Coachella is one of the biggest music festivals today. Since 1999, the Californian festival has stood out for its curated lineup of artists, mixing diverse musical genres and creating trends.
The 2026 edition was headlined by Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G. Around them, the lineup offered a powerful mix of styles and generations: names like The Strokes, The XX, Iggy Pop, BigBang, Katseye, and Sombr shared the stage with newer and more experimental artists.
Friday
On the first day, we had an unforgettable reunion. Eight years after their last show together, The XX returned to the Coachella stage for a sunset performance. Romy Madley Croft, Jamie xx, and Oliver Sims decided to play classic songs from the band, such as “Angels,” “Crystalised,” and “VCR,” as well as solo tracks from the members.
Another highlight of the day was the performance by the female pop group Katseye. Besides a setlist full of hits like “Gnarly,” “Gabriela,” and the recently released single “Pinky Up”, the group also surprised fans by bringing EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, the voice actresses from the film K-pop Demon Hunters, to sing the global hit “Golden”. But not everything was incredible; member Manon did not attend the show due to her absence from group activities since February 20th for health reasons.
The first day closed with Sabrina Carpenter, who delivered what internet users considered the best show of her career. With her usual lightheartedness, Sabrina transformed the Coachella Stage into Sabrinawood. With references to films like Marilyn Monroe’s “Some Like It Hot” and songs like Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana”, Sabrina opted for a super elaborate set design, choreography, and numerous outfit changes. Sabrina turned Coachella into a Hollywood dream, thus solidifying her position as one of the leading names of the new generation of pop.
Saturday
On the second day of the festival, Sombr made his Coachella debut. The highlight of the show was when Billy Corgan, vocalist of the Smashing Pumpkins, joined Sombr on stage to sing “1979.” The duet symbolized the union of two generations of alternative rock.
The American band The Strokes returned to the festival with a bang, notably performing “Going Shopping”, a single released just a few days prior. The energetic performance served as a teaser for their newest album, “Reality Awaits”, which will be released on June 26th after a six-year hiatus. In addition, the band delivered a setlist full of indie rock classics, lifting the crowd’s spirits for the day’s headliner.
After four years away from the big stages, Justin Bieber returned to the Coachella main stage, closing out the second day. Without a large stage setup, the Canadian artist began the show with ballads like “All The Way.” After this initial segment, Bieber livened up the show by bringing The Kid Laroi on to sing the hit “Stay.”
Following this, Justin decided to revisit the past in an unusual way: displaying his old YouTube videos and projecting them onto the stage’s screen. Singing along with his 15-year-old self, “Baby” made every penny of the fans’ ticket price worthwhile. Despite much criticism for the simple show, Bieber’s audience was one of the largest at the festival.
Sunday
The final day of the first weekend of Coachella was marked by a performance from the punk godfather, Iggy Pop. At 78 years old, Iggy thrilled the audience singing solo songs and songs from his former band “The Stooges” such as “I Wanna Be Your Dog”. But the real highlight was the end of the show, when, to the sound of “Funtime,” Iggy entered inside a coffin, leaving the stage on a transport cart.
Another iconic comeback was by the South Korean group BigBang. The veteran group was highly praised for their energetic, chaotic performance, with upbeat songs like “Bang Bang Bang” mixing with calmer tracks like “A Fool Of Tears,” making the show a great 20-year retrospective of the group that are considered the kings of K-pop.
The closing of the first weekend of Coachella was entrusted to Karol G, who did not disappoint. The performance began by showcasing elements of feminine energy connected to nature. After that, the singer made sure to bring a piece from every corner of Latin America to Coachella, whether by bringing a Mexican mariachi band to the stage or presenting the remix of the song “Tá Ok,” a collaboration with Dennis DJ, MC Kevin O Chris, and Maluma. Karol G made a very special mark on Sunday, becoming the first Latina artist to headline Coachella in the festival’s 27-year history. This milestone is even more relevant considering the current political climate in the United States.
The lineup for the second weekend, which takes place on April 17th, 18th, and 19th, remains practically identical, but you never know what might change at a festival as diverse as Coachella.
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The article above was edited by Maria Clara Polcan.
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