I’ve never felt deeply compelled to attend Coachella before. I’ve heard a plethora of influencer horror stories, seen the insane prices and crazy crowds, and the thought of camping in the desert all weekend with constant dust up my nose and portable bathrooms simply isn’t something I crave.

However, I had major FOMO from this year’s festival.

The social media content that came with each weekend captivated me like no other, and I had the YouTube livestream on 24/7 — literally. I left the overnight replay on while I slept.

I’ve been given some time to process the spectacle that was Coachella 2026. So here’s my review of “Couchella” — reporting live, straight from my couch.

Well, I have to start with the artist that had the most motion out of the entire festival. Bieberchella, duh.

My credentials: I was a closeted Belieber in 2012. Back when everyone else in my grade still thought he was lame, I was forcing my mom to record my “audition” to be in his next music video. (Sorry, mom.)

I stayed up all night to watch Justin Bieber’s 90-minute set both weekends, and it was a clickbait YouTuber’s dream. Fitting, as the star got his start on the platform. And he took us back to those days, something I never would have  dreamt of putting on my 2026 bingo card — a complete switch-up mid-set.

I watched his recent Grammys performance, an acoustic set where both Bieber’s music and clothes were stripped down. It was really good, especially considering it was his first public performance in over four years.

When the lights came up for his Coachella set, I saw how minimalistic it was — reminiscent of desert dunes, the stage was almost bare. A fluid, cocoon-shaped structure stretched down into the crowd, with a singular ring of light shining down on the main stage. 

Bieber came out in a hoodie, sunglasses on. Right then, I thought I knew exactly what I’d be getting here — a set comparable to his Grammys performance. Simple and calm, perfectly matching his current aesthetic and vibe, as he focused on music from his “Swag” and “Swag II” eras.

Boy, was I wrong.

Bieber was livestreaming on his laptop, what I had presumed to be nothing but a playful touch. Suddenly, the video feed switched to his laptop camera, and everyone watched as he opened up YouTube and searched “Baby by Justin Bieber.”

The crowd went absolutely bonkers.

Bieber went on to perform an entire YouTube-karaoke set, throwing the entire world back in time to 2009. Nostalgia ran deep as he played throwback hit after hit and brought out singers like The Kid LAROI, SZA and even Big Sean.

I know many people feel that this set was a lazy move by Bieber. But personally, I think this was a great homage to his roots and a full circle moment. I’ve seen and heard nothing but great things from people who were actually in attendance.

So what if it wasn’t the biggest spectacle — it was authentic. How often do you see that nowadays?

The whole thing felt so intimate, too. It really felt like he was just hanging out with his friends, not 125,000 people. He played a few brainrot videos before reigning it back in and closing out his set with more music from his latest album.

The closing shot of him crouched over the camera with “Daisies” playing in the background and fireworks bursting over the stage as “Justin Bieber” flashed across the screens in all-caps will be forever burned into my brain. Iconic.

Although this set took the cake for me, there were so many other notable moments from this year.

Blood Orange and Gigi Perez took to smaller stages but made big impressions.

As one of the first artists to use the Mojave Tent’s new circular stage, Blood Orange had an electric set with flashing lights. They played fan favorites like “Champagne Coast” and “You’re Not Good Enough” and brought out guest artists like Empress for “Best to You.”

Perez opened her set with a voicemail from her late sister, and gave a gut-wrenching, beautiful performance in tribute — even bringing her younger sister to the stage to sing “Sugar Water” together. Her vocals were incredible as always, and tears came to my eyes during her sublime performance.

I can’t end this without a nod to Sabrinawood.

This was Sabrina Carpenter’s debut in a top slot as a headliner at a major festival, and she did not disappoint. Her performances as of late have been nothing short of Broadway productions, with elaborate sets, choreography and wardrobe to match.

Carpenter brought Madonna on stage as a special guest, marking her first performance since her tour concluded back in 2024. After performing classics from her discography like “Vogue” and “Like a Prayer,” they debuted a duet called “Bring Your Love” which is set to release on Thursday — a stellar marketing effort by the two.

And they weren’t the only ones. Addison Rae pulled a great PR move, bringing out Olivia Rodrigo as a surprise guest to sing her song “drop dead” that had just been released the day prior. It was a viral hit, and the girls seemed to have so much fun on the stage together. Great vibes.

There are whispers that Rodrigo is rumored to be one of Coachella’s next headliners. If that’s the case, I’ll have to find a way to be in attendance. Maybe I’ll sell my firstborn.