The Empire Polo Club was tinged with pink and nostalgia. After a four-year absence from the big stages, Justin Bieber returned to Coachella this Saturday with a clear objective: to remind us why he is the definitive pop star of our generation. Wearing a pink sweatshirt and a minimalist aesthetic, the Canadian not only sang; he connected with his past.
What began as a performance of his current era soon morphed into a “mass karaoke”. Bieber used a computer to read live requests from the YouTube stream, giving away snippets of hits like ‘Baby’ and ‘Favorite Girl’. The most touching moment came when he projected that video of a 13-year-old Justin singing in his bedroom, reminding the thousands of Beliebers in attendance of the journey they’ve been on together.
Justin Bieber returns at Coachella
Justin Bieber singing “Baby” at Coachella… the maturity in his voice is insane.pic.twitter.com/KhkDv4qBU5
– RAZE (@RazeFeed) April 12, 2026
Justin Bieber returned in style to the Coachella Festival with a packed show in which, in addition to presenting music from his most recent stage, he made a nostalgic review of his career since his beginnings on the internet.
On a minimalist stage and wearing a pink sweatshirt, the singer began his concert this Saturday with ‘All I Can Take’, the first of more than a dozen songs that would mark the first part of his performance from his albums ‘SWAG’ and ‘SWAG II’.
The show alternated between peaks of intensity and quieter passages, during which some attendees even sat on the floor, only to get up later and dance to the rhythm of their most classic songs.
The singer, who had not performed on large stages since his Justice World Tour in 2022, used a computer to apparently interact with the audience who sent him song requests through the YouTube stream.
In a kind of massive karaoke, Bieber relived fragments of hits from his beginnings, such as ‘Baby’ or ‘Favorite Girl’, and even projected the video in which he performs a cover’ of ‘With You’, by Chris Brown, which he uploaded to the platform when he was 13 years old and which catapulted him to fame.
Bieber closed his stellar performance with special guests Dijon, Tems, Wizkid and Mk.gee.
His feverish fan base, known as the Believers, conglomerated many hours before his performance, but their presence began to be noticeable during the performance of The Strokes, the band that preceded the Canadian’s show.
The Strokes and Nine Inch Noize
ROCK! The Strokes performing ‘Reptilia’ not Coachella pic.twitter.com/OyxMw5v53S
– daviiii (@steImas) April 12, 2026
Members of that American indie rock band, which headlined in 2011, made snarky comments throughout the night about performing before the pop star.
“I want to thank you for fulfilling our lifelong dream of opening for Justin Bieber,” The Strokes bassist Nikolai Fraiture wryly told the audience.
On the other side of the Empire Polo Club hosting the event, Nine Inch Noize, the alliance between legendary American industrial rock duo Nine Inch Nails (NIN) and German producer Alexander Ridha, burst onto the scene with a visceral performance.
The combination of heavy electronic beats, violent visuals in red, black and white colors, and chaotic choreography on a gray ramp offered an immersive and disruptive experience.
And among the standout emerging artists of the day was Sombr, who, dressed in black leather and a classic rock star aesthetic, shined with an eclectic performance in which he performed songs like ‘Homewrecker’ surrounded by ballet dancers.
The 20-year-old singer, nominated for Best New Artist at the last Grammy Awards, also brought Billy Corgan on stage to sing ‘1979’.
The Smashing Pumpkins vocalist had also been at the festival last year as a guest artist during My Chemical Romance’s performance.
Morat shows its support for Latinos
“WHERE ARE THE LATINOS AT COACHELLA?”
Morat, from Colombia pal mundo sung ‘Amor Con Hielo’ in Coachella 🧊✨
MORATCHELLA pic.twitter.com/OsouKTPzui
– Morat Nation (@moratnation) April 12, 2026
Among the proposals in Spanish, the Spanish singer Rusowsky stood out, who animated the Sonora stage with a low light show, his characteristic wig and dark glasses, and songs like ‘malibU’, ‘Johnny Glamour’ or ‘mwah :3’.
Colombia’s Morat did the same in an experience with which they hope to “open the way for bands and for pop rock in Spanish,” Simón Vargas Morales, the group’s bassist, told EFE.
“Debuting at Coachella is one of those moments that we always imagine, but it feels completely different when it finally happens,” he added.
Likewise, the Brazilian singer Luísa Sonza offered an explosive concert in which she had the Argentine Emilia Mernes as a special guest to sing ‘Bunda’.
Under threat of wind
David Byrne at Coachella OUTDOOR THEATRE Day2
デヴィッド・バーンが観れる日が来るなんて。
今までコーチェラの会場の何処にいたのって程の老齢の方々が前方に。25分押して結果ジャスティンビーバーの裏アクト。そんな中ジャスティンの裏で踊るギャルがいて素晴らしい#Coachella #Coachella2026 pic.twitter.com/kccFVEB9rN
– ロイ (@suberubar). April 12, 2026
Some technical problems arose again during this second day, especially due to the strong winds that lashed much of the Coachella Valley, where this festival takes place.
On Friday night the Italian DJ Anyma’s show had already been cancelled due to this situation, and this Saturday there were important delays, as in David Byrne’s show, which started about 20 minutes later than scheduled.
The festival will close out the first weekend on Sunday with Karol G as the headlining artist, the first Latina to headline the event, as well as performances by Iggy Pop and Spanish duo Mëstiza.
With information from EFE
