Megan Lander | Student Life Editor
September 19, 2025
Every April, hundreds of thousands of people gather at one of the greatest international art festivals located in the California Indio desert: Coachella. Known for its diverse music performances and one-time-wear outfits, Coachella is held over two weekends in April. In 2026 it will be from April 10th-12th and from the 17th-19th.
This year, the festival released its artist lineup a couple of months early. Artists headlining for 2026 include Sabrina Carpenter on Fridays, Justin Bieber taking over Saturdays, and Karol G closing out the weekends on Sunday. Alongside them are about 150 other talented artists.
First up is Sabrina Carpenter. She started her career in pop music in her teens. She made her Coachella debut in 2024. Following that performance, she released her album Short n’ Sweet which brought her career and dreams to another level of fame and reality. This past August, Carpenter released her latest album, Man’s Best Friend, which has gained wider commercial attention by the public. In 2024, she ended her set by saying, “Coachella, see you back here when I headline.” Two years later, she kept her word and her elevation to headline this upcoming year reflects her growth as an artist. Due to her recent success, people are very excited to see her perform. Senior Kevin Zhang said that “Sabrina is one of [his] favorite artists and [he] can’t wait to see what she brings to the stage.”
Next up, Justin Bieber. Bieber has been a global pop icon and superstar for over a decade. Late 2000’s kids grew up on his music and his attendance at Coachella will flood back feelings of nostalgia. In the past, he has been a guest and featured on other artists’ sets at Cochella, like on Wizkid’s in 2024, Daniel Caesar’s in 2022, and Ariana Grande’s in 2019.
This festival will mark his return to live performances since in the last year he has been interrupted by his health and touring complications. He recently dropped his newest albums, Swag and Swag II, giving him brand new material for his fans to hear live for the first time. He will never escape the screams of excited girls who grew up beside him.
Lastly, Karol G. She is a Columbian superstar and known for her Latin music. She made her first appearance at Coachella in 2022. She also recently released an album in mid-2025 called Tropicoqueta. This opportunity is building and growing her international presence and influence. Most importantly, Karol G. will become the first Latina artist to headline Coachella. Senior Luke Mudge said that he’s “recently found Latin music to be fun to listen to in the car.” It will be very exciting hearing her headline as it is something new to the Coachella audience.
Other notable artists include Bigbang, a returning k-pop group making a comeback with their 20th anniversary with a full-group performance. KATSEYE, a girl k-pop band who recently performed at the 2025 VMAs. Sombr–making his Coachella debut as an alternative indie artist gone viral on TikTok in the last year–released his new album in August called I Barely Know Her and also performed at the 2025 VMAs. Laufey, an Icelandic singer, is another artist who is climbing the billboard charts for her jazz, bossa nova, and pop-inspired blended music, currently on tour for her album released this August called A Matter of Time, is also making her Coachella debut.
Overall, Coachella 2026 is one to look forward to with several returning and new artists. The festival is for everyone ranging from music genres like pop to rock to K-pop to jazz to Latin to alternative to even the Bob Baker Marionettes’ performance featuring their signature puppets. There is a place for everyone to have fun. If not the music, the fashion and ambiance is something everyone should experience one day.
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