Coachella 2026: For Your Consideration’s Unmissable Acts
Coachella 2026: For Your Consideration’s Unmissable Acts
Coachella marks the official start of the festival season, and whether you’re watching in person from Indio’s iconic Polo Fields or tuning into YouTube and watching the sets from home (in 4k and all stages for the first time!), we’ve put together our unmissable picks from across the weekend For Your Consideration
Friday
Today marks the official start of the festival, and there's plenty to sink your teeth into, especially if you're keen on discovering some of the most exciting fresh music on the planet right now.
The day kicks off with BINI, the eight-piece Filipino girl group who will become the first act from the Philippines to perform at Coachella when they open up the festival's Mojave stage. Already a stadium-sized phenomenon across Asia, their presence here feels significant: a marker of pop's increasingly global centre of gravity. It's a chance to witness history, and for newcomers, to understand why they've already captivated millions.
That global through-line continues with KATSEYE, the six-member group formed through Hybe's 'Dream Academy' competition and subsequently the subject of Netflix's 'Popstar Academy: Katseye'. Representing nationalities spanning the Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States, they broke through with 'Touch' and arrived at this year's Grammys with two nominations, including Best New Artist. They’re a fascinating story of modern pop's borderless ambition, and the Sahara stage should be rocking.
We adore CMAT. An icon in the UK and Ireland, Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson is one of the hardest working artists in pop music today: brilliantly witty, fiercely talented, and seemingly incapable of putting out anything less than captivating work. Her latest album 'Euro-Country' debuted at number one in Ireland, earned a Mercury Prize nomination, and was rightfully lauded as one of the finest records of the past twelve months. She’s easily the most compelling live act on the entire lineup, and if you haven't yet discovered her, Coachella is as good a place as any to fall under the spell.
We've championed Holly Humberstone since her early EPs back in Lincolnshire, watching her grow from a promising young songwriter into something genuinely special. Her second album 'Cruel World' is sensational; a darker, more gothic and emotionally ambitious record that sees her step confidently into new territory. It's out today, and what a way to launch it at the festival. The critical reception has been rightfully effusive, and this feels like the moment she cements herself as one of the most compelling voices of her generation.
Slayyyter, meanwhile, arrives at the festival on a wave of universal acclaim for her third record, 'Worst Girl in America', which topped the US Dance Albums chart within days of its release. It's an emphatic, beguiling collection of dance pop that pulls from Madonna, Blondie and Robyn whilst remaining entirely her own; dark wave textures colliding with shimmering synthpop in a way that feels both nostalgic and utterly fresh. Expect energy, expect spectacle.
For something more abstract yet drenched in nostalgia, seek out Ninajirachi. The Australian producer's debut album 'I Love My Computer' is a love letter to the internet age, and its standout single 'iPod Touch', a track about discovering electronic music through sketchy YouTube-to-MP3 converters at the age of twelve, has already achieved cult classic status. It carries the kind of wistful, pixelated charm that lodges itself in your brain and refuses to leave.
Friday also brings a pair of returns that carry real emotional weight. Lykke Li is back with a new album, 'The Afterparty' on the horizon, her first record in four years and a project that features a seventeen-piece orchestra alongside what's been described as 'apocalyptic bongos'. Lead single 'Lucky Again' blends synth-driven electropop with sweeping orchestral arrangements, suggesting a record that's both expansive and deeply personal. For those of us who fell in love with 'I Follow Rivers' and 'No Rest for the Wicked' all those years ago, her return feels like a reunion with an old friend.
Similarly, the xx's presence on Friday's Coachella Stage is nothing short of monumental. Eight years since their last body of work and following a reunion show in Mexico City, Jamie xx, Romy and Oliver Sim are back together and reportedly working on a fourth album. The trio redefined minimalist, emotionally charged pop across their first three records, and their influence has rippled through the past decade of music in ways both obvious and subtle. Whether new material surfaces during this set remains to be seen, but their return alone makes this one of the most anticipated performances of the entire weekend.
And then there's Sabrina Carpenter, closing out Friday as the headliner and cementing what has been a staggering ascent. It's barely two years since her last performance in which her then brand new single 'Espresso' transformed her from a promising pop artist into an inescapable cultural force; since then, 'Short n' Sweet' debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and earned her two Grammy Awards, its follow-up 'Man's Best Friend' repeated the feat, and she's spoken openly about manifesting this very Coachella headline slot years before it materialised. She's described tonight's set as the most ambitious show she's ever done. On the evidence of the past eighteen months, there's every reason to believe her. This is Sabrina Carpenter's crowning moment, and the Polo Fields should bear witness to something special.
Saturday
Coachella has a storied history of surprise additions once the set times drop, and this year's Saturday is no exception. Legendary rocker Jack White is the headline surprise for Week 1, slotted into the Mojave for a brisk afternoon set that marks his first Coachella appearance since headlining the festival back in 2015. White arrives fresh from a blistering SNL performance just a week ago, where he debuted two new singles, 'Derecho Demonico' and 'G.O.D. And The Broken Ribs', both of which crackled with the same raw, unpredictable energy that has defined his career across three decades. The prospect of hearing timeless hits from across his career, such as ‘Seven Nation Army,’ ‘Icky Thump’ and ‘Steady, as She Goes’ in the intimate confines of the Mojave, is tantalising. On the subject of surprises, rumours persist that Week 2 may have something even more seismic up its sleeve in the form of Madonna, but that is another story entirely.
Addison Rae rightfully opens the main Coachella Stage, and her presence in that slot speaks volumes about how far she's come in a remarkably short space of time. A force of nature, she's grown immensely as a live performer since the release of her self-titled debut album last summer: a record steeped in the euphoric, synth-drenched textures of Madonna's 'Ray of Light' era that debuted in the top ten across fourteen countries. When we caught her at London's Brixton Academy last August, she was only a handful of performances into her live career, yet we still came away describing her as “a performer in all senses” of the word; her complex and compelling dance routines elevating a blend of euro-tinged dance pop into something visceral and captivating. Singles such as 'Diet Pepsi' and 'Aquamarine' have since become staples, and the Polo Fields should provide the canvas for a set that cements her evolution from cultural phenomenon to bona fide pop artist.
For critics, 2025 belonged to one band, Geese. The Brooklyn five-piece take to the comparatively intimate Gobi tent on Saturday, and if you're only going to discover one new act this weekend, make it them. Their second album, 'Getting Killed', scored a staggering 90 on Metacritic, was named the best album of 2025 by both The New Yorker and Stereogum, and earned a rare 9/10 from Pitchfork. Their sound is a thrilling, unconventional collision of rock, folk and jazz: garage riffs layered upon Ukrainian choir samples, hissing drum machines pulsing beneath screeching guitars, all underpinned by a songwriting sensibility that feels both ancient and utterly modern. They carry that same crackling, fresh energy that catapulted The Strokes into the limelight over two decades ago; a New York band with the ambition and the material to match the mythology. That they're playing the Gobi tent feels like a privilege for those who catch them. It won't be this intimate for long.
It's only fitting, then, that The Strokes themselves are also on the bill. Julian Casablancas and company remain one of the most influential rock bands of the twenty-first century, and their presence on the same Saturday lineup as Geese creates a fascinating generational bridge: the torchbearers and the inheritors sharing the same desert stage. The timing feels significant; the band have recently announced 'Reality Awaits', their first new album in six years, produced by Rick Rubin and due this summer. Lead single 'Going Shopping' carries the same wiry, restless energy that defined 'Is This It' over two decades ago, filtered through a band that has clearly spent the intervening years sharpening rather than softening. Coachella marks the beginning of a run of festival appearances that will stretch across the summer, and the prospect of new material sitting alongside the catalogue that soundtracked a generation is a compelling one. Whether you're revisiting those early records for the thousandth time or hearing 'Getting Killed' next door at the Gobi for the first time, Saturday offers a rare opportunity to witness both ends of that New York rock lineage in a single afternoon.
When it comes to exciting UK talent, PinkPantheress has always existed on the thrilling fringes of British dance and garage culture, but this past year she's elevated herself into a genuine pop superstar with a compelling live show to match. 'Illegal' dominated 2025: it entered the Billboard Hot 100, amassed over 130 million Spotify streams, and was named NME's Song of the Year. Her collaboration with Zara Larsson on the remix of 'Stateside' has been doing the same in 2026, climbing to number seven on the Hot 100 and reaching number one on Global Spotify, propelled further by Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu performing to it at the Winter Olympics closing gala. Her Mojave set this evening will feel comparatively small to the arenas she's set to fill across London and Manchester later in the year, and that's precisely why you should be there.
David Byrne, meanwhile, needs little introduction. The legendary Talking Heads frontman returns to Coachella on the back of 'Who Is the Sky?', his first solo album in seven years: a collaboration with the Ghost Train Orchestra that features contributions from St. Vincent, Paramore's Hayley Williams and The Smile's Tom Skinner. It's a record that only a mind as restlessly inventive as Byrne's could produce, and his live show has long been one of the most singular experiences in music. His presence alone elevates Saturday's bill into something special.
And then there's the headline act. Justin Bieber closes out Saturday night, and this is a return that carries a weight far beyond the music. After cutting his Justice World Tour short in 2022 due to exhaustion and the debilitating effects of Ramsay Hunt syndrome, Bieber's road back to the stage has been long and closely followed. His triumphant return came in the form of not one but two albums in the space of fifty-six days last summer: 'Swag' and 'Swag II', the former earning four Grammy nominations and both debuting atop the charts. A small, intimate show at The Roxy in Los Angeles just weeks ago previewed a twenty-five song setlist that focused purely on his newer material; soundcheck clips these past few days hint, however, that we may be in store for some of the classic material that made him this generation's Timberlake. As the highest-paid performer in Coachella's near-three-decade history, the expectation is enormous. But then, Bieber has always been at his best when the stakes are highest, and the prospect of witnessing this particular comeback on this particular stage feels genuinely momentous.
Sunday
The final day of Coachella opens with a pair of the UK's most exciting live artists. Wet Leg take to the main stage in the late afternoon: the Isle of Wight duo who have swiftly graduated from indie darlings to festival headliners in the UK following the release of their second album 'Moisturiser', another unconventional, raw, dreamlike rock record that builds on the wry charm of their debut whilst pushing into more textured and ambitious territory. Their timing in the set belies their status; catch them early, and you'll understand why they're filling fields back home.
Meanwhile, opening the Mojave is rap royalty. Little Simz brings her sixth studio album 'Lotus' to Coachella, and if you've followed her trajectory over the past fifteen years, you'll know this is an artist operating at the very peak of her powers. When we caught her at the launch of 'Lotus' in Bristol last year, we described the performance as “a masterclass in artist-fan connection, showcasing raw vulnerability on new tracks alongside triumphant sing-alongs to beloved hits; a powerful and up-close reminder of a generation-defining talent”. The album itself, a sweeping blend of hip-hop, jazz, punk and funk featuring collaborations with Obongjayar, Sampha and Michael Kiwanuka, received universal acclaim. Simz has an impeccable ability to reinvent and challenge herself sonically, and pairs this with a clear and visible joy when performing live. The Mojave should consider itself fortunate.
Another rap highlight arrives in the form of Clipse, whose long-awaited reunion album 'Let God Sort Em Out' was one of 2025's most significant releases. Sixteen years since their last record, Pusha T and No Malice reconvened under the sole production of Pharrell Williams for a raw, uncompromising collection that features Kendrick Lamar, Nas and Tyler, the Creator. The duo paid a seven-figure sum to leave Def Jam rather than censor the Kendrick verse; that alone tells you everything about their commitment to the craft. Whether Pharrell himself surfaces during this set remains the kind of tantalising possibility that makes Coachella weekends so electric.
If you're drawn to more atmospheric and alternative territory, then Sunday's Gobi tent offers something truly special in French pioneer Oklou. Her debut album 'Choke Enough' was one of 2025's most critically celebrated records: a twilight fusion of Y2K worship, baroque polyphony and elegant electronic ambience that has captivated artists and listeners alike. Billie Eilish has spoken publicly about Oklou being the first thing that's genuinely excited her in music in some time, and she was the most frequently represented female artist on Spotify's Wrapped for Artists last year. Collaborations with PinkPantheress, Bladee and Caroline Polachek further underline her position at the centre of a new wave of experimental pop. Hers is a set for the curious and the adventurous.
Samia, meanwhile, takes to the Mojave on the back of her third album 'Bloodless', a more introspective and experimental record than its predecessor, drawing on influences spanning Fiona Apple, Bjork and Mitski. The songs originated as poems before evolving into musical pieces, and that literary quality permeates the record; it's an absorbing, considered work from an artist who continues to grow with each release.
There's also the return of flowerovlove, the London-based artist whose 2026 has already been one of prolific output. Recent single 'American Wedding' sees her venture into a pop-country blend, whilst earlier releases 'Casual Lady' and 'Wishlist' showcase her restless creative energy. With over 142 million global streams and a summer of festival appearances ahead, her Gobi tent slot feels like the start of something bigger.
The Mojave will see FKA twigs bring her 'Body High' experience to Coachella, a return that has been years in the making following a painful withdrawal from the 2025 festival due to visa complications. The show, which has already sold out two nights at Madison Square Garden (a venue she was once told she wasn't big enough to fill), is a tour-de-force of dance, electronic and alternative pop that draws from her Grammy-winning album 'Eusexua' and its companion piece 'Eusexua Afterglow'. Twigs has always existed in a space entirely of her own creation, and the 'Body High' production, set to take over London's O2 later this year, represents its most ambitious and fully realised form. For those who have followed her since 'EP1', this is an unmissable moment; for those discovering her for the first time, prepare to be engulfed.
Karol G concludes the festival, and the significance of her closing the Coachella Stage on Sunday night cannot be overstated. The first Latina artist to headline this slot, the Colombian sensation arrives carrying both the weight of expectation and a palpable sense of purpose. In recent weeks, she has spoken openly about being warned that speaking out against ICE could result in her visa being revoked, yet her response has been characteristically defiant. In the context of an artist who has won a Grammy, collected eight Latin Grammys, and commands one of the most devoted fanbases in global music, her presence here transcends performance. Karol G has the longest headline set of the weekend, and there's every indication she intends to use every second of it. This is more than a closing act; it's a statement.