Justin Bieber Faces ‘Lazy’ Coachella Backlash
Justin Bieber has drawn online criticism following his headlining performance at Coachella 2026, with some viewers accusing the singer of delivering a minimalist set despite reports of a major payday.
The 32-year-old took to the main stage on Saturday night in a hoodie, shorts and sunglasses, and Page Six reported he sat on a stool with a laptop and streamed YouTube videos of his songs as part of a brief 12-song medley that prompted an immediate social-media pile-on.
According to the report, Bieber’s set leaned heavily on tracks from his 2025 albums “SWAG” and “SWAG II” before moving into snippets of older hits, while the onstage screen flashed viral clips and classic memes including “deez nuts”, “double rainbow” and footage from his own paparazzi clash featuring the line “is it not clocking to you”.
The appearance followed weeks of build-up and came after his long-rumoured promotion to Saturday-night headliner, a slot that Page Six said was worth a reported $10 million, with the singer believed to have negotiated directly with Goldenvoice for $5 million per weekend.
Bieber attempted to turn the stripped-back approach into audience participation by asking fans to suggest songs in livestream comments, and he is expected to return to the main Coachella stage again on April 18, with reaction to the format likely to shape expectations for weekend two.
