Coachella thought it could get The Weeknd for cheap — but he isn’t having it!

Coachella organizers allegedly tried to stiff The Weeknd after he stepped in to replace Kanye West as Sunday headliner at the festival later this month.

The singer threatened to pull out if he wasn’t paid the same money as West, who was set to rake in $8 million plus a $500,000 production fee.

The Weeknd was the front-runner to replace the “All of the Lights” rapper, who bailed on the gig less than two weeks before showtime.

Coachella organizers announced early on Wednesday that The Weeknd, 32, and house music supergroup Swedish House Mafia will be taking over the rapper’s slots on Sunday, April 17, and Sunday, April 24. But a music source told us the deal wasn’t yet done for the “Blinding Lights” singer.

The Weeknd came in at short notice to take Kanye’s top spot. But Phil Anschutz [who owns the Coachella Festival through AEG Live] wanted to hold on to Kanye’s money and pay The Weeknd far less, just a few million. The festival would pocket the rest

The ploy led to fraught negotiations this week between The Weeknd’s management and Anschutz’s company Goldenvoice, which produces the festival.

While reps for Anschutz didn’t comment, a second insider said the billionaire AEG mogul wasn’t personally handling the negotiations, it was handled by an employee.

A rep for The Weeknd didn’t return multiple calls for comment, and Kanye’s rep didn’t respond.

Earlier this week, Page Six exclusively reported that Kanye bailed on the gig less than two weeks before showtime because he “wants to get help” after publicly dragging former wife Kim Kardashian and her boyfriend Pete Davidson on social media – which led to a 24-hour Instagram suspension and having his Grammys performance axed.

Kanye has definitely pulled out of Coachella,” an insider said on Monday. He hasn’t been rehearsing or putting on a production.”

We hope they work it out.

 

(SOURCE: B.SCOTT)