Summary:
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Coachella 2026 celebrates its 25th anniversary in Indio, California, with a star-studded lineup and two weekends of music.
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Headliners include Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G, offering a variety of sounds for fans to enjoy.
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Weekend 1 featured surprise appearances, while Weekend 2 promises more surprises and a special Day Zero campground party.
Coachella 2026 is held in the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, on its historic 25th anniversary. Featuring a high-octane lineup that spans pop royalty, nostalgic rock and world superstars, the festival has again established itself as the standard on the summer circuit, and provides two weekends of music and desert culture.
Headliners and Major Acts
The 2026 headliners consist of Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G, which is a big pop-centric change in the festival. Moreover, Anyma will become a Friday headliner, with the legendary rock band The Strokes being the sub-headliner on Saturday, which will offer a variety of sounds to all the fans.
Weekend 1 Highlights
Weekend 1, the first of its kind, took place on April 10-12, which included a collection of big-time guest appearances that shocked the desert audience. Justin Bieber introduced The Kid Laroi and Wizkid, and Karol G became the first Latina headliner, with Becky G and Mariah Angeliq as her guests.
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Coachella Stage Set Times
The headline of Friday was Sabrina Carpenter at 9:05 PM and then the midnight show of Anyma. Saturday saw Addison Rae at 5:30 PM, with The Strokes at 9:00 PM and Justin Bieber at 11:25 PM. On Sunday, it closed with Major Lazer at 6:50 PM and Karol G at 10:25 PM.
The Outdoor Theatre Programme
The Outdoor Theatre also provides a solid alternative program, with Disclosure and Turnstile that evening on Friday. Highly anticipated was a performance by David Byrne on Saturday at 10:20 PM, and on Sunday, the performance by K-pop icons BIGBANG, followed by a theatrical performance by FKA Twigs.
Electronic and Dance Tents
Sahara Tent will continue to be the center of high-energy dancing, with Sexyy Red and Swae Lee on Friday. Deep house and techno legends such as Groove Armada and Armin van Buuren were performing in the Yuma Tent and PAWSA and Fatboy Slim performed extended DJ sets in the new Quasar Stage.
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Live Stream Technology
YouTube again is the sole streaming partner to those at “Couchella” The 2026 experience will have “Multiview” where viewers can watch a maximum of four stages on TV. The increased Watch With functions will also enable fans to stream the festival together with their favorite content creators.
Vertical Stream and Merchandise
Youtube has launched its own vertical livestream which is designed to be viewed on Pixel devices by mobile users. Also, fans will have the opportunity to shop exclusive artist merchandise directly on the YouTube Shopping button during the performance, and a new accelerated checkout option to make sure they do not miss a beat.
The Do LaB and Surprise Sets
The Do Lab is the centre of the festival when it comes to unexpected performances. Weekend 1 Prospa and Josh Baker were announced as doing some unannounced b2b sets. Anyma also played a special set of makeup at the Do LaB when the big wind forced him to cancel his Friday performance temporarily.
Weekend 2 Expectations
Weekend 2, which will be held on April 1719, will follow the same schedule but with the typical Weekend 2 surprises. On Thursday, April 16, there is a special Day Zero campground party, which will include a b3b set by KETTAMA, Prospa, and Josh Baker to open the celebration.
Essential Festival Tips
The number one priority is hydration with desert temperatures climbing over 100 degrees during the day. Visitors are advised to take water refill stations and take transparent bottles. It is also strongly advised that people wear wind protection like a bandana or a mask on the evening dust storms prevalent in the valley.
