Coachella 2026 kicks off with Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G
Thousands of fans have gathered in California for the highly anticipated Coachella Festival, which kicks off Friday with Sabrina Carpenter in the spotlight.
Indio, California – Thousands of fans have gathered in the California desert for the hotly anticipated Coachella Festival, which kicks off Friday with pop princess Sabrina Carpenter in the spotlight.
The star-studded line-up – which also includes headliners Justin Bieber and Colombia’s Karol G – will grace the stage in Indio on two consecutive weekends, kicking off the US music festival circuit for 2026.
Friday’s acts include standout emerging talent Teddy Swims and girl group KATSEYE, as well as established artists like Moby.
But the opening night highlight will be Carpenter, who promised “the most ambitious show” of her career.
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The Manchild singer made her Coachella debut in 2024, when she released the catchy summer hit Espresso.
Closing out the first day will be Italian DJ Anyma, who will premiere his new production, ÆDEN, an immersive audiovisual experience that will hit the road after Coachella for a tour including stops in Milan, London, and Seoul.
Justin Bieber set to perform at Coachella
The party continues across Coachella’s nine stages on Saturday, with Justin Bieber’s highly anticipated appearance to close out the night.
After a decade-long hiatus, “Bieber fever” seems to have returned after the singer’s Grammy Awards comeback, and it’s spreading across the Coachella Valley.
Fans of the 32-year-old artist posted videos on social media this week of what appear to be rehearsals of hits such as Sorry and Where Are U Now.
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Saturday night also features performances by techno stalwarts Armin van Buuren and Adam Beyer, K-pop stars Taemin, and British dance sensation PinkPantheress.
French DJ and producer David Guetta returns to the desert in Indio, and David Byrne, the legendary co-founder of Talking Heads, will make an appearance.
Another highly anticipated act is Nine Inch Noize – a collaboration between the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails and German producer Boys Noize – which has just announced a joint album.
As a testament to the diversity of genres on display at Coachella, the festival’s main stage will host influencer-turned-singer Addison Rae.
New York rockers The Strokes will also perform. Led by Julian Casablancas, the band returns with a new album slated for June, following a six-year hiatus.
Karol G set to wow at Coachella
The cherry on top for Sunday will be reggaeton star Karol G, the first Latina to headline the festival.
The winner of eight Latin Grammy Awards made her Coachella debut in 2022 with a performance that paid tribute to Latin music icons such as Selena, Celia Cruz, and Daddy Yankee.
For this year’s show, the Provenza singer is expected to embrace the Caribbean showgirl aesthetic of her latest project, Tropicoqueta.
Sunday also promises the festival debut of K-pop kings BIGBANG, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary with a highly anticipated return to the international stage.
Also appearing will be the godfather of punk, Iggy Pop, and Fatboy Slim – the British DJ and producer who dominated the electronic music scene in the 1990s.
Other acts include Major Lazer, indie-pop band Foster the People, and British singer, dancer, and visual artist FKA twigs.
The festival will close with a screening under the stars of the first episode of the third season of Euphoria, the HBO high school drama series starring Zendaya, returning to television after four years.
Coachella 2026 will also be streamed live on YouTube.
