Two hours before Justin Bieber began his 2026 Coachella set last night, I found myself inching closer and closer towards the main stage, where the Canadian pop star and late millennial icon was set to perform at 11:25 p.m. Some diehard Beliebers—Justin’s fiercest fans—were already camped out near the front barricades. I wanted a decent spot, of some sort, too. “Do you think he will perform ‘Baby?’” a 20-something asked me while we waited in the thick of the crowd. At this point, my knees were already aching. More questions came: “Who do you think he will bring out on stage?” “Where will Hailey be?”
After what felt like an eternity of waiting later (with not a sip of water, because no bathroom breaks allowed!), he arrived nearly on time and our questions were answered—but Justin Bieber had one of his own to ask the crowd, too. Four years on from his last major live show, he repeated it several times through the set: “How far back do you go?”
Bieber began totally alone on the stage with one of his new tracks, “All I Can Take.” In true J.B. fashion, he emerged wearing a large oversized pink hoodie from his own brand SKYLRK, and baggy shorts by Lu’u Dan. Then came other tracks from his Swag and Swag II albums: he sang “Speed Demon,” “Go Baby,” “Everything Hallelujah”—with the latter track, the camera panned to his wife Hailey Bieber in the crowd, as she watched on lovingly and sang along. “Hailey babe, Hallelujah… baby Jack Hallelujah…” he sang. The crowd went wild, and my own screams echoed in my ears.
Photo: Getty Images
When Bieber was first announced as a 2026 headliner, there was instant excitement, but also some trepidation. His Coachella set, after all, served as his biggest live performance in years after he cancelled the Justice world tour following health issues. In the years since, he’s retreated from the public eye to focus on fatherhood. Then he dropped Swag. Then he started playing some intimate shows. But could he handle such a high-pressure show?
His set last night hopscotched his new era and expansive back catalog, all served with that signature, buttery smooth Bieber voice. The stage visuals were trippy and colorful—like you were high, only you didn’t need to be high (though some people definitely were!), because your teen pop heartthrob was on stage right in front of you. “He’s sooo sexy,” another person purred to her friend behind me. I had to agree.
