Singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter famously commented “see you back here when I headline” during her 2024 Coachella set. Now, her prediction has come true with two performances on April 10 and April 17 at the 2026 Coachella festival.

Both of these shows lasted an hour and a half, and featured 20 songs from her albums “Short n’ Sweet,” “Man’s Best Friend” and “Emails I Can’t Send.” Included in these 20 songs were four songs that she has never played live before. These were “Sugar Talking,” “When Did You Get Hot?,” “We Almost Broke Up Again” and “Such a Funny Way.”

The production value of this performance alone makes it worth watching. The pop star had multiple set pieces, including a “SABRINAWOOD” sign, a bar set, a recording studio set and much more. There were also many costume changes, as many as six throughout one performance. The outfits changed colors for weekend two, reminiscent of her “Short n’ Sweet” tour, where her outfits
changed colors each night.

During weekend one, there was a lot of controversy pertaining to the singers interaction with a fan who was performing a Zaghrouta,
which is a celebratory ululation done in Middle Eastern and North African cultures in times of joy. Carpenter mistook this noise for a yodel, sarcastically and snarkily responding instead of respectfully acknowledging it.

There is a unique discourse online about her response to this fan. Some argue that the artist reacted disrespectfully, and commenting that the sound was “weird” and that she “didn’t like it” was too far, insulting the cultural traditions of many. Others argue that it may have been hard to hear, and Carpenter may have mistook this genuine expression of culture as a kind of trolling.

Carpenter’s response was insensitive and ill informed, and people have a right to be upset. I have also seen people argue that during the
song right before, Carpenter sings “I tell them it’s just your culture,” and it could be easy to believe in the heat of the moment that this fan was referencing that line.

Carpenter took to social media to respond to the discourse, saying “my reaction was pure confusion, sarcasm and not ill intended!

I could have handled it better! now I know what a Zaghrouta is! I welcome all cheers and yodels from now on.”

In online spaces especially, there is a tendency to either completely love or completely hate a celebrity. There should be a level of inbetween — a gray area. Something midway between “Sabrina Carpenter is evil” and “She didn’t do anything wrong.” This controversy is important to talk about when talking about the show at all.

The pop star featured many special guests during her Friday night performances. During weekend one, actor Will Ferrell played a
stage technician who was fixing a “blackout,” rushing to turn the stage lights back on before the next act. He was replaced with actor Terry Crews for weekend two, providing his own personal brand of comedy.

Actresses Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis were also present, one for each weekend, each playing an older version of Carpenter and
giving a speech detailing her fame and rise to stardom. This speech was noticeably shorter during weekend two, following many fans
pointing out that the long length and somber nature interrupted the show.

During weekend two, Carpenter surprised the crowd by bringing out the Queen of Pop, Madonna, for performances of “Vogue,” “Like
a Prayer” and a new unreleased song set to appear on Madonna’s upcoming album. Fans speculated this would happen, as Carpenter
added 10 minutes to her show time, and that their collaboration was confirmed on this upcoming release.

The closing of the show itself was stunning, and a nice relief for Coachella fans who had been standing out in the heat. Carpenter was
raised in the air while sitting in a car on the set of the stage. This acted as a kind of water fountain, spraying the surrounding fans and
parts of the stage as well as Carpenter herself.

Overall, this Coachella performance was a welcome addition to the trio of headliners, premiering four never played songs and many
bits that will most likely stay culturally relevant for years to come. Insensitive comments and a healthy dose of internet controversy currently colors the performance in a negative light, and how Carpenter responds in the future to fans expressing their culture will ultimately bend and shape this perception as the years progress.