The 25th edition of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is underway, kicking off more than a quarter of a century after it first stirred up dust in the southern Californian desert back in 1999. And yes, the desert still does desert things—blustering wind, palm-tree skyline, that dry heat that hits you like you forgot your water. It’s a two-weekend party that’s changed a lot since the “anti-Woodstock” days, becoming more commercial and influencer-studded… but it keeps producing those kind of moments that spread fast, like you almost can’t stop watching.
So what’s been popping so far? First up: Justin Bieber, returning to Coachella with a set that’s already splitting the internet into “finally!” and “wait, that’s it?” The 32-year-old took the stage as a headliner for the festival for the first time, after a surprise cameo in 2022 and a hiatus from touring that followed a health battle later that year. His big performance—his biggest live show in four years—had a nostalgic pull for ageing Millennials, the kind of crowd energy that feels half like a reunion, half like people trying to relive a younger self.
Bieber opened with newer material from his 2025 albums, Swag and Swag II, then shifted gears into a memory lane moment that made it pretty clear what people actually came for. “How far back do you go?” he asked the audience before running through hits. You could feel the tone change when the visuals kicked in too—YouTube videos of himself playing behind him, like a wink at the platform that helped launch him. He harmonised with his younger self on songs like Baby, Sorry and Beauty and the Beat, then later brought out musical guests including Sydney rapper The Kid Laroi, Wizkid, Tems and Dijon.
But the set didn’t just live on nostalgia. Bieber also addressed rumours about his mental health, playing a viral clip where he confronts a photographer, saying, “It’s not clocking to you, I’m standing on business.” T-shirts with that phrase were reportedly on sale as well. Meanwhile, in the crowd, notable celebrity Beliebers included Aussie heartthrob Jacob Elordi, couples Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet, and Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau. His wife, skincare mogul Hailey Bieber, was there too after a day promoting her brand Rhode to festival goers. Still, not everyone was sold—some branded his “pared back” style as “lazy,” especially with the set’s minimal theatrics, including the star crouching to play videos on his laptop.
Then Sabrina Carpenter came in like she heard “subtle” was a suggestion. Her headlining performance on Friday was maximalist fantasy—nicknamed “Sabrinawood”—packed into about 90 minutes of theatrics, burlesque-inspired costumes (designed by Dior’s Jonathan Anderson), and her signature innuendos. Carpenter, 26, had last performed at Coachella in 2024, and since then her rise hasn’t exactly slowed down. “I can’t believe I’m headlining Coachella!” she cried, then corrected herself with a line that landed: “Actually, I can … but it’s nicer to say that, right?” Her set leaned hard into celebrity cameos too, including a short film starring Susan Sarandon as an older Carpenter, a voiceover from Samuel L. Jackson, and Will Ferrell appearing live as an electrician.
And yet even with all that spectacle, there was controversy. Carpenter responded to a fan’s cultural cry—she asked, “I think I heard someone yodel. Is that what you’re doing?” and then said, “I don’t like it.” The fan explained it was a call of celebration, and Carpenter replied with a confused, blunt detour: “Is this Burning Man? What’s going on? This is weird.” Online fans later identified the cry as a zaghrouta, a traditional Arabic expression of joy often heard at weddings and celebrations. Afterward, Carpenter apologised on X, writing: “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.”
Meanwhile, Katseye made their Coachella debut without sixth member Manon Bannerman, with the group performing hits including Gnarly, Touch and Mean Girls. Earlier this year, in February, Bannerman was announced as taking a temporary leave of absence “to focus on her health and wellbeing,” but some commentators have pushed a different angle, speculating her departure may be broader than health—especially after eagle-eyed fans spotted Bannerman liking an Instagram post addressing racism black members of girl groups have historically faced. Neither Bannerman nor Katseye has responded to those rumours. Still, the live show was high energy, with Katseye bringing out KPop Demon Hunters singers Rei Ami, Ejae and Audrey Nuna to perform Golden, fresh off its Oscar win for best original song last month.
And just when the festival felt like it couldn’t add anything more… Snoop Dogg showed up, because of course he did. After serving as the first-ever honorary coach for Team USA at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, the 54-year-old made a surprise appearance during French DJ and music producer Hugel’s afternoon set, taking the stage with microphone in one hand and an obligatory joint in the other to perform his 1999 Dr Dre collaboration The Next Episode. Capitalising on the moment, Snoop then dropped new single 10 Til’ Midnight on streaming platforms during his live performance.
Finally, Teddy Swims brought out Van Halen singer David Lee Roth during his Coachella performance—apparently Roth’s first time on the festival stage. Swims, 33, also joined by Joe Jonas and Vanessa Carlton, turning his Coachella debut into a weirdly perfect mash-up of eras. Roth seemed genuinely delighted backstage, saying Teddy Swims is one of the best names ever—visitors “from Germany, Holland, Japan, China” apparently know it already. It’s that kind of Coachella magic, the fast connections, the sudden guest appearances, the viral moments that move faster than your group chat can keep up—though, honestly, the festival hasn’t even settled into its rhythm yet.
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