Coachella 2026 Weekend One: Justin Bieber, Wet Leg and More Performers Announced

The first weekend of Coachella 2026 delivered a packed slate of memorable performances, creative surprises, and high-energy moments that reflected the festival’s wide range of contemporary music. Across three days in the desert, artists from pop, rock, electronic, and alternative scenes used the stage to make bold statements, collaborate in unexpected ways, and turn individual songs into festival-defining highlights. Despite some weather concerns, the weekend ultimately belonged to the performances, with fans leaving with plenty to discuss ahead of the festival’s second weekend.

Turnstile delivered one of the most emotionally charged sets of the weekend, opening with pre-recorded videos that included a message from Brendan Yates’ father, which drew a strong response from the crowd. Once the music started, the band brought its familiar intensity, complete with mosh pits, crowd surfing, and fan favorites like “Never Enough” and “Blackout.” The performance carried added significance given recent turmoil surrounding the band.

Not For Radio, the solo project of María Zardoya of The Marías, offered a very different mood with a midnight performance that rewarded fans willing to stay late. Her set was described as dreamy and atmospheric, and it included the live debut of an unreleased song. Zardoya framed the performance as “Fireflies After Dark,” underscoring its intimate and nocturnal tone.

Sabrina Carpenter turned her Coachella set into a full-scale spectacle, following her own comments that it was her most ambitious show yet. The performance included appearances from Sam Elliott, Susan Sarandon, Will Ferrell, and Samuel L. Jackson, who helped deliver one of the night’s most talked-about moments during “Juno” by replacing a suggestive pose with a comedic spoken interlude.

Geese continued their streak of inventive live covers, this time weaving a snippet of Justin Bieber’s “Baby” into their song “2122.” The move reflected the band’s playful approach and helped make their set one of the weekend’s most talked-about surprises.

Nine Inch Noize, the new collaboration between Nine Inch Nails and Boys Noize, made a debut built around reworked versions of NIN material. The set extended the partnership that had already developed through touring and soundtrack work, and the result was a powerful fusion of industrial rock and electronic reinvention.

PinkPantheress leaned into collaboration as well, bringing in The Dare for a section of her set and Thundercat for a live appearance on “Break It Off.” Even with featured guests, she remained the center of the performance, showing how far she has come as a live act.

Justin Bieber’s headlining set was among the most divisive of the weekend, but also one of the most memorable. With a laptop and giant screen showing his own old videos, the performance felt part concert, part nostalgia trip, and part video-watch party. While some viewed it as unconventional, it stood out as one of the most talked-about choices of the festival.

Sombr impressed with a rock-forward set that included Billy Corgan joining him on “1979,” while Wet Leg delivered an energetic late-afternoon performance filled with charm and a surprise appearance from Horsegiirl. FKA Twigs closed the weekend with a highly physical and visually striking show, bringing back her pole-dancing performance for “Cellophane” and finishing Weekend 1 with one of its most moving moments.