Last weekend, the first phase of this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival made waves through the desert and across social media, leaving non-attendees with the gravest sense of “FOMO” as some of the largest musicians from the past two decades took the stage.

The Indio festival made sure to bring back beloved returners like The Strokes and The xx but also ensured that the audience had a fresh dose of recent favorites like Slayyyter, Geese and KATSEYE added to the lineup.

Whether you are attending weekend two or are interested in tuning to one of Coachella’s live broadcasts on YouTube, we’ve got you covered with some sets to look out for – and new musicians to add to your concert bucket list.

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Slayyyter

Slayyyter made her Coachella debut with an explosive performance composed exclusively of songs from her fresh album, “WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA.” She had a pivotal spot of kicking off the event as one of the earliest sets on day one. The simplicity of the set, which included only a few props, a mic stand, a self-styled outfit and a live band, empowered her strong presence and performance ability.

The American pop singer has built momentum since her 2019 self-titled mixtape, which paid off when she reached over maximum capacity at the festival’s Mojave stage. Photos of the crowd received viral attention on X, drawing comparisons to Chappell Roan’s 2024 crowd before she soared to exponential career heights.

Performances of “BEAT UP CHANEL$” and “CRANK” exhibited the audience’s immense energy, as the Mojave tent crowd screamed the lyrics back at Slayyyter. Songs like “DANCE…,” “YES GODDD” and “$T. LOSER” allowed her to flex her vocal prowess, inciting publications and attendees to name her as a highlight of the weekend.

BIGBANG

Screams of K-pop fans could be heard far and wide as BIGBANG, a veteran boyband starring G-DRAGON, TAEYANG and DAESUNG, made their long-awaited Coachella appearance on Sunday. The group’s performance marked six years since their initial Coachella announcement, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The group played an extensive set that spanned several eras, featuring performances from 2006’s “A Fool Of Tears” to 2016’s “SOBER.” Each member was given the spotlight to perform their own solo tracks, such as TAEYANG’s “RINGA LINGA,” G-DRAGON’s “POWER” and DAESUNG’s “HANDO-CHOGUA” later on in the set.

Dynamic, vast and eye-opening, BIGBANG’s set was coupled with an endless array of choreographed dances, practical effects, outfits and colorful mannerisms for K-pop fans of all generations to adore and wave their light sticks to – even labelmates BLACKPINK’s LISA and ROSÉ were there to vouch.

A flagship band of YG Entertainment, the “Kings of K-pop” are set to embark on a reunion tour sometime this year following a March 4 blog post made by the entertainment agency, marking their 20th anniversary as a band.

To many, the group’s reunion at Coachella was only the beginning to a brand-new era.

Model/Actriz

There’s a long list of musicians featured in Coachella that didn’t receive the spotlight they deserve, and Model/Actriz is one that we couldn’t recommend more.

The sound that the band exudes stretches between two distinct hemispheres of the music world, drawing the sass, attitude and ballroom-like danceability from early ‘90s Madonna and the clanky, innovative guitar work of Sonic Youth into a techno-esque, industrial rock fusion.

As the band’s music pulsated through a dimly-lit Sonora tent, attendees found themselves transported into a grimy Berlin nightclub as lead singer Cole Haden, who was dressed in a chiffon dress and silk shawl, entered the ground floor to dance with fans and perform “Crossing Guard” and “Slate.”

Each song molded into the next as they played “Vespers,” “Diva” and “Cinderella” from their latest album, “Pirouette,” released May of last year.

Thoroughly exhilarating and uncanny in all the right places, Model/Actriz is one act to check out for a revitalizing experience.

Geese

Brooklyn, New York’s Geese have been echoed throughout music communities, famed by celebrities, starred in an SNL performance and were the stars of an NPR Tiny Desk Concert in a span of just one year. New listeners of the band can only wonder: What could possibly stir up all the craze?

Ask any Geese fan and they would agree that the band is a refreshing sight to see; there is a charm about them that is alluringly strange in the face of your average indie rock band.

The band’s Coachella performance was all that was needed to picture just how eclectic and wild Geese is, playing just the right renditions of their disparate tracks to get the crowd moving in one frenzied flock. Fans moshed along to “Trinidad” and flew around Coachella’s Gobi tent for “2122,” which was abruptly mashed halfway through with their own twist on Justin Bieber’s “Baby.”

Geese’s music flows doesn’t just stop there. Fans, some of whom were fitted with feathered Geese costumes and caps during their set, sung along in high spirits as the band performed tracks like “I See Myself” and “Au Pays du Cocaine.”

It seems that the whole world is embracing Geese, and not without good reason. Perhaps this weekend, it’s time that you should, too.

PinkPantheress

United Kingdom singer and producer PinkPantheress was another artist making their Coachella debut this weekend. Her rapid rise into the upper echelon of pop stars made her a must-see performer, evident by her crowd reaching over maximum capacity at the Mojave tent.

A majority of PinkPantheress’s rave-like set included tracks from her 2025 mixtape, “Fancy That,” and other viral hits from the past five years. She opened the 50-minute set with “Stateside,” a song currently overflowing in viral success, due to a remix with Zara Larsson, and a testament to PinkPantheresss’ newfound pop prowess.

PinkPantheresss’ softer hit songs like “Pain” and “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2” also found their place on the setlist, contrasted by the electronic rave energy from her newer musical output. She concluded the show with the TikTok viral hit, “Illegal.” The set was spiced with guest appearances from DJ Joe and The Dare, who played remixes in between acts, as well as actor Tyriq Withers playing the role of PinkPantheress’ “Romeo.” Thundercat joined the artist for her “Break It Off” performance onstage, adorning the track with a soulful bass groove.

With a high-energy, choreographed set, PinkPantheress showcased her improved performance ability and elaborate stage design, demonstrating just how far she has come from her earlier days as an online “bedroom artist.”

Justin Bieber

As the highest paid headliner in Coachella history, Justin Bieber delivered his divisive $10 million headliner debut on day two. The appearance marked his return to a large stage for the first time since 2022, following the cancellation of his “Justice World Tour” due to health issues.

During the first half of his set, Bieber opened on the main stage armed with nothing but a MacBook and a microphone – a jarringly simple setup for any artist, let alone a Coachella headliner. The musician then performed the set karaoke style, pulling up older music videos of himself on YouTube to duet with. The musician even sidetracked to laugh along with Vines and viral memes of himself after duetting to classics like “Beauty And A Beat” and “Never Say Never.”

The performance made a complete turnaround as the stage was transformed into an excitingly atmospheric venue in the latter half, where Bieber played songs from his 2025 album “SWAG,” which included “SPEED DEMON” and “GO BABY.” Accompanying him on the main stage were musicians The Kid LAROI, Wizkid, Tems, Dijon and Mk.gee, who all collaborated with the musician on respective projects.

Some fans thought that the set was an intimate, healing moment of reflection between Bieber and his past. Others expected more from the set and disliked the unconventionality.

Regardless, what Bieber presented couldn’t have been more authentic and honest to himself, standing out among a sea of scripted performances and reminding his audience of just how they became “Beliebers” in the first place.