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Justin Bieber’s Minimalist Coachella Set Leans on YouTube Nostalgia and Divides Fans

The digital-first comeback sharpened the question of who a festival headliner is playing to.

Overview

  • Justin Bieber, who headlined Coachella on Saturday, April 11, delivered a stripped-back main‑stage show built around new Swag tracks and a mid‑set YouTube sing‑along at his laptop.
  • He brought out The Kid LAROI for “Stay,” Tems and Wizkid for “Essence,” and Dijon and guitarist Mk.gee for late‑set performances.
  • Crowd and online reactions split, with some calling the laptop segment lazy or boring and others praising the intimacy and nostalgia, as a Coachella clip drew over 100 million Instagram views and Katy Perry joked about his YouTube Premium.
  • The set leaned into the festival’s beefed‑up livestream, with Bieber reading chat prompts and shaping on‑screen choices, which fueled debate over serving at‑home viewers versus the field.
  • The show was his biggest since health issues halted touring in 2022, followed invite‑only L.A. warm‑ups, and he is slated to headline Coachella’s second weekend on April 18.