Coachella Weekend one, headliners, guests and highlights
Big headline sets, surprise guests, and a few genuinely bizarre moments already, Coachella 2026 is in full swing. Here’s everything that’s gone down so far and what people are actually talking about.
The first few days of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2026 are underway, and it’s already shaping up to be exactly what you’d expect, huge performances, surprise appearances, and a steady stream of slightly chaotic moments that end up all over the internet.
Early sets from artists like Tyler, The Creator, Lana Del Rey and Doja Cat have set the tone, each leaning into full-scale production. Large visuals, tightly structured sets, and performances clearly designed to work both in the moment and as clips afterwards.
As always, though, it’s not just the headline sets getting attention.
One of the more widely shared clips from the weekend involved Justin Bieber casually pulling up a YouTube video, specifically the “deez nuts” meme. It’s the kind of completely unserious moment that somehow ends up everywhere within hours.
It doesn’t have anything to do with the music, but it’s very Coachella. These off-stage moments often end up being just as talked about as what’s happening on stage.
Guest appearances have already played a big role too. Sets from artists like Ice Spice and Peso Pluma have featured unexpected collaborations, drawing big reactions both from the crowd and online.
One of the more noticeable things this year is how fluid the lineup feels. Indie acts, electronic artists, rappers and alternative bands are all sitting alongside each other without much separation.
Artists like Clairo and Faye Webster have brought more stripped-back, atmospheric sets into the mix, and they’re holding their own on stages that are traditionally dominated by higher-energy performances.
There’s been a noticeable lean toward moodier, more atmospheric performances, particularly from alternative artists. More space, more texture, less pressure to keep things constantly high-energy.
Like always, Coachella is happening just as much online as it is in the desert. Clips are circulating almost instantly, performances, guest moments, random backstage interactions.
It’s not even a separate layer anymore, it’s just part of how the festival exists. Something happens, and within minutes it’s being watched somewhere else.
There’s still a lot of the weekend to go, and Coachella usually builds as it goes. More guests, bigger moments, more clips that end up sticking around long after the festival wraps.
But even just a few days in, it’s already delivered what people expect, big sets, unexpected appearances, and the kind of strange, in-between moments that somehow become the most memorable part.