Last weekend, the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California held its annual Coachella festival. Coachella is the biggest music festival of the year full of fun, fashion, and amazing artists. The weekend had amazing qualities, making it one of the best.
The headliner for this year’s Coachella was one that touched many hearts around the country. Justin Bieber made his return to performing after roughly 4 years of being on hiatus. He was welcomed back with open arms as thousands of fans cheered loudly from the crowd. His performance wasn’t a huge production, but one that was simple. Sitting in a folding chair, Justin scrolled through YouTube, choosing his songs at random to sing. He also brought out The Kid Laroi to perform their popular song “Stay.” Many found this as a healing moment for him as he sang along with his younger self. However, some were left upset due to their high expectations of his performance not being met.
“I really wish that I could have gone to Coachella and seen Justin Bieber. I get jealous when I watch videos of his performance,” junior Maeryn Meyer said.
Two other artists who sparked a lot of excitement were Sabrina Carpenter and Swae Lee. Unlike Justin, Sabrina put on a show full of beautiful set work and multiple costume changes. She also featured many cameos like Will Farrell, Sam Elliot, Samuel L. Jackson, and Susan Sarandon. Overall, fans found her performance to be spectacular and full of fun. Swae Lee, an American rapper, also received a lot of love from those at Coachella. Fans were very happy with his set list, but were left upset when the Coachella officials cut the night short before he could perform one of his most loved songs “Black Beatles.”
Coachella isn’t just full of music, but full of fashion. The weekend is commonly referred to as another “Met Gala” due to the heavy critiques on all attendees outfits. The dress code is much different to a normal festival, requiring unique outfits paired with tons of extravagant accessories. A trend that was seen throughout this weekend was large boots. However, Coachella is known for its treacherous walks, but the people ignore that fact by wearing cowboy boots and even bulky leather boots. Another thing that was seen to be popular, was the lack of fun color in most outfits. Traditional colors including white, black, brown, and beige were seen as the go to. While tying these trends in, many referred to the “theme” as 2016. 2026 is seen to be the new 2016, and many tried to bring that to life this weekend.
“I love looking at all of the different Coachella outfits. It’s my favorite part of the whole festival,” junior Meagan Davies said.
Many brands use Coachella as a way to gain awareness and new customers. Brands like Revice, Poppi, and Evry Jewels did this by gathering a group of influencers and sending them to Coachella with publicity in return. Throughout the weekend, the influencers act as an ad for the brand by using their social media platforms. Another form of product promotion is through pop ups within the festival. Rhode by Hailey Bieber had one the most loved popups including a fun game with winnable plushies. This is a perfect opportunity for brands to showcase their items due to the huge amount of exposure.
Coachella 2026 goes down as one of the best ever. It had amazing artists like Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Swae Lee, and many more that gave the most memorable performances. Fashion also played a huge role this weekend by providing a fun way to express yourself. The second weekend of Coachella will be happening in just a few days, so the experience isn’t over yet.
