From a historic headliner to laptop karaoke, from A-list surprise guests to AI-generated lies—this is the full rundown on the desert’s biggest weekend in 25 years.
Who showed up—on and off stage
Coachella 2026 was, as always, as much about who was seen as who was booked. The Empire Polo Club became a revolving door for some of the biggest names in entertainment, but not all of them were there to perform.
Katy Perry was spotted watching Justin Bieber’s headlining set from the crowd alongside Canadian politician Justin Trudeau—an unlikely duo that sent social media into a spin. Rihanna, who has not released an album since 2016 and has constantly avoided festival stages, was seen in the audience during the weekend, cheering on A$AP Rocky. Hailey Bieber was present at Justin’s Weekend 2 set, and according to reports, was actually the one who nudged Billie Eilish toward the stage for her surprise appearance during “One Less Lonely Girl.” Taylor Swift was reportedly in the Coachella Valley area, attending as a fan alongside Travis Kelce—who was spotted dancing in the crowd rather than performing—to the delight and slight frustration of fans who have long wished to see her headline the festival.
Lizzo also made her presence known well beyond any single stage, popping up at the 818 Outpost party, which Kylie Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, and Kendall Jenner also attended. The Outpost party was DJed by Kaytranada, and Lizzo was also spotted dancing alongside Paris Hilton at her Parívie event—singing along to her own song. Snoop Dogg, a man who seemingly cannot attend a major music event without becoming part of the show, appeared both in HUGEL’s Day 1 set and resurfaced during Giveon’s Weekend 2 performance. Coachella’s tradition of celebrity visual cameos continued with Sam Elliot lending his unmistakable voice to visuals during Sabrina Carpenter’s headlining set.
Maddie Ziegler, famous from the international reality show Dance Moms, was also seen backstage, minutes before she joined Addison Rae in her performance. For Nickelodeon lovers, Victorious’ main character, played by Victoria Justice, also attended the Revolve event with Vintage attire. Finally, for all of those who are fans of Formula One, Daniel Ricciardo (former driver) and Valtteri Bottas (current grid) were caught talking about Justin Bieber’s performance, which was often referred to as “Bieberchella.”
The collabs that defined the weekend
If Coachella 2026 had a theme, it would be generosity. Many artists were opening their sets to friends and legends, and unexpected crossovers were seen at every turn. Here are the most talked about moments:
Karol G and Becky G’s “MAMIII”: As Karol became the first Latina to headline the festival, she invited fellow Latina Becky G onstage to perform their massive joint single, a charged symbolic moment that drew thunderous applause both weekends.
Justin Bieber and Billie Eilish’s “One Less Lonely Girl”: This performance was the Weekend 2 showstopper. A lifelong Belieber, Eilish visibly could not contain her emotions—falling to her knees multiple times during the performance. She later wrote “can’t stop crying” on her Instagram as further proof of her intense emotion.
Sabrina Carpenter and Madonna’s “Vogue,” “Like a Prayer” & “Bring Your Love”: This marked the Queen of Pop’s return to Coachella. Appearing during Weekend 2 only, the duo premiered their new duet before diving into Madonna’s classics, with Carpenter saying, “No thanks needed, Madonna. You can have whatever you want.”
Major Lazer/Diplo and M.I.A. “Paper Planes”: This performance was an unexpected blast from the past. M.I.A. appeared to play the track that helped define both artists’ careers, reuniting Diplo with his former collaborator.
Camila Cabello and Young Thug’s “Havana”: A reunion in the making. Cabello joined Thug’s Day 3 set, and the entire crowd sang the unmistakable “ooh nana” chorus of the song “Havana” in perfect unison.
Addison Rae and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drop Dead”: This was Weekend 2’s viral centerpiece. Rodrigo appeared just after Rae sang “I compare myself to the new It Girl,” then debuted her upcoming single, timed almost too perfectly.
What was real and what was fake
Coachella is one of the most rumor-prone events on earth. This year, the festival’s 25th anniversary and Bieber’s high-profile return generated an especially thick fog of speculation, hoaxes, and AI-generated content. The following rumors were fact-checked:
Selena Gomez was barred from Justin Bieber’s rehearsals (DEBUNKED)
A post on X claimed Gomez was turned away by Bieber’s security team at Coachella 2026 and had issued an official statement about it. In reality, no such statement was made. The post itself used a blurry, unidentifiable image and even misspelled the festival’s name as “Couchella,” further undermining its credibility.
Justin Bieber and Tems kissed on stage (DEBUNKED)
An AI-generated image circulated on X to show Bieber and Tems kissing during their “Essence” performance. Festivalgoers quickly debunked it with actual video footage from their show, confirming no kiss took place.
Some influencers faked being at Coachella (CONFIRMED)
A longstanding Coachella tradition documented since at least 2023 consists of influencers traveling to the Coachella Valley to take photos in a festival-adjacent setting to make it seem as though they were inside the festival grounds. This year also saw a surge of AI-generated images presenting virtual influencers at the festival alongside celebrities.
Manon Bannerman from KATSEYE would not perform with her group (CONFIRMED)
Fan speculation ran hot ahead of KATSEYE’s set about whether member Manon Bannerman, currently on break from the group, would join them on stage. In fact, she did not perform with KATSEYE during their set. She did, however, make a brief appearance at the end of PinkPanthress’ Weekend 2 set.
Bibliography:
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BBC Bitesize. “Coachella: The Rumours and AI Influencers – BBC Bitesize.” BBC Bitesize, 13 Apr. 2026, www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zgk3p9q. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Benjamin, Jeff. “Coachella 2026: All 92 Surprise Guests Who Appeared This Year.” Forbes, 11 Apr. 2026, www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbenjamin/2026/04/11/coachella-2026-surprise-guest-performers-appearances/. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Franco, Vanessa, and Nate Jackson. “Coachella 2026 Weekend 2 Live Updates: Justin Bieber Brings out SZA, Billie Eilish.” Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026, www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/live/coachella-2026-weekend-2-live-updates.
Stone, Rolling. “All the Surprise Guests at Coachella 2026: Will Ferrell, Huntr/X, More.” Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2026, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/coachella-surprise-guests-2026-1235546142/. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Taylor, Jason. “10 Superstars Missing from Coachella 2026: Why These A-List Names Skipped the Desert Festival.” International Business Times, International Business Times Australia, 19 Apr. 2026, www.ibtimes.com.au/10-superstars-missing-coachella-2026-why-these-list-names-skipped-desert-festival-1867023. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.