Justin Bieber took the stage on Saturday for a headlining performance that many people have been hyping up to be the main event of Coachella 2026. From the rumoured seven-figure payday to his recent smaller-scale secret shows in Los Angeles that served as something of a rehearsal before the big weekend, his return to live performance has been slow and steady, all leading up to his night in the desert, with the big question being whether or not he would be able to deliver a show on this scale.

For the most part, his vocals were strong – and his vocal ability has been at the forefront of the entire SWAG albums era, and that’s always a good sign about his relationship to music. This performance was for the OG hardcore Beliebers and from speaking to a few in my close circle it seems they were pleased, while I felt underwhelmed by the entire thing. The set was pretty and the crowd was definitely hyped for every moment but his weak stage presence and minimalistic production value left some of us who are passionate for the art of live performance wanting more. His entire act would’ve been much better suited for an intimate theater show versus a worldwide festival stage. There’s a time and place for things but when it comes to Coachella, I am in fact looking for all things extra.

Justin’s set list consisted of songs from his two recent albums SWAG and SWAG II which were both released last summer. The first half of the set was only songs from those two albums so if you weren’t familiar with those tracks then you were kind of lost. I wasn’t expecting him to do much older material especially given his relationship with the early days of his career. This new music he has been putting out is far more authentic to who he is today so it’s no surprise that he would choose to place priority on those songs. The issue with that is that while his fans certainly appreciate those tracks, you can tell by the reaction after the show and what clips were shared on socials that the fans really wanted to hear the old-school Bieber jams. He did perform some of those big hits when he took a seat and opened YouTube before engaging in a doom scrolling session. Pulling up music video after music video, Justin sang along with older versions of himself to tracks like “Baby”, “Beauty and a Beat” and “Sorry”. Katy Perry posted what I think to be one of the funnier takes on this performance saying, “Thank God he has premium, I don’t wanna see no ads”. It was giving karaoke session rather than an electrifying enigmatic performance - I’m curious what fellow Canadian Justin Trudeau thought.

The heart of the show was him singing along to his now famous 2007 covers of “With You” and “So Sick” which many point to as the videos that helped him get discovered by Scooter Braun. It was a sweet moment that was giving healed Bieber, and made the entire structure of the show make a little more sense to me. I shed a little tear because it was a true testament to seeing just how far he has come and the amount of healing that had to take place for him to get here. But emotions aside, can we be honest for a second? The reciting of the famous memes did not need to happen. I love a good “it’s not clocking to you” moment but if I paid thousands of dollars for a festival weekend, I would be seriously underwhelmed. Not to be too cynical but a part of me believes that people have a connection to Bieber so they make excuses for his shortcomings. I do understand why, after all it did take a lot for him to get to this point and he should be commended for that. He’s also arguably at the peak of his creative journey right now when it comes to making music, but that doesn’t automatically translate to a major stage and that’s ok. This is the same guy who performed in his boxers at the Grammys so I wasn’t expecting anything major, but I was expecting something… anything… maybe an instrument. Doom Scrolling as a performance during a Coachella set… groundbreaking or just plain lazy?

Some fans are saying it felt like they were in their bedroom with Justin, getting to know him on a more personal level, and the comment section on Coachella’s official IG page is flooded with messages of love and adoration. One content creator even went so far as to say his entire performance was a “masterpiece”. If you are one of those fans who feel that way then I’m happy for you, but that just doesn’t warrant $10 Million and a headlining slot to me. I love my girl Mariah Carey, but I’m not blind to the fact that she just stands there on stage which many people seem to have a serious issue with. Why are we not keeping the same energy for Bieber, a man who is half her age and not even close to her level of legend. Are the rules different for men? (The video in the first tweet has been pulled down, but the sentiment remains the same.)

There was also a lot of internet activity over JB’s shout-out to wife Hailey. Many of the songs on the SWAG albums are dedicated to her and his relationship with her. While singing “Everything Hallelujah”, Justin mentions both Hailey and son Baby Jack by name followed by a “hallelujah” before the camera pans to her as she blows him a kiss, prompting the crowd of 100,000+ fans to “awwww” in unison, some of whom were wearing official merch that featured her face on it. Hailey even designed her own piece of merch for the shows; T-shirts that read “Future Mrs. Bieber.

Other notable appearances include The Kid LAROI who performed “Stay” with Biebs, along with Wizkid and Tems who came out to perform their remix of “Essence” which to me was the true highlight of the evening and where Bieber’s energy finally came to the forefront.

Bieber has accomplished enough in his career that he has nothing left to prove in terms of talent which is a big reason why him just showing up on that stage with a healthy vocal tone is enough to solidify his comeback for his fans. This weekend proves that when it comes to JB, all he needs is a microphone and the fans will be happy - which at the end of the day is all that matters.

Justin Bieber performs at Coachella, April 11, 2026

Photo credits: The Daily Stardust/BACKGRID

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