The desert is calling again. Karol G is officially locked in to headline Coachella 2026, which is kind of a massive jump from her previous appearance back in 2022. I was sitting here just now, listening to the hum of the office AC—it’s that weird, metallic rattling sound—and thinking about how much she’s blown up since that last set. She’s not just a guest anymore; she’s the one closing out the night.
She was talking on *Call Her Daddy* recently about being a “rollercoaster of feelings.” It’s the rehearsals, the studying, the sheer pressure of a headlining slot. She said it’s opened her mind in ways she didn’t expect, or maybe she was just overwhelmed. Anyway, she sounds ready for it. Or at least as ready as anyone can be for that kind of scale.
So, if you’re trying to pin down the schedule: Sunday is the night. Specifically, April 12 for the first weekend and April 19 for the second. She’s taking that main stage right around 9:55 p.m. PT—that’s 12:55 a.m. for those of you on the East Coast nursing a late-night coffee. It’s a prime spot. A real, heavy-hitter slot.
If you aren’t actually heading out to Indio—honestly, the dust is a nightmare anyway—you can catch the whole thing on the official YouTube livestream. It’s free, which is rare for anything these days. They usually have multiple feeds, so you can probably flip between stages if you get bored, though I doubt you will.
Who else is there? It’s a mix. Sabrina Carpenter is holding down Friday, and Justin Bieber has Saturday. Sunday is a busy one—aside from Karol G, you’ve got Young Thug, FKA twigs, BIGBANG, and even Iggy Pop showing up. Actually, wait, it’s a packed Sunday. It’s going to be a lot to take in, honestly. I’m just hoping the stream quality holds up better than it did last year, or maybe I’m just misremembering that part.
Whatever happens, it’s definitely the main event for Sunday. Make sure to check the stream early.