Coachella 2026 Opens with Sabrina Carpenter's Hollywood-Themed Headliner and Weather Disruptions

The 2026 edition of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival kicked off at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, with Sabrina Carpenter making her headlining debut. Her performance on Friday embraced a classic Hollywood vibe, reimagining the stage as "Sabrinawood" and featuring surprise guests such as Susan Sarandon, Will Ferrell, and Sam Elliott. Sarandon portrayed an older version of Carpenter during her monologue. Due to strong winds of approximately 25 miles per hour, DJ Anyma's set was canceled after Carpenter's performance for safety reasons related to stage construction. An air quality advisory was issued from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning due to windblown dust, although local air quality remained good to moderate. Other acts included KATSEYE, Disclosure, and Snoop Dogg. The festival, established in 2002, attracts over 100,000 attendees each day across two weekends. Justin Bieber will headline Saturday, followed by Karol G on Sunday, with UK artists Wet Leg, Lambrini Girls, Little Simz, and FKA Twigs also performing. The line-ups will repeat the following weekend.