The 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival kicked off its first weekend in the sunbaked California desert on Friday, with pop star Sabrina Carpenter opening the first day of headline performances with a nostalgic, Hollywood-themed spectacle that transformed a corner of the festival grounds into her very own “Sabrinawood.”
The 26-year-old singer, who rose to mainstream fame in 2024 with her global summer hit “Espresso,” delivered a career-spanning 20-song set filled with vintage Golden Age film props, a giant replica of the iconic Hollywood sign emblazoned with “Sabrinawood” in bold white lettering, and surprise celebrity cameos from A-list stars Susan Sarandon and Will Ferrell. Friday’s performance also marked the first time fans heard live renditions of tracks from Carpenter’s newest album *Man’s Best Friend*. Addressing the roaring crowd as fans sang along to her breakout megahit word for word, Carpenter reflected on her journey to the Coachella headline spot, noting that just two years prior, she had only dreamed of performing on the festival’s biggest stage.
Before Carpenter’s set, fans beat the 30-degree (86°F) desert heat at a pre-show fan activation called “Sabrina Carpenter’s Pit Stop,” where they enjoyed frozen slushies and got chances to take selfies with the star ahead of her performance. Friday’s opening lineup also brought standout sets from other rising and established acts: two-time Grammy nominee Teddy Swims closed out the main stage at dusk with an energetic performance of fan favorites including “The Door,” “Bad Dreams,” and his chart-topping hit “Lose Control.” Immediately after Swims’ set, thousands of fans packed a secondary stage to welcome girl group KATSEYE for their much-hyped Coachella debut. Organizers later announced that Italian DJ Anyma had been forced to cancel his scheduled set after strong wind gusts delayed and damaged stage construction work.
As the first night of weekend one wraps up, festival-goers are already looking ahead to a stacked Saturday lineup packed with nostalgic acts and cross-genre talent. The day will lean heavily on beloved artists from past decades: 1990s industrial rock pioneers Nine Inch Nails will perform alongside German electronic producer Boys Noize, while 2000s indie rock icons The Strokes – who are set to release their first new album in six years this coming June – will bring their signature sound to the desert. The most anticipated performance of the day is widely expected to be Justin Bieber’s headline set, which comes on the heels of the 32-year-old pop star’s triumphant comeback performance at this year’s Grammy Awards. Fans are gearing up for a wave of renewed “Bieber Fever” as the singer performs his decades-long catalog of hits including “Sorry” and “Where Are U Now.”
Saturday’s lineup also boasts an extraordinary range of talent across genres: top techno producers Armin van Buuren and Adam Beyer will bring electronic beats to the desert, K-pop star Taemin will take the stage, British viral dance artist PinkPantheress will perform, legendary French DJ David Guetta returns to Coachella, and Talking Heads co-founder David Byrne will make a special guest appearance. Closing out the diversity of the day’s programming, influencer-turned-pop artist Addison Rae will perform on the festival’s main stage.
The first weekend of the 2026 festival will wrap on Sunday with a history-making headline set from Colombian reggaeton star Karol G, who makes history as the first Latina artist to ever top the Coachella bill. The eight-time Latin Grammy Award winner first played Coachella in 2022, when she delivered a viral set that paid tribute to legendary Latin music artists including Selena, Celia Cruz, and Daddy Yankee. For her 2026 headline performance, the singer behind the hit “Provenza” is expected to lean into the vibrant Caribbean showgirl aesthetic of her newest project, *Tropicoqueta*.
Sunday’s lineup is equally star-studded, featuring the highly anticipated festival debut of K-pop pioneers BIGBANG, who are making their return to the international stage this year to celebrate the group’s 20th anniversary. Other notable acts set to perform include punk rock icon Iggy Pop, 1990s electronic legend Fatboy Slim, electronic collective Major Lazer, indie-pop mainstays Foster the People, and British experimental artist FKA twigs. To close out the first weekend of the festival, attendees will gather for a special outdoor screening of the first episode of *Euphoria* season three – the hit HBO drama starring Zendaya is returning to television this year after a four-year hiatus, and the screening will be held under the desert stars. The entire 2026 Coachella festival is being streamed live globally on YouTube for fans who cannot attend in person, and the full lineup will be repeated for a second weekend of performances starting next Friday in Indio.