Justin Bieber made history at Coachella 2026 by becoming the highest-paid performer in the history of the music festival. Bieber headlined on Saturday during both weekends of the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Other headliners this year include Sabrina Carpenter on Friday and Karol G on Sunday.
Justin Bieber becomes the highest-paid artist in Coachella history
Notably, this year, Justin Bieber released two full-length albums, named Swag and Swag II, marking his first releases since the 2021 gospel-inspired EP, Freedom. Coachella passes opened seven months before the festival began in September 2025, and were sold out over the weekend, as reported by The Mirror.
Coachella will run from April 10 to 12 and 17 to 19, 2026. The tickets went on sale Friday, September 19, 205 and sold out completely by Monday, September 22.
The 31-year-old Canadian singer, who sold his music catalogue for USD 200 million in 2023, reportedly took home a paycheque of USD 10 million, which he reportedly negotiated directly with promoter Goldenvoice without an agent. An insider reportedly told Rolling Stone, “It`s a groundbreaking move for a headliner, and it`s something he built entirely on his own. Between headlining Coachella and the success of Swag, it`s clear this is the start of an exciting new era for Justin – one where he`s fully in the driver`s seat,”
With the massive payday, the Canadian pop star reportedly beat previous headliners like Lady Gaga and Beyoncé.
Fans disappointed by Justin Bieber`s Coachella performance
Despite the heavy paycheque, Justin Bieber is currently facing backlash for what fans are calling a “lazy” headlining gig at Coachella 2026. The pop star’s set reportedly included singing snippets of some of his greatest hits off a laptop.
The Baby Hitmaker, who reportedly pocketed USD 10 million for the gig, arrived dressed in a casual hoodie, shorts and shades on Saturday night as he took a stripped-down approach to his highly anticipated performance, leaving many people confused.
To add to it, instead of delivering a high-energy set packed with his easily recognisable tracks, the singer chose to play a handful of songs from his 2025 album SWAG II before turning it over to his classics.
Bieber reportedly sat on a stool with a laptop, scrolling through YouTube videos of his songs and streaming his earlier music during his brief 12-song medley.
