Singer Justin Bieber reconnects with fans on Coachella’s second day
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Justin Bieber played the role of DJ at Coachella and took requests from online viewers.
PHOTO: COACHELLA/INSTAGRAM
INDIO, United States – With a minimalist set and a trip through his musical past, pop superstar Justin Bieber returned to the stage on April 11 to headline the second day of Coachella.
The Canadian singer has not performed at a venue of Coachella’s size since 2022, when he appeared at Rock in Rio in Brazil before cancelling the remainder of his international tour due to health issues.
In 2025, Bieber released the album Swag, quickly followed by his eighth studio album Swag II.
While he has recently played smaller shows, Coachella was billed as the start of his full-scale comeback.
Bieber had said in an Instagram post earlier that “we will be singing at the top of our lungs on Saturday”.
Dressed in a sweater, shorts and black boots, the 32-year-old artiste made good on his promise, playing the role of DJ and taking requests from online viewers.
After opening with several tracks from Swag II, Bieber sat at a computer and began a journey into the past, searching for his videos on YouTube and singing snippets from Beauty And A Beat (2012), That Should Be Me (2010), Never Say Never (2010), the teen pop anthem Baby (2010) and other hits.
“This is special,” he told the crowd. “This is a night I dreamt about for a long time, so to be here is amazing.”
Bieber also showed his old clips on YouTube, as well as moments captured by the ever-present cameras following him and his wife Hailey Bieber.
Eclectic offerings
Earlier that day, New York City rockers The Strokes took the stage and announced a new album for June, following a six-year hiatus for the band.
They played anthems including Hard To Explain (2001), Last Nite (2001), Someday (2001) and Reptilia (2003).
Other acts in the spotlight on April 11 included Nine Inch Noize – the collaboration between legendary industrial band Nine Inch Nails and German producer Boys Noize – who also have an album on the way.
With dramatic lighting and intense sound, the band had fans jumping with versions of songs like Closer (1994), Heresy (1994), The Warning (2007) and Copy Of A (2013).
The set by rising indie star Sombr featured Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, and together they performed the rock band’s hit 1979 (1996).
With nine stages, the festival hosted a wide range of genres, including Brazil’s Luisa Sonza, influencer-turned-singer Addison Rae, Britain’s PinkPantheress, K-pop star Taemin and David Byrne, the legendary co-founder of the band Talking Heads.
On April 12, the diverse line-up included Colombian reggaeton star Karol G, British singer-songwriter Flowerovlove, American group Major Lazer, the godfather of punk Iggy Pop, British dancer and singer FKA twigs, the architect of big beat Fatboy Slim, American rapper Young Thug and K-pop band Bigbang.
Coachella kicked off on April 10 with performances from headliner Sabrina Carpenter, Moby, Devo and surprise appearances from American singers Lizzo and David Lee Roth. Other artistes included Ejae, Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna – the singers behind fictional K-pop girl group Huntrix – who performed their Oscar-winning Golden (2025) alongside girl group Katseye.
Carpenter’s performance of hits like Manchild (2025), Espresso (2024) and Please Please Please (2024) was helped by big-screen stars Sam Elliott, Susan Sarandon and Will Ferrell, who rounded out her 90-minute set.
The festival will run again from April 17 to 19 with a nearly identical line-up. It can be viewed on YouTube. AFP
