Coachella artists pay tribute to Prince

THE stages of Coachella were lit up in purple on Saturday night in honour of Prince, while tributes poured in during the second weekend of the festival.

2016 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival - Weekend 2 - Day 2

THE stages of Coachella were lit up in purple on Saturday night in honour of the late singer, Prince.

Tributes poured in during the second weekend of the annual music and arts festival in Indio California, following the news of the music icon’s death on Thursday.

As dusk fell on Friday, the dozens of palm trees that frame the Empire Polo Club began to glow purple and Prince’s presence could be felt across the festival he once headlined.

Over the course of the three-day festival, several artists took time during their sets to pay tribute to their fellow performer.

Rapper Ice Cube took a moment when he first appeared on stage to dedicate his entire show to Prince.

“To an icon in music and entertainment, I would like to dedicate this show to my man Prince Rogers Nelson,” he said.

US rock band Guns N’ Roses lit their name on the drum kit purple while bass guitarist Duff McKagan flashed Prince’s iconic love symbol on the wing of his white guitar.

LCD Soundsystem, the influential New York electronic band that reunited for Coachella, performed a cover of Prince’s early hit Controversy from a stage swathed in purple light during their headlining set on Friday night.

Prior to their set, the main stage’s three large screens played Prince’s famed rendition of Radiohead’s Creep from his 2008 Coachella performance.

Disclosure honoured the music legend by colouring the duo’s trademark face symbol in purple before performing hit song Latch as their closing number.

Mavis Staples gave an emotional speech calling Prince her “son” before singing Purple Rain.

“Yesterday I lost a dear friend. He was my son … my angel. … I’m talking about Prince,” the 76-year-old R&B great told the crowd on Friday.

“I was on [his label] Paisley Park for seven years. During that seven years, I adopted him. He was the most beautiful spirit I ever met. He was a gentleman. … He was respectful.”

Diplo and Skrillex closed their Jack Ü set with Prince music as the symbol displayed on their oversized computer screen. Joey Bada$$ also displayed the giant Prince symbol while 1999 played.

Ellie Goulding performed an acoustic version of his 1984 hit, When Doves Cry, during her set. Sufjan Stevens performed Purple Rain with Gallant, who also covered Diamonds and Pearls during his own set earlier in the afternoon with Jhené Aiko.

Prince was found dead at his Paisley Park estate in Chanhassen, Minnesota on Thursday. He was 57 years old.