Coachella 2026 Weekend 1: Justin Bieber’s Bold Gamble, Wet Leg’s Winning Return, and the Festival’s Most Unforgettable Moments

The first weekend of Coachella 2026 has come and gone, but the reverberations from three chaotic, thrilling days in the desert are already shaping the conversation around modern music. Despite a few ominous weather scares, the festival delivered a stacked lineup of pop spectacle, rock catharsis, and genre-defying experimentation. By Sunday night, it was clear: Coachella remains the place where artists take their biggest swings—and where the internet’s most talked-about moments are born.

From a divisive Justin Bieber headlining set that doubled as an onstage YouTube watch party to Wet Leg’s charmingly chaotic afternoon triumph, Weekend 1 was packed with must-see performances. Here are the biggest highlights, breakout moments, and bold creative swings from the first three days in the desert.

Turnstile Turned Pain Into Power

Turnstile’s Coachella set arrived during an emotionally fraught moment for the band. Earlier this month, Brady Ebert, the band’s former guitarist, was arrested on charges of attempted second-degree murder and first-degree assault of Bill Yates, the father of lead singer Brendan Yates. The band did not shy away from the weight of the moment.

At the start of their set, Turnstile played pre-recorded videos, including one from Bill Yates himself, drawing huge cheers from the crowd. Then the band launched into their signature high-voltage assault: a mosh pit erupted, Brendan Yates surfed above the crowd, and fan favorites like “Never Enough” and “Blackout” landed with bruising force. It was a reminder that Turnstile are not just hardcore heroes—they are one of the most vital live rock bands of their generation.

Not For Radio’s Midnight Magic

Walking around festival grounds in the blistering Coachella sun all day is exhausting. But anyone who skipped Not For Radio’s late-night set made a serious mistake. The project from The Marías’ María Zardoya went on around midnight on Friday, and her gorgeous, sleepy-hours performance was worth every ounce of fatigue.

Zardoya was magnetic, balancing atmospheric indie-pop textures with her warm, hypnotic vocals. Fans were also treated to the live debut of an unreleased song during what Zardoya called “Fireflies After Dark,” a stunning new performance piece. It was intimate, ethereal, and unlike anything else on the festival’s official schedule—proof that Coachella’s late-night slots can be just as essential as the headliners.

Sabrina Carpenter Brought Big-Screen Showmanship

Sabrina Carpenter promised that her Coachella performance would be “the most ambitious show I’ve ever done,” and she had seven months to make good on that claim. She more than delivered. Her set was a full-blown spectacle, complete with surprise appearances from Sam Elliott, Susan Sarandon, Will Ferrell, and Samuel L. Jackson.

The most talked-about moment came during “Juno,” when Jackson’s deep, authoritative voice took the audience through a brief meditation before calmly telling Carpenter to “finish the motherf*ckin’ song.” It was a brilliant comedic and theatrical twist that showcased Carpenter’s sharp instincts as an entertainer. She balanced tongue-in-cheek humor with genuine star power, turning her headline slot into a showcase of pop confidence at its finest.

Geese Gave Us the Bieber Crossover Nobody Expected

Geese have been on a roll with their live covers. After nailing New Radicals’ “You Get What You Give” in the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge months ago, they brought that same adventurous spirit to Coachella. This time, they went with a more contemporary classic: while performing their own track “2122,” they slipped in a snippet of Justin Bieber’s “Baby.”

Was it a nod to Bieber headlining the festival? Almost certainly. Did anyone see it coming? Absolutely not. But it was Geese, so of course it ruled. The band’s hype is entirely justified, and their set even lured Sabrina Carpenter out of the crowd to watch. If Geese are becoming the go-to band for surprising covers, Coachella was another perfect example of why.

Nine Inch Noize Made a Noisy Debut

Nine Inch Nails have never been content to stay in one lane. Their latest evolution involves Boys Noize, the electronic producer who has collaborated with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross on projects like the Challengers soundtrack and NIN’s Tron: Ares soundtrack, and also opened for the band on their Peel It Back Tour. Now the trio have officially joined forces as Nine Inch Noize.

Their Coachella debut was a masterclass in industrial-electronica fusion. Boys Noize had already been remixing a bunch of NIN songs on the road, and their joint set brought those reworkings to full, explosive life. The result was a wall of sound that felt both crushing and danceable—proof that Reznor, Ross, and Boys Noize share a remarkably twisted creative chemistry.

PinkPantheress Shined With and Without Friends

PinkPantheress came to Coachella with an impressive roster of collaborators. The Dare took over for a three-song section featuring new Addison Rae and Charli XCX remixes, plus his own track “Girls.” Then Thundercat joined PinkPantheress onstage, bringing his otherworldly bass playing to “Break It Off.”

But the most impressive part of PinkPantheress’s set was how confidently she handled the moments without any guests. She has come a long way from the studio-minded artist who once described performing live as fear-inducing. At Coachella, she looked comfortable, magnetic, and fully in control—transforming her lo-fi pop sensibilities into something scaled perfectly for a festival crowd.

Justin Bieber Turned a Headlining Set Into a YouTube Watch Party

Justin Bieber was arguably the biggest star at Coachella this weekend, but his headlining set was also one of the most divisive. For the back half of his performance, he placed a laptop in front of a giant screen and played his own old videos while singing along to his back catalog. At one point, he even stopped to watch a “deez nuts” meme play out for the crowd.

Some called it lazy. But nobody could call it forgettable. Having a YouTube watch party onstage at the world’s biggest festival is a massive swing, and for many fans, it paid off. The set became a nostalgic, casual hang rather than a traditional arena-scale production. As Zara Larsson put it, “It’s giving let’s smoke and watch YouTube,” but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Bieber has spent years under the glare of obsessive public attention, so reclaiming his own narrative with a laid-back, self-referential performance might have been the most authentic move he could make.

Sombr Found the Perfect Rock Guest

Sombr may be known for his pop sensibilities, but he is more of a rock fan than many people realize. He has deep love for classic UK bands, he covered The Cranberries’ “Linger” last month, and he leaned into rock once again at Coachella. The highlight of his set came when Billy Corgan joined him onstage for “1979.”

Sombr smartly stepped back and let Corgan belt out the iconic opening line, “And I don’t even care, to shake these zipper blues,” with that instantly recognizable voice. It was a genuine cross-generational rock moment, and Sombr’s joy at sharing the stage with a hero was endearing. He is already a wonderful performer, but seeing him be a fan first made the moment even better.

Wet Leg Keep Getting Better

Wet Leg arrived at Coachella with serious rock credibility, having previously welcomed Dave Grohl onstage at the festival in 2023. Their profile has only grown since then, and their late-afternoon set this year showed just how much they have sharpened as a live act. They brought energy, deadpan charm, and a surprise appearance from Horsegiirl that added an unexpected twist to the afternoon.

For anyone who missed them during Weekend 1, the message is simple: do not make the same mistake during Weekend 2. Wet Leg are quickly becoming one of those acts you tell your friends you saw before they were playing stadiums. Their Coachella set only reinforced that reputation.

FKA Twigs Closed With Grace and Grit

Few artists combine physicality and artistry as seamlessly as FKA Twigs. She is a charismatic, high-effort performer who never phones it in, and Coachella was no exception. From her meticulously crafted choreography to her emotionally raw vocals, she treated the festival stage like sacred ground.

One of the most striking moments came during “Cellophane,” when she brought back the pole-dancing prowess she once famously learned for a music video. It was a moving, acrobatic rendition that put a beautiful bow on her Weekend 1 set. Twigs continues to push herself in ways most of her contemporaries will not, and her Coachella performance was yet another reminder that she operates on a completely different level.

Coachella 2026’s first weekend was a testament to the festival’s enduring ability to surprise, provoke, and inspire. Between Bieber’s unconventional headlining gamble, Sabrina Carpenter’s Hollywood-sized spectacle, and breakout rock moments from Geese and Turnstile, the desert was full of conversations waiting to happen. If Weekend 1 was this exciting, Weekend 2 has a very high bar to clear—and that is exactly where Coachella likes to be.

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