By Danica Ward
Staff Writer
From Sabrina Carpenter to The Strokes, Coachella weekend is now in the books for 2026.
The music festival turned influencer fest kicked off on Friday, April 10, in Indio, California. Although weekend one has been completed, weekend two actually closed out the festival with a more relaxed atmosphere.
Since 1999, Coachella has been the quintessential music festival in the United States. The two-weekend long event has slowly transformed from a mass concert celebration to an influencer photo opportunity, but the music has shone through nonetheless.
Headliners Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G drew huge crowds for their nighttime shows, while artists like Addison Rae, KATSEYE and Young Thug made their festival debuts.
Throughout the Empire Polo Club, 10 stages were constantly billed with performers throughout the weekend. While the main Coachella stage and Outdoor Theatre hosted the larger acts, the eight other stages narrowed in on different genres of choice.
Five of the most popular festival stages are Sahara (EDM/rap), Mojave (indie), Gobi (alternative/emerging), Yuma (techno) and Sonora (punk). With a plethora of stages for festival goers to choose from throughout the day, all genres were represented on the concert bill.
Tickets were released in September 2025 and largely sold out. General Admission passes were marketed up to $649, and VIP passes were at almost $1,400 during their original sale. Resale tickets, on-site camping and shuttle passes also increased the festival fee.
For those who could attend, or were sponsored by a brand to go, the weekend seemed lively and jampacked with performances and activities.
More indie artists like Turnstile, The Strokes and Wet Leg rocked the stage, drawing in crowds that were frequently jumping, dancing and at some points moshing.
Disclosure, Moby, PinkPantheress and Slayyyter also showcased their dance pop and techno sets for the crowd, with clips from Slayyyter’s set basically going viral.
Each day averaged about 50 performers across all the stages, with concert goers having to choose their own schedule for the entire weekend.
Of course, the biggest turnout and media attention was centered on this year’s three headliners.
Carpenter made her headlining debut, turning the festival’s main stage into “Sabrinawood” and boasting celebrity cameos from Susan Sarandon, Will Ferrell and Samuel L. Jackson. Most reviews of the performance were of praise, but Carpenter also caused a mini controversy during her set.
By confusing an Arabian celebration call with yodeling, Carpenter received backlash from those calling her insensitive. Carpenter subsequently issued an apology on X stating, “My apologies I didn’t see this person with my eyes and couldn’t hear clearly. My reaction was pure confusion, sarcasm and not ill intended. Could have handled it better! Now I know what a Zaghrouta is! I welcome all cheers and yodels from here on out.”
On Saturday night, Justin Bieber made his festival return, but not in the way fans may have expected. Bieber decided to set up his computer on stage, allowing YouTube commenters to vote on the songs and music videos they wanted on his setlist in real time. Overall, his headlining set received mixed reviews among both concert goers and viewers online.
Lastly, Karol G made history as the first Latina to headline Coachella. Her set, which included musical styles from reggaeton, to mariachi and merengue, turned out to be one of the biggest celebrations of the weekend. During the show, she emphatically noted, “I’m very happy and very proud about this, but at the same time, it feels late,” honoring all the Latino artists who have come before her.
Weekend one may be the most exciting time for fans gearing up for Coachella, but this year’s weekend two also brought the heat.
Carpenter brought out Madonna during her second headliner set, the pop queen’s first Coachella appearance in 20 years. The duo sang Madonna’s “Vogue” and “Like a Prayer,” along with an unreleased song called “Bring Your Love.”
Olivia Rodrigo crashed Addison Rae’s weekend two set during “Headphones On,” and performed “drop dead,” the first single from her upcoming album “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love.”
Billie Eilish made a guest appearance during Bieber’s final set, being pushed on stage by his wife Hailey as he performed “One Less Lonely Girl.”
There were also a plethora of guest appearances throughout the weekend. Terry Crews, Geena Davis, Billy Idol, Maddie Ziegler, Zara Larsson, Janelle Monáe, Meg Stalter, Big Sean, SZA, Sexyy Red, Rico Nasty and J Balvin all got their moments of fame for music’s biggest weekend.
With all of the star-studded performances, creative and unpredictable sets and overall glamorous vibe, Coachella 2026 was a smashing success.
