Every spring, without fail, we hear tales of insanely-priced Airbnbs and over-the-top accessories. All attributed to perhaps the most popular recurring music festival of all time: Coachella.
A cultural staple in modern media, and an event that is sure to give rise to stories sparking the attention of global news outlets each year, Coachella’s influence has grown and its image has shifted over the times to become a trend-setting hub for fashion, brands, and music; a side effect of this is that it has become a status symbol for those attending it. Yet, ironically, a status symbol was the last thing it was meant to be originally.
But before we get into that, let’s backtrack. What is Coachella in the first place?
In 1993, Pearl Jam, unhappy with the monopoly Ticketmaster had over prices for concert tickets, held a protest concert at the Empire Polo Club – in the middle of a desert, and completely for free. Surely, such an unconventional event could never garner the popularity that was associated with mass-scale live music productions? Well, it did; approximately 25,000 guests attended the venue, and in 1999, Paul Tollett of Goldenvoice took inspiration from Pearl Jam to start what we now know as Coachella. Talk about garnering popularity.
Today, unfortunately, Coachella has more of a reputation as an ‘influencer event’ than that of a radical music festival. It is such a status symbol that some influencers, and this year more than before, have been reported to fake going to Coachella to maintain their relevancy. But that’s not to say that there is no musical aspect remaining in the festival; while it may be disguised beneath tales of exclusive guest lists and brand deals, Coachella certainly gives artists a stage to express themselves, and therefore, music-lovers plenty to talk about. So let’s talk about it: what did Coachella actually have in store for us this year? And did its modern function of being a superficial influencer rat-race yield to its original purpose of being an anti-establishment festival dedicated to the sharing of music?
Weekend 1 – Woodstock or anti-Woodstock?
The internet has never been slow when it comes to creating trends out of single sentences. Already, several of you would’ve heard Justin Bieber’s shift to his ‘Bieber-Fever’ era voice when singing “Beauty and a Beat’’ onstage. While, yes, Bieber scrolling through his phone in front of thousands of people rather than performing was a precursor to this moment, what a fun throwback to the beginning of this year when we were all saying 2026 would be the new 2016 – in this case, 2012! Is the public’s reaction to this a good indication to how there has been a collective shift towards the desire to return to simpler times?
Other than that, the eventful first weekend also saw sets from several prominent artists, including Sabrina Carpenter, Karol G, Katseye, Addison Rae, and The xx.
Carpenter’s last performance in 2024 ended with her saying, Coachella, see you back here when I headline! And, well, that, she did. A fun full-circle moment for an artist known for her blown-out productions; this year was no different, with a Hollywood-themed performance with surprise appearances from Susan Sarandon and Will Ferrell. Furthermore, this marked the first time Coachella had a Latina headliner, with Karol G closing out Weekend 1 with a vibrant performance that also paid homage to music and sound from across Latin America. Karol also performed a new song with the band Cigarettes After Sex.
As for guest experiences, however, we will say that Weekend 1 paled in comparison to Weekend 2. Still, some notable surprise stars were brought out during the show: Lizzo, Joe Jonas, and Snoop Dogg were all amongst this crew, David Guetta also brought out Jennifer Lopez for her debut Coachella performance.
Weekend 2 – Coachella comes back
Many people are unaware of the fact that there even is a Weekend 2 at Coachella. It might be because many brands are unwilling to sponsor two weeks of a trip, so coverage of Weekend 2 often gets brushed under the rug – but this time, it was a weekend to be remembered, and we’re here to fill you in if you missed out.
With The Strokes’ new album Reality Awaits coming out this June, their set at Coachella was sure to create headlines. Yet their performance came not only with inspiration on the creative front for eager artists and listeners, but inspiration in the humanitarian front. Band members Julian Casablancas, Fabrizio Moretti, Nick Valensi, Albert Hammond Jr., and Nikolai Fraiture used their platform to extend awareness on current political issues in the world – the genocide in Gaza and the USA’s role in the matter, as well as past historical events that are relevant now. They set an example not only to other artists to show their values, but also to us, the audience, to use our voices and speak for what we stand for. In today’s climate, their display serves as a reminder that integrity still serves a place in this world. The Strokes’ politically charged video montage was the foreground of their first performance of the song Oblivius since 2016, accompanied by the line, What side are you standing on? Our question of what brought the band back to Coachella after fifteen years is answered now – and they made sure to give us a bang, because with a performance this inflammatory, it’s uncertain whether they’ll be allowed to perform at Coachella again. All the more reason to commend The Strokes for their bravery. Of course, we saw colourful renditions of their other songs, including Going Shopping, a song from the upcoming album. Make sure to catch the videos of their full live performance before they get censored off the internet!
Weekend 2 also came with many more guest appearances. To start off strong: Madonna joined Sabrina Carpenter for three songs. Addison Rae also brought out Olivia Rodrigo as her guest star, where Rodrigo gave us a live debut of her new single, Drop Dead. Additionally, Billie Eilish was brought out by Justin Bieber. And it doesn’t stop there; PinkPantheress, a rising sensation for months now, cruised around the stage with Zara Larsson and Blood Orange, along with others. Also, we saw Billy Idol join Sombr for a performance of “Eyes Without a Face” (we’ll let you make up your own minds about that one!), before Sombr performed an interesting cover of “Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead (we’ll let you make up your own minds about that one, too).
Perhaps it was because by this point, many flashy influencers and cameras had already left the venue, leaving the music with more room to shine. Perhaps it was because of all the guest appearances that elevated set qualities monumentally. Perhaps it was because of the unity of morals and boldness that Pearl Jam would’ve been proud of. But what we’re sure of is that Weekend 2 was a big improvement from Weekend 1 – far from its usual status as an afterthought, it came with some semblance of what Coachella is really supposed to be about.
All in all, an eventful start to the month; Coachella 2026 has proved itself to be a rendition of the festival that will be talked about for ages to come. See you next year!
