Concert Review: Coachella Weekend 1

Abigail Mornhinweg
43 minutes ago
6 min read

When looking at the mega-movement that has the first half of April spent in thrift stores, renting AirBnBs, and chugging electrolytes like our lives depends on it, Coachella seems to be the concert event of the year. When the headliners for 2026 were announced on September 15th of last year, fans went crazy: Sabrina Carpenter has taken the music industry by storm, Justin Bieber was coming off of years of sporadic performances, and Karol G made history as the first ever Latina to headline the festival. The festival was sold out a week after the lineup was announced. I got my hands on last minute tickets from my brother, and with my camelbak in tow and two weeks of getting to know each headliner's music, I went in with no expectations to the first weekend of Coachella.

Now, seeing as I didn't go to Coachella's second weekend, this will only be detailing each headliner's performance at the first weekend. There will be references to Coachella's second weekend (like how Carpenter brought out Madonna for "Like a Prayer" and the debut of their new collaboration "Bring Your Love), however, these performances will not be a part of the review.

Friday Night: Sabrina Carpenter

Now, I'm going to be honest: I had high expectations for when it came to Carpenter's headliner performance. I've been to a concert of hers before on the Short n' Sweet Tour and was blown away. When looking at everything that she's done live over the past couple of years, I think it would be safe to say that I wasn't alone in those expectations; yet, time and time again Carpenter continues to blow past those expectations and set higher and higher benchmarks for what she's able to achieve. With live debuts of songs off of her recent album Man's Best Friend, including fan favorites "When Did You Get Hot?" and "We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night," a seven-minute monologue by Susan Sarandon and special appearance by Will Ferrell, and even a new "Feather" mashup that calls back to her Coachella performance two years ago, Carpenter used every resource at her possession to make a spectacular performance. Carpenter's stage design was a delight to see as well, as Carpenter not only built mutliple different sets that could be used interchangeably throughout the set, but also recreated the Hollywood sign and put her own spin on it, with "Sarbinawood" residents (the crowd) going nuts with every song. With this performance, Carpenter continued to raise the bar on what she can do, and with a special touch of "Sabrinawood" throughout the rest of the weekend, Coachella was graced with a career highlight from Carpenter.

Friday Night: Anyma

So I know what you're thinking: "Abby, Anyma's set got canceled due to the winds and you wrote that this review wouldn't touch on weekend 2!" To that, I say you're correct. From what I watched, Anyma's set looked fantastic. However, I think there's a much bigger topic to touch on here. Everyone knows that Coachella is infamous for what I consider the headliner that returns every year: the winds and the dust it carries. So, consider this an interlude within the review so that I can give you my tips on how to avoid the winds and keep yourself healthy during the festival season in Coachella, coming from someone who went to her first Coachella and came out with only a stuffy nose.

For all intents and purposes, I am not a medical professional. However, any medical professional will tell you to stay hydrated. A lot of tips I've seen from both festival-goers and ravers alike say to carry electrolytes to drink all day, and I would go as far as to say to carry extra for those who may have forgotten. Not only is it a kind gesture, but it also lead to me making friends within the crowd and creating memories that will last me a lifetime. As for the dust, I came with a medical mask and a bandana to put over my nose and mouth. Weekend 1 isn't as notorious for the dust as the ground hasn't been completely ruined by people taking 20,000 steps all day, but for those who think these winds are a joke, I assure you they are not. Take care of yourself: get a nasal spray, get claritin, and/or get any sort of preventative or aftercare that works for you. If you don't take care of yourself first, you will not enjoy the Coachella experience to the fullest.

Saturday Night: Justin Bieber

This performance has divided a lot of fans for what they say is a lack of effort. When comparing the other headlining set that I had seen at this point in the weekend, I would have to agree. However, when pinpointing the last performance Bieber played on a regular schedule, I would argue it was a dedication to where he came from. If you're not caught up to speed, Bieber has had a handful of performances from the last couple of years, but ever since his Justice tour ended due to Bieber having Ramsey-Hunt Syndrome in 2022, Coachella is the first time where Bieber is playing a full-out show. On stage with him was a computer, a couple of stage designs, and, for a minute, a special appearance by The Kid LAROI to perform his and Bieber's collaboration, "Stay." Bieber's set paid homage to how he blew up: a journey through YouTube videos in which he played short snippets of gems throughout his early discography, including "Baby," "Confident," and "Never Say Never," while also touching on his newer releases through SWAG and SWAG II. While the performance design may have been miniscule in comparison to Carpenter's, Bieber's charm and charisma carried through to the crowd, who were alight with Bieber fever and nostalgia. Bieber's headlining performance may have been smaller in design, but with his journey throughout the early days of his discography and great performances of his newer releases, Bieber fever is, once again, back in full-force.

Sunday Night: Karol G

Karol G is an artist who I was unfamiliar with at the start of Coachella, but quickly became my favorite headliner at the end of the weekend. For those unfamiliar, Karol G is not only the first Latina to headline Coachella, and with that came a celebration of Latinx culture with bold statements. Aside from running behind, the first time Karol G appeared on the stage, the crowd erupted. Karol G's "Latina Forever" took over the crowd, with people from all over the world celebrating through different flags waving in the Coachella winds, outfits that were inspired by Karol G's different eras, and the understanding that nothing could destroy the culture that current movements are trying so hard to destroy. Through special appearances by Becky G for her and Karol G's collaboration "MAMIII" with a Mariachi band backing the duo, Karol G's usage of the colors red, blue, and yellow throughout the performance (an homage to her roots in Colombia), and other special appearances by Wisin and a live debut of an unreleased ballad with Greg Gonzalez from Cigarettes After Sex on guitar, Karol G's set wasn't one to miss. Although I don't want to seem like the tiktok of the white girl watching Bad Bunny's Superbowl performance (if you know, you know), I couldn't help but admire the celebration of Latinx culture happening around me. As she said during the performance, this performance was a celebration for the Latina community and for the community at large. Though I might've been unfamiliar with Karol G's discography before, her discography has been on repeat since seeing her live.

Throughout the weekend in which I visited Coachella for the first time, I made memories that I don't want to forget. Throughout the weekend, the headliners showed time and time again that they're not here to play. Sabrina Carpenter extended her performance to the fullest, using everything is her resources toward a performance that would create a career standout. Justin Bieber kept his set more intimate, with only his computer and the crowd going through his old discography through the website on which he was first discovered. Karol G put out a statement of unity and created my favorite headlining moment of the weekend. Throughout the weekend, these three headliners (with a special shoutout to Anyma, who got to premier his new set at weekend 2) showed vastly different sets and showed why they were selected to be headliners. Coachella did it's big one this year, and with it created memories that I'll never forget

Written By Abby Mornhinweg