Justin Bieber fans flood Coachella festival for headlining show

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INDIO - "Beliebers" were celebrating the return of pop superstar Justin Bieber on Saturday, ahead of his return to major stages with a headlining appearance on the second day of the Coachella music festival.

The Canadian singer of "Sorry" will appear at the event in Indio, California as festival season kicks off in the United States.

"This is what I've been looking forward to for months," 28-year-old Alexis Sierra said as she entered the venue just after gates opened.

Held in the scorching California desert, where the beating sun pushed the thermometer to 86 F (30 C) early Saturday, thousands of the "Baby" singer's fans -- known as Beliebers -- took over the festival grounds sporting clothing, hats and banners paying tribute to their idol.

Bieber hasn't performed at a venue of Coachella's size since 2022, when he appeared at Rock in Rio in Brazil before canceling the remainder of his international tour due to health issues.

The singer announced he was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a shingles outbreak that can cause facial paralysis.

Over the past year, he's made a gradual return to the scene.

In 2025, Bieber released the album "Swag." The rollout saw the star perform the single "Yukon" while stripped down to his boxers at the Grammys in February.

The release was quickly followed by "Swag II," his eighth studio album.

While Bieber has recently played smaller shows, Coachella is expected to mark his full-scale comeback.

US musician Bob Mothersbaugh of Devo performs on stage during the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 

"We WILL be singing at the top of our lungs on Saturday," Bieber promised in an Instagram post this week.

Eclectic offerings

Other acts in the spotlight Saturday include Nine Inch Noize, the collaboration between legendary industrial band Nine Inch Nails and German producer Boys Noize, who also have an album on the way.

Nate Martin, 24, said they were his main draw to Saturday's show.

"Industrial, electro combined? Gonna be mental," he told AFP.

With nine stages, the festival will host a wide range of genres, including Brazil's Luisa Sonza, influencer-turned-singer Addison Rae, Britain's PinkPantheress, K-pop star Taemin and David Byrne, the legendary co-founder of the band Talking Heads.

New York City rockers The Strokes will also be back on stage after a years-long hiatus.

Coachella kicked off Friday with performances from headliner Sabrina Carpenter, Moby, Devo, and surprise appearances from Lizzo, David Lee Roth and HUNTR/X, who performed their Oscar-winning "Golden" alongside KATSEYE.

Carpenter's performance of hits like "Manchild," "Espresso" and "Please, Please, Please" was helped by big-screen stars Sam Elliott, Susan Sarandon and Will Ferrell, who rounded out her 90-minute set.

A hotly anticipated performance from Italian DJ Anyma was canceled, with organizers blaming strong winds that threatened the safety of stage structures.

The festival runs this weekend and next weekend, with a nearly identical lineup, and can be viewed on YouTube.