance.

Reflecting on the success of “Golden,” Ami described the moment as “vindicating,” adding that there’s finally “validation. It’s long overdue.” She continued, “We worked our asses off. We’ve had the door shut in our faces. We were told we were too little, too much.”

The performance marked one of the standout highlights of Coachella’s opening night, setting the tone for the rest of the festival.