Pop star Sabrina Carpenter transforms first night of Coachella into her own ‘Sabrinawood’
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Sabrina Carpenter appears on the screen as she performs at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, US, on April 10, 2026.
PHOTO: REUTERS
INDIO, United States – American pop princess Sabrina Carpenter took fans on a nostalgic journey through a Hollywood-themed fantasy world dubbed “Sabrinawood” on April 10 as music festival Coachella wrapped up its first day in the California desert.
The headliner packed 20 songs into a Tinseltown-inspired set complete with A-lister cameos, vintage film props and a “Sabrinawood” billboard in huge white letters evoking the Hollywood sign.
The Manchild (2025) singer made her Coachella debut in 2024, the year she released her catchy summer smash Espresso.
“Two years ago, I wanted to put on a little song for Coachella,” Carpenter said on stage as fans belted out the words to the megahit.
Her performance also included live debuts from her latest album Man’s Best Friend (2025), as well as appearances from American actress Susan Sarandon and American actor Will Ferrell.
The star-studded Coachella line-up – which also features other headliners Canadian pop star Justin Bieber and Colombian singer-songwriter Karol G – will grace the stage in Indio on two consecutive weekends, kicking off the American music festival circuit for 2026.
Under Coachella’s desert sun, with temperatures reaching 30 deg C on April 10, music fans donned cowboy boots, short shorts and glitter galore for the festivities.
Two-time Grammy nominee and American singer Teddy Swims took to the festival’s main stage at dusk with an enthusiastic set that included hits such as The Door (2023) and Bad Dreams (2025), before closing out with Lose Control (2023).
Soon after, thousands of fans packed another stage to sing, dance and cheer the much-anticipated Coachella debut of Los Angeles-based girl group Katseye.
Katseye perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, on April 10.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Italian DJ Anyma cancelled his set due to “strong wind conditions” that affected stage build, organisers said in a statement.
The party continues across Coachella’s nine stages on April 11, with a heavy dose of yesteryear’s biggest stars.
The ’90s are back with American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, who will team up with German producer Boys Noize for a performance, and the aughts will be represented by New York City rockers The Strokes, who are slated to release a new album in June after a six-year hiatus.
But peak nostalgia may hit like a bout of “Bieber fever”, on the heels of the 32-year-old singer’s comeback at the 2026 Grammy Awards, with hits such as Sorry (2015) and Where Are U Now (2015).
A person wears a Justin Bieber shirt during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, on April 11.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The night will also feature performances by techno stalwarts like Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren and Swede Adam Beyer, K-pop stars such as Taemin and British dance sensation PinkPantheress.
French DJ-producer David Guetta returns to the desert in Indio, and David Byrne, the legendary co-founder of American band Talking Heads, will make an appearance.
As a testament to the diversity of genres on display at Coachella, the festival’s main stage will host American influencer-turned-singer Addison Rae.
April 12’s cherry on top will be reggaeton star Karol G, the first Latina to headline the festival.
The winner of eight Latin Grammy Awards made her Coachella debut in 2022 with a performance that paid tribute to Latin music icons such as Selena, Celia Cruz and Daddy Yankee.
For 2026’s show, the Provenza (2023) singer is expected to embrace the “Caribbean showgirl” aesthetic of her latest project, Tropicoqueta (2025).
Festivalgoers near the Starry Eyes installation, designed by architect Kyriakos Chatziparaskevas, during the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, on April 10.
PHOTO: AFP
Sunday also promises the festival debut of K-pop kings BigBang, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary with a highly anticipated return to the international stage.
Also appearing will be the godfather of punk Iggy Pop and British DJ-producer Fatboy Slim, who dominated the electronic music scene in the 1990s.
Other acts include American electronic dance music group Major Lazer, American indie-pop band Foster The People and British singer FKA twigs.
The festival will close with a screening under the stars of the first episode of the third season of Euphoria (2019 to 2026), the HBO high school drama series starring Zendaya, returning to television after four years.
Coachella is streamed live on YouTube. AFP
