Sabrina Carpenter is officially set to headline Coachella 2026, joining Justin Bieber and Karol G as one of the festival’s top-billed performers. The announcement, made on Tuesday (Sept. 16), marks a full-circle moment for the pop star, who had publicly declared her hopes to headline during her 2024 performance at the iconic festival.
Shortly after the news broke, Carpenter shared a video clip on Instagram from her 2024 Coachella set in which she told the crowd, “See you back here when I headline!” Alongside the clip, she wrote, “Woman of my word,” celebrating the realization of her dream.
Carpenter’s 2026 headlining slot caps off a meteoric rise that began in earnest with the release of her breakout hit “Espresso” just before her Coachella debut. The track, which she first performed live at the festival, launched her into mainstream stardom and helped propel her 2024 album Short n’ Sweet to the top of the Billboard 200. The album also featured the Hot 100 chart-topper “Please Please Please” and earned Carpenter her first No. 1 album. “Espresso” later landed at No. 7 on Billboard’s Year-End Hot 100 chart for 2025.
She followed that success with Man’s Best Friend, released in August 2025, which also debuted at No. 1. In a celebratory Instagram post, Carpenter thanked fans, saying, “You guys have made Man’s Best Friend my second #1 album and my highest debut ever… I feel so lucky.”
Carpenter will headline both Fridays of Coachella 2026, taking place April 10–12 and 17–19. Bieber and Karol G will headline Saturdays and Sundays, respectively. Other notable performers include The xx, The Strokes, Young Thug, KATSEYE, Laufey, and Addison Rae.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ