Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G to headline Coachella in 2026

The headliners for the one of the world’s marquee music events are Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G who have been given top billing over seasoned rock stalwarts Iggy Pop, The Strokes and Devo.

The annual two-weekend extravaganza in California next April features a hectic and somewhat confusing mash-up of genres and eras which has divided fans.

“This gotta be the worst line-up in music festival history,” was one reaction peppered throughout the comments sections.

“Yall … this April fools joke seems a little early,” opined one fan.

“Some 34 year old kid you went to high school with is about to HATE this line-up,” was a comment which captured the divide between the generations of festivalgoers.

Bieber’s return to a major concert stage in his Swag era, four years after the Justice tour, didn’t get as much fanfare as expected with most of the line-up love devoted to the 20th anniversary performance of Kpop kings BigBang and the inclusion of Filipino girl group BINI.

There was a muted response to Carpenter headlining the Friday bill alongside electronic dance music favourites The XX and Disclosure, soul singer Teddy Swims and newly minted girl group KATSEYE.

Bieber’s first Coachella headlining spot on Saturday sees him top the bill ahead of The Strokes, GIVEON, Labrinth, current pop prince Sombr and the legendary David Byrne, who has cultivated a new generation of fans with his scene-stealing cameo during Olivia Rodrigo’s set at the Governors Ball in New York in June.

 

Several fans were shocked to note that Addison Rae, who was a guest with Charli XCX at this year’s Coachella, is billed on the top line of the Saturday line-up.

“How is Addison that high?” queried one festivalgoer.

A common refrain in the comments section on the official Coachella Instagram channel lamented the absence of Australian psychedelic rockers Tame Impala from the 2026 bill.

“TAME IMPALA SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE,” shouted one disappointed Kevin Parker fan.

Australian acts confirmed on the bill are indie pop rockers Royel Otis, punk heroes The Chats and EDM star Ninajirachi.

There were a couple of mysterious names on the bill, the first on Friday featuring Nine Inch Noize, which had some music fans wondering if the name was a typo. But it’s a collaboration between Nine Inch Nails and producer Boys Noize who is opening for the industrial rock gods on their current tour.

The biggest mystery thrown up by the 2026 Coachella poster is in fine print at the bottom, announcing “The Bunker Debut of Radiohead KID A MNESIA”.

The seminal British rockers recently announced a series of shows, their first in seven years, shows in London and Europe in November and December.

Coachella 2026 will return to the Empire Polo Club in Indio on April 10-12 and 17-19 next year.