Justin Bieber made a nostalgic and emotional return to the stage during the first weekend of Coachella in Indio, California, marking one of his most significant live performances in years. Though, fans remain divided on performance.
Taking on the highly anticipated headline slot, Bieber opened his set with tracks from his 2025 albums Swag and Swag II before shifting into a throwback-heavy performance that celebrated the early days of his career. At one point, he asked the crowd, “How far back do you go?” before revisiting some of his biggest breakout hits, including” Baby” and “Never Say Never,” while seated in front of a laptop streaming respective YouTube
The set was packed with special moments and featured appearances from several notable collaborators. The Kid Laroi, Wizkid, Tems and Dijon all joined Bieber onstage throughout the night, adding to the scale and excitement of the performance.
The show carried added weight as it marked Bieber’s biggest live appearance since he stepped away from his 2022 Justice tour due to health issues. At the time, the singer revealed he had been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which caused partial facial paralysis and forced him to prioritize recovery. He told fans then that while he wished things were different, his body was signaling that he needed to slow down.
In the time since, Bieber has been open about the challenges of returning to touring, previously describing the idea as “super daunting” and something he was not planning to pursue in the near future. Instead, he focused his energy on preparing for Coachella, telling fans during a Twitch stream that he was determined to put on a memorable show while finding inspiration through the process.
Still, reactions to Bieber’s performance have been mixed among both fans and fellow artists, particularly when it came to his YouTube-driven nostalgia segment. Katy Perry shared a lighthearted reaction on Instagram while watching the set, joking, “Thank God he has Premium. I don’t wanna see no ads.” She attended the festival alongside her boyfriend, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Zara Larsson also weighed in, posting a TikTok from her tour bus as she tuned into a livestream of Bieber revisiting his early videos.
Outside of Bieber’s set, the festival also generated buzz surrounding SZA, who shut down circulating rumors that she had been hired as a backup performer in case he was unable to take the stage. Responding to speculation online, she clarified that she was in New York and had not been involved in any such arrangement.
Coachella continues to draw massive crowds, hosting approximately 125,000 attendees each day across its multiple stages. This year’s lineup also includes headline performances from Sabrina Carpenter and Karol G, further cementing the festival’s status as one of the most influential music events in the world.
