Earlier this month, Justin Bieber made Coachella history after he headlined both weekends, pulling in one of the largest crowds in the festival’s history.
When Bieber was announced as one of the headliners for the 2026 Coachella Festival, he quickly became one of the most anticipated performers.
Weekend one of his sets brought in mixed reviews with fans and critics alike, expressing mixed emotions about whether his performance proved to be extravagant enough for such a big stage.
He came out, dressed comfortably in his own clothing brand, Skylrk, featuring a red hoodie with the brand’s logo, long black shorts, black boots, and sunglasses.
The stage featured a large, curved platform with a built-in table for his MacBook, where he chatted with viewers at home via Coachella’s YouTube livestream.
His setlist was largely dominated by tracks from his recent albums, Swag I and Swag II, including hit singles like “Yukon” and “Daisies.” In addition, he included a segment where he played a few of his hit songs like “Baby” and “Beauty and a Beat,” as well as his old YouTube covers.
One of the surprising moments, aside from the guest appearances from musical artists like Tems and Dijon, he showed clips of famous internet memes. This gained the attention of viewers at the festival and across social media who reposted and poked fun at the singer, with some calling the set ‘lazy’ and ‘chaotic’.
Aside from the critiques, the show, though more of a stripped-down performance, allowed Bieber’s talent to truly shine through, showing that he didn’t need the over-the-top production to prove his worth.
A heartwarming moment was when he harmonized with his younger self, singing along to songs from his early years, the camera showing a beautiful over-the-shoulder shot of Bieber looking at his younger self on the big screen. This made for an emotional moment for fans, and a seemingly healing moment for him.
Week two shows Bieber finding his footing as he seemed much more relaxed, engaging with the crowd and bringing noticeably higher energy.
This performance, much like week one, was star studded with appearances by Big Sean, SZA, and Billie Eilish, which made many fans jealous as she got the honor of being his “One Less Lonely Girl.”
Week two also saw a difference in the setlist, including more songs from his recent albums as well as deep cuts like “Up” and “No Pressure.”
The aftermath of his historic performance showed a significant spike in his streams, as he achieved a career milestone with seven of his albums charting in the Billboard 200 simultaneously.
It wasn’t just his music gaining attention, Skylrk came out with Coachella exclusive merch items that sold out both weekends, garnering $15 million in sales overall.
There’s no doubt that with the record-breaking numbers he’s achieved, Bieber will surely go down in history as one of the most successful artists to grace the Coachella stage.