Sabrina Carpenter headlined the 2026 edition of Coachella on Friday, returning to Indio one year after her 2025 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 and Sam Elliott’s mustache. 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—then “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, Carpenter’s Girl Meets World co-star Corey Fogelmanis playing a waiter, and the voice of Samuel L. Jackson.
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.
