Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G Turn Coachella 2026 Into a Legendary Weekends

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2026 kicked off last weekend with headliners Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G leading the way. The first weekend sparked huge online buzz thanks to standout performances from Sombr, Moby, Sexyy Red, Addison Rae, and so many other amazing performers. Weekend 2 has arrived, bringing even bigger crowds, more energy, and another round of unforgettable sets. Coachella began in 1999 and has easily become one of the biggest and most recognized music festivals in the world, and it somehow continues to get larger every single year.

Addison Rae surprised fans by bringing out pop singer Olivia Rodrigo, who performed her newest single, “drop dead,” live for the very first time. The track appears on Olivia’s upcoming third album, ‘you seem sad for a girl so in love,’ marked the song’s debut performance since its April 17 release. Sombr also brought out surprise guests for both weekends. During weekend 1, Sombr brought out rock legend Billy Corgan, frontman of The Smashing Pumpkins, to perform a rendition of “1979.” Sombr didn’t stop there. Weekend 2 saw Sombr bring rock icon Billy Idol and guitarist Steve Stevens onto the stage to perform “Eyes Without a Face.” With Karol G still set to perform her final set for weekend 2, she’s already made history as the first Latina headliner in Coachella history. She made sure not to disappoint, delivering non-stop choreography from beginning to end. The crowd went wild during weekend 1 with Karol G bringing out guest Becky G to perform “MAMII.” This year’s festival has not disappointed. From the performers to the special guests, this year’s festival has delivered in every way. One of the biggest talks continues to be about the key differences and surprises from Sabrina Carpenter and Justin Bieber’s sets.

Sabrina Carpenter and Justin Bieber Stole Coachella Weekend One With Major Surprise Moments

Anticipation was at an all-time high with Sabrina Carpenter being the first headliner taking the stage on Friday, April 10. Sabrina’s set began with a black-and-white film noir-inspired intro that highlighted her acting skills before transitioning into a glamorous storyline centered around heading to Hollywood and making it big as a showgirl. She opened the show with her latest single, “House Tour” from her No.1 album ‘Man’s Best Friend’ which perfectly describes the entire stage production that felt like a full tour through Sabrina’s world. She delivered hit after hit, even titling her set “Sabrinawood,” giving us hits like “Taste,” “Busy Woman,” “Please Please Please.” Sabrina ended her set with an unforgettable performance of “Tears” that saw Sabrina being lifted in the air with water spraying all around closing out the show in such a showgirl way. While Weekend 1 did not include any musical guest appearances, the crowd still got plenty of surprises through appearances by Susan Sarandon, Will Ferrell, Sam Elliott, her former Girl Meets World co-star Corey Fogelmanis, and a voice-over from Samuel L. Jackson.

Who’s Your Perfect Classic Rock Band?

It’s no secret that Saturday was packed with even more anticipation for Justin Bieber’s headlining set. Reports of the festival’s longest merch lines only added to the hype, and it came as no surprise considering how eager fans and fellow artists were to see Bieber return to the Coachella stage. While Sabrina gave us theatrics while Justin took a completely different approach. Justin’s set felt more personal, intimate, and almost as if it were a one-on-one experience with the crowd just vibing through eras of his music. His walk down memory lane via a laptop and YouTube included his classic hits like “Baby,” “Beauty and a Beat,” “Never Say Never,” making the crowd go absolutely crazy for the nostalgia of Biebermania. Justin also brought out Tems, Wizkid, Dijon and The Kid LAROI to perform their hit song “Stay.”

Related

62 Years Ago, Bob Dylan Wrote a Protest Song That Made an Accused Murderer Furious

The man behind bars was accused of a racially motivated manslaughter.

Advertisement

Sabrina Carpenter and Justin Bieber Raise the Bar at Coachella 2026

Weekend 2 brought a different energy for both headliners, with new surprises and even bigger moments. Ahead of Sabrina Carpenter’s second performance, fans noticed extra time had been added to her setlist, making it clear that something major was coming to close out her final Coachella appearance. Continuing with the cinematic theme of the first weekend, this time fans saw the return of Sam Elliott and Corey Fogelmanis but this time they were joined by Geena Davis and Terry Crews. Without a shadow of a doubt, the biggest moment of the night happened when Sabrina brought out the Queen of Pop, Madonna. The duo performed some of Madonna’s biggest hits of all time, like “Vogue” and “Like a Prayer” while also giving fans a surprise preview of a brand-new unreleased track expected to appear on Madonna’s upcoming album ‘Confessions II’. Meanwhile, Justin’s weekend 2 saw fresh surprises, like Billie Eilish being brought on stage for one of the night’s most talked-about moments as he continued his tradition of serenading Billie with “One Less Lonely Girl.” Justin also performed “Snooze(Remix)” with SZA. Fans also were treated to Big Sean and Sexyy Red joining the stage with Justin. Both artists brought completely different styles to the Coachella stage, yet each delivered performances that felt unforgettable. These performances fans will be talking about for years to come, while setting the bar incredibly high for future Coachella headliners after the standout performances seen throughout Coachella 2026.