Coachella surprised fans this week by dropping its 2026 lineup months ahead of schedule, but instead of building buzz, the early reveal has sparked confusion and criticism.
On Monday, September 15, the beloved desert music festival took to social media to share the lineup for the April 2026 dates. The poster features several major headliners, such as Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, The Strokes, Karol G, Teddy Swims, and Kaskade. Despite the big names, many fans in the comments say the overall lineup feels lackluster, prompting questions about why the festival announced so far in advance.
"Since when do ya'll drop the lineup in September?" someone asked, with a suspicious emoji. Someone else replied, "For the last 10 years they have announced the line up in January. No one else thinks it’s a little weird that they released it 4 months early?"
Another person seemed more excited about the early drop, saying, "Is this a dream...it's September!" adding a surprised emoji.
Several fans also voiced their opinions on the artist lineup for the Indio, California, festival.
"Did you guys forget it’s your 25th anniversary…this is terrible. Half of this lineup has played the last 2 years," said a comment with almost 3,000 likes. Another comment gaining traction said, "This gotta be the worst lineup in music festival history."
Not all fans were disappointed, though. Dozens of comments expressed excitement about K-Pop band BIGBANG being on the bill. "BIGBANG?!!! Is it realllllll??!!!! Thankyouuuu," said someone, with numerous other fans simply commenting, "BIGBANG!" with heart eye emojis and fire emojis.
Instagram wasn't the only social media platform where fans were sharing their thoughts. On the Coachella subreddit, fan reactions were also mixed.
"A perfectly weird mix of 2004 vs 2014 vs 2024," someone said about the lineup. "This is very early / mid-2010’s FYF Fest coded and that’s meant in the best way possible. Most indie-heavy lineup out of all post COVID lineups," added another fan. A third Redditor said, "Actually that’s a lot more bass than expected… impressive."
The caption of Coachella's official announcement post reads, "Hard launch. Passes on sale Friday, September 19 at 11am PT. Register now for access."