As the saying goes, if it’s nice, play it twice.
For two weekends each April, millions of eyes and algorithms turn to the desert of Indio, California, for Coachella, arguably the world’s most famous music festival. Over 25 editions, the three-day event has morphed from a grassroots rock concert into an axis around which the music, art, fashion, and marketing worlds turn. Cultural moments are made, trends are set, the planet’s best musical acts are broken, and some of the highest-profile individuals on earth mix with devoted music fans.
But beneath all the fanfare is one of the loftiest and most well-executed live music endeavors the world has ever known. On the festival’s second weekend, that experience shines even brighter after the celebrities have had their fill and any logistical kinks have been worked out. And from beneath the lights, lasers, and fireworks, it doesn’t feel like any less of a zeitgeist.
Back at the swanky Empire Polo Club from April 17-19, a sold-out Coachella 2026, dominated by pop headliners Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, and KAROL G, lived up to its acclaimed reputation: exceptional music and exceptional production in an exceptional location. Few, if any, other events accomplish what Coachella does at the scale and breadth at which they do it. It’s an experience you have to live to truly understand.
Read EDM Maniac’s full report on the second weekend of Coachella 2026 below.
Quick Takes
Best moments: KAROL G becoming the first Latina to headline the main stage. Geese’s evening set in the Gobi Tent. The xx’s sunset performance. Dubstep and D&B take over the Sahara. Winding down at the Do LaB.
Needs work: More shade in GA. Long walks between stages, bars, and restroom locations. Ingress and egress from the festival grounds.
Hidden gem: The Bunker. The Bob Baker Marionette Theater. Hidden speakeasies.
Audience Match
Who this festival is for: Big spenders. Music nerds. Superfans. Party warriors.
Maybe skip if: You can’t stand the heat. You left your walking shoes at home. You believe everything you see on the internet (come with an open mind!).
Vibes: A
With its wide-ranging multi-genre lineups, Coachella amasses a beautifully broad cross-section of music fans. As music’s many subcultures collide in the desert dust, you’ll find all types: the ravers, the rock-and-rollers, the pop star obsessives, festival fashionistas, clout chasers, and vinyl nerds; Families, young and old.
Yes, brand deals, corporate-sponsored influencer trips, and Instagram photoshoots (can you blame anyone for taking a selfie in that California sunset?) all happen at Coachella—but, especially on weekend two, most of the festival’s roughly 125,000 daily attendees are real people with real love for the music, even plenty of its celebrity and VIP guests.
There are only so many places where you can see several of the best concerts of your life all in one weekend, and people have invested lots of time, effort, and money into the experience. Regardless of your net worth or follower count, everyone is excited to be there just the same.
The higher cost of admission naturally lends itself to a more mature crowd, and in our encounters, this was one of the classiest festival crews we’ve hit the dance floor with. Everyone was on their best behavior, but still had plenty of fun.
In a crowd that large, you’re bound to have a few bad apples, and on occasion, etiquette went out the window as fans clamored to see their favorite artists. The main stage was tight after the sun set on Saturday as diehard “beliebers” camped out for a spot to see the night’s headliner. It took about 30 seconds for The Strokes to end their set before Justin Bieber fans at the rear rushed into the pit from behind and made exiting the stage difficult.
Though it was clear which pockets of the crowd were simply waiting for the pop star, for his Coachella debut and second public performance since 2022, it was nothing we didn’t expect. Fans also dangerously rushed the gates to the Sonora tent when it was at capacity during RØZ’s performance on Sunday.
Throughout the weekend, we soaked up the energy and community that was all around us: Exchanging dance moves. Themed group outfits and makeshift totems. Discussing setlists and sharing small tokens of appreciation. Moshpits. Superfans. Flags. Latinx pride. Human expression at its finest.
Production: A
Coachella’s stage production and design are about as iconic as they come, and while the looks don’t change every year, they’re unique to the festival and steeped in history. When updates do happen (there have been plenty of massive changes since the festival began in 1999), they’re headline news.
Hundreds of the world’s leading musicians have climbed from afternoon sets in the Gobi or Sonora tents to late-night gigs in the Mojave and massive performances at the Outdoor Theatre, Sahara, and the main stage. DJing in the Yuma has become one of the highest honors in club music, and the Do LaB’s unique build lives on social media timelines and in memories as a hotbed for breaking electronic artists and surprise sets. Since 2024, Quasar’s futuristic design has come alongside the festival’s expanding dance music blueprint.
Programming varies at some stages, but each music destination brings its own distinct vibe. Underground and rising names stake their claim beneath the crystal chandeliers hanging from the Gobi’s red canopy. From set to set, Sonora’s dark, climate-controlled interior seamlessly swivels between late-night disco and basement rock club for more emerging acts.
Mojave’s arched megastructure hosts established artists, shielding fans from the sun and hugging them close to the stage at night, backed by a full wall of LED screens, while the Outdoor Theatre and Coachella Stage feature the weekend’s biggest multi-genre performances, allowing for custom set designs and offering clear views of the event’s mega stars with facades wrapped entirely in high-def video walls.
Courtesy: Coachella. Credit: Scott Hutchinson (@scotchphotos).
Top electronic, rap, and pop acts typically find a home beneath the curved roof of the Sahara, which features hanging light elements, lasers, and the festival’s widest LED screen (320 feet long). Inside the Yuma, the world’s best house and techno DJs spin beneath the tent’s famous disco shark and ravey lighting that rivals the planet’s leading superclubs, while Quasar’s EDM-inspired design bleeds into the desert horizon with extended DJ sets and formidable B2Bs.
On top of that foundation, performers and their teams build some of the most ambitious set designs in the world of concerts, from Sabrina Carpenter’s “Sabrinawood” hills to Nine Inch Noize’s haunting metal rave, and KAROL G, riding atop a giant parrot. When the goal is to create moments that reverberate far beyond the polo field, no expense is spared.
Though we had few sonic complaints, there were some issues with volume and EQ throughout the weekend. Low sound levels were reported from the back of Quasar, a disservice to a packed crowd for DJ Snake’s Pardon My French takeover on day two. High winds meant sound bleed was also significant. During their main stage set, The Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas noted the distant throbbing of bass.
Music: A
Known for breaking talent on the global stage, Coachella’s musical programming is probably the most revered in its field. The forward-thinking talent buyers at Goldenvoice routinely build lineups that place music’s next generation of stars among its current ones—any genre, from the global underground to the (internet) radio airwaves. The acts playing smaller stages will be headlining years from now. Coachella sets the bar.
This year, the festival perhaps splashed more cash than ever to secure pop icon Sabrina Carpenter, Colombian superstar KAROL G, who became the first Latina to headline Coachella, and Justin Bieber’s awaited first performances since 2022 (also his festival debut). After an insider pegged Bieber’s fee at north of $10 million for two weekends to Rolling Stone, it’s estimated that Coachella spent well over $70 million on talent. That talent delivered.
Bieber stuck to his weekend one recipe, performing from his laptop with a fresh cast of high-profile special guests: Billie Eilish, SZA, Big Sean, Sexyy Red, and Dijon. Carpenter leveled up her own VIP list with cameos from Terry Crews, Geena Davis, and Madonna, who made her first appearance at the festival in 20 years, and we embraced our inner Tropicoqueta with KAROL G, joined by several of the planet’s biggest Spanish-language artists: Becky G, Peso Pluma, J Balvin, and Ryan Castro.
Other notable weekend two special guests included Olivia Rodrigo joining Addison Rae, Sombr dueting with Billy Idol, and appearances from Janelle Monae, Ninajirachi, Blood Orange, Manon, and Slayyyter at PinkPanthress’ set. Rico Nasty popped out with FKA twigs and Major Lazer, and Young Thug brought out Camilla Cabello.
On the decks, ISOxo joined DJ Snake and Knock 2’s Quasar B2B; Rapper JID helped Subtronics premiere their new track, alongside more vocal performances from Inéz and Linney; and Anyma brought out LISA, Swae Lee, and Joji for the world premiere of ÆDEN, after its cancellation due to high winds on weekend one.
For us, the magic was in the undercard, if you can even call it that. Psyop or not, Geese delivered a riveting evening set in the Gobi. On the main stage, The Strokes shredded their way to a politically charged closing performance of “Oblivius” for the first time in a decade. Earlier in the weekend, The xx’s sunset slot was pure bliss.
KATSEYE’s slick dance moves pulled a massive crowd to the Sahara. Last-minute addition Kacey Musgraves put the sun to bed with her country croon at Mojave. Ethel Cain stirred up witchy folk ballads late at night, and Foster The People cured our last day blues at the Outdoor Theatre.
Twenty-five editions in, it’s equally stunning to see how much dance music has come to dominate Coachella, this year appearing on all eight of its main lineup stages, in addition to the DJ-centric Do LaB.
After dropping their collaborative album, Nine Inch Noize (Nine Inch Nails and Boys Noize) reimagined the metal band’s classics with a rave twist at the Sahara. WORSHIP’s D&B headlined the stage for the first time, and Mochakk’s energetic set led the way to Kaskade’s festival closing performance, where he debuted his new album, Origin //. The Sahara also spotlighted more dubstep than ever before, with deeply immersive sets from Subtronics, Levity, and Hamdi. On Friday, Marlon Hoffstadt soundtracked the stage with beats from Berlin.
Elsewhere around the grounds, we caught Disclosure’s famous live setup at the Outdoor Theatre and watched the ladies of Sara Landry’s Blood Oath throw down at Quasar. Groove Armada commanded an afternoon crowd in the Yuma, and Moby cruised through his rave classics at Mojave at night. We also boogied to Dutch favorite Joost’s bouncy brand of hyperpop and techno.
The Do LaB continued to supply some of our favorite sets and surprise performances. GRiZ, Sub Focus, Champion, Hamdi B2B Riordan, LEVEL UP B2B Mary Droppinz, Neumonic, and many more brought all varieties of bass to Coachella. Even the campground pre-party popped off with an anticipated B3B from red-hot house DJs Josh Baker, Prospa, and KETTAMA.
Weekend two schedule tweaks to prohibit conflicts with Justin Bieber resulted in some tough decisions on who to see, but with so much good music on display, fans already have no choice but to make them.
Venue: B+
Coachella’s lifelong home at Indio’s Empire Polo Club is a special place. Open skies dotted with palm trees, art installations (like this year’s headline-grabbing hippos), distant mountain views, and well-manicured lawns (or what’s left of them by the end of weekend two) bring out a unique feeling of excitement and are perfect for frolicking through the festival. After a quarter-century of media coverage, stepping out onto the field feels like stepping into a postcard.
Well-sized for the event’s roughly 125,000 daily attendees and estimated 30,000 campground residents, the polo club, nestled among retirement communities, downtown Indio, and the open desert, affords all the infrastructure Coachella needs, and more. In perhaps his least divisive soundbite of the weekend, The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas summed it up best when he asked if fans were enjoying Coachella’s “amusement park music city.” The event is a man-made wonder in complement to the surrounding nature.
Coachella has a reputation for relatively higher ticket prices, but with lots of ticket tiers, bookable activities, and add-ons, the experience is customizable. Most of the big spending is on exclusive access for VIP ticket holders. GA still gets the full festival experience, just without designated viewing and extra facilities, and the vibes were always better in the pit.
Also home to Stagecoach and soon Head Trip, the polo club is owned by Goldenvoice, which means they’re constantly adding infrastructure and improving the site. The hill raised for Coachella’s new Bunker space made for great views of the Sahara, but clogged foot traffic as fans traveled to and from its biggest sets.
Porta-potties were located in 11 locations across the site, with permanent restrooms and flushable toilets in the center of the venue, a comfort when temporary facilities dwindled in cleanliness on Sunday. Free water refill stations were readily available throughout. Though we were blessed with unseasonably cool weather this year, temperatures still eclipsed 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and more shade in GA areas could go a long way toward keeping festivalgoers comfortable.
Coachella is fully ADA-compliant, with all elevated platforms, including designated ADA viewing areas at each stage, accessible via ramps. The festival also offers golf cart transportation and designated parking for attendees with disabilities.
Bring your walking shoes. The polo club is hands-down one of the largest festival venues we’ve come across, and the farthest walks between stages can take up to 15 minutes, depending on your pace. You’ll also want to mask up. By weekend two, any grass left has turned a shade of brown, and on the dance floors and major walking paths, reduced to dust. We had to remind ourselves we weren’t out of shape, and that our wheezing was caused by kicked-up dirt.
Ingress and egress from the festival site were the most glaring issues. Though some delays are to be expected when fans stay until the end of the headline act, walks out of the venue slowed to a crawl at peak exit times, and we got stuck in about an hour of standstill traffic as the parking lots emptied out on the last night.
Sidequest-ability: B
In addition to music, Coachella’s festival culture has been shaped by the wealth of brands and corporate sponsors that bring curated activations to the venue, from artist merch pop-ups to immersive ads by automakers and beauty brands, free goodies from AMEX, and flight credits from Alaska Airlines.
Throw in more curated experiences, such as GV Black’s Party In My Living Room lounge, custom merch, crafting, and vinyl shopping, and there’s a wealth of things to discover—if you’re willing to brave the lines. We would have loved to explore more, but when the choice is between queuing up or seeing live music, most of the time, you’ll find us at the stage.
When we did roam, we enjoyed getting offline and glam with Pinterest, grabbing free samples and checking out pop-up DJ sets with Electrolit, snagging free Coke from the Coca-Cola pickup window, and $6 Red Bull slushies from the Red Bull Mirage. Hidden speakeasies around the venue offer an awesome escape if you know where to look.
Coachella’s most notable sidequest this year was The Bunker, a 17,000-square-foot underground structure that screened the premiere showings of Radiohead’s Kid A Mnesia film. Decked out in art inspired by the trippy animated art flick, we were sucked in by its cool concrete walls and four-way theater screens. We’re excited to see how organizers continue to use the space in future editions.
Though it came as part of Coachella’s scheduled music programming, a performance from the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, the longest continuously running puppet theater in the United States, was a perfect way to start the weekend.
Food & Beverage: A
Coachella offers the widest range of food and beverage offerings we’ve encountered at a festival: everything from festival staples like Express Hibachi, Spicy Pie, and Island Noodles to recognized brands like Dave’s Hot Chicken, Buldak, and fancy options like Nobu sushi and Le Burger’s viral $125 caviar burger. Our top pick: $8 Magnum ice cream bars.
Fans can also book Coachella’s culinary experience, Outstanding in the Field, curated with locally sourced ingredients by chef Jim Denevan, while the festival’s famous Beer Barn serves up craft pours in the shade. Branded bars from Absolut and Aperol served up branded cocktails.
Lines for food and at the bar never exceeded 15 minutes. Most meals ranged in price between $15 and $35. Mixed drinks cost $18 for a single shot and $29 for doubles. Red Bull cocktails were sold for $24, while festival collectible and specialty cocktails were available for $27 ($37 double shot). Wine, beer, and White Claw seltzers cost $14, $15, and $16, respectively. Non-alcoholic beverages, such as Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Red Bull, Electrolit, canned coffee, and NA beer, were sold for less than $10 each. Bottled water was readily available for $2.
Overall: A
In one of Coachella’s most globally anticipated editions ever, the festival’s second weekend lived up to, if not outshone, weekend one and nearly every other event we’ve attended.
In a digitally connected music scene where the largest audiences are online, much of the discourse around Coachella is dominated by people who have never been. Stepping foot on the grounds even once is enough to dispel any notion that this festival isn’t one of the best on Earth.
With a fully customizable experience that caters to the elites as well as the everyday music lover, it invites fans to come as they are or whoever they want to be. And whether you’re chasing clout or human connection, that’s a beautiful thing. Come for the music, and you’ll witness some of the most impressive performance art ever dreamed up.
Find EDM Maniac‘s complete Festival Report Card archive here.
Featured image courtesy: Coachella. Credit: Calder Wilson (@calder).