Sabrina Carpenter headlined the 2026 edition of Coachella on Friday, returning to Indio two years after her 2024 desert-stealing performance. In a recent interview with Perfect, Carpenter called this year’s show “the most ambitious…I’ve ever done.” You can watch clips of it and read the full set list below.
Carpenter opened with a short film starring herself as a speeding motorist pulled over by a cop played by Sam Elliott. From there, she went right into “House Tour”— which recently received its own music video starring Carpenter, Madelyn Cline, and Margaret Qualley as a trio of cat burglars—“Taste” and “Busy Woman.” Later, dancers dressed as poodles appeared, as did Susan Sarandon playing an older version of Carpenter, Will Ferrell playing a bumbling electrician, and Carpenter’s Girl Meets World co-star Corey Fogelmanis playing a waiter. Samuel L. Jackson also voiced a spiritual guide during an interlude.
Carpenter’s latest album, Man’s Best Friend, arrived last September, following 2024’s Short & Sweet. Man’s Best Friend spawned a series of glitzy, plot-heavy videos for “Tears” and “Manchild.” The latter single earned her a nomination at the 2026 Grammys, where she also performed it in character as a 1960s flight attendant.
On Saturday, Justin Bieber will headline Coachella’s main stage, while Karol G will close out Sunday night, becoming the first Latina to headline the festival.
Follow along with all of Pitchfork’s coverage of Coachella 2026.