Justin Bieber facing huge backlash after headline set at Coachella
With fans branding the gig “lazy”, Justin Bieber is facing furious backlash after his headline set at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Justin Bieber is facing a furious backlash after his headline set at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Fans hit out at the performance as “lazy” following his stripped-down approach on stage after the 32-year-old pop star performed on Saturday (11.04.26) night with a set that departed from expectations of a high-energy comeback – despite the singer getting a reported $10 million for the appearance.
Justin, who recently released his album SWAG II, delivered a shorter performance featuring a mix of newer material and older tracks.
During the show, he appeared seated with a laptop, playing clips of his own music videos and earlier songs, while encouraging audience participation.
The performance marked his first time headlining the festival, having previously appeared as a guest alongside artists including Ariana Grande, Chance the Rapper, Daniel Caesar and Tems.
Reaction to the set was immediate across social media platforms.
One viewer wrote: “Not Justin Bieber scammed Coachella out of $10million to play songs off of YouTube… .”
Another said: “Justin Bieber giving us one of the laziest performances of all time.”
A third added: “If Sabrina Carpenter did what Justin Bieber is doing right now, her career would be over.”
Comparisons were drawn with Sabrina’s headline performance on the festival’s opening night, which featured a larger-scale production.
Justin’s set, which began at 11.25pm, incorporated viral video clips alongside his music, including internet memes and footage from earlier moments in his career.
Further criticism included posts that said: “Justin Bieber is the worst headliner at Coachella in history because wtf you’re just sitting with a laptop,” and: “Justin Bieber 2026 Coachella performance may just be the worst mass streamed/televised performance… ever?”
But some viewers defended Justin’s approach, referencing Justin’s early rise to fame on YouTube.
One online user described the use of social media during the set as “a little iconic” since “Justin became famous” through it, while another called him a “mastermind” and added “some won’t understand”.
During the performance, Justin invited audience participation by saying: “Help me with the songs tonight,” while asking viewers to suggest tracks via livestream comments, which he then selected in real time.
The set also included archival footage of Justin as a child, including an early cover of a song by Ne-Yo, which contributed to his discovery by Usher and Scooter Braun.
