Sabrina Carpenter Headlines Coachella 2026 With Susan Sarandon, Will Ferrell Cameos

Sabrina Carpenter headlined Coachella 2026 with a Hollywood-themed spectacle.

“- Published The Coachella music festival has kicked off with surprise guest actor Susan Sarandon featuring in pop star Sabrina Carpenter's headlining performance on Friday”

BBC

She opened with a short film featuring Sam Elliott as a cop warning her.

BBC

The 20-song set included surprise cameos from Susan Sarandon, Will Ferrell, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Sarandon delivered a nearly seven-minute monologue as an older version of Carpenter.

Carpenter performed hits from her latest albums and closed with a medley of songs.

Susan Sarandon's nearly seven-minute monologue was a standout moment.

She reflected on what it was like to be a star in her prime.

Daily Mail

Corey Fogelmanis played a carhop in the drive-in theater setting.

Variety reported the scene brought the pop show to a screeching halt.

Sarandon was dropped by her agency after controversial comments in 2023.

Will Ferrell appeared as the grumpy on-call electrician.

“Sabrina Carpenter kicked off the first weekend of Coachella with some star-studded cameos as she took to the main stage”

Deadline

He dragged a heavy plug across the stage and tried to light a cigarette.

Samuel L. Jackson lent his voice to a reworked moment during Juno.

He called himself the spiritual guide.

Carpenter continued after Ferrell restored the lights.

The Sarandon monologue divided audiences.

Some fans called the duo iconic.

EuropaFM

Others found the segment a momentum killer.

Carpenter addressed an unscripted yodeling moment.

She finished strong with a Broadway-inspired set piece.

High winds forced the cancellation of DJ Anyma's set.

“Este viernes 10 de abril, el festival Coachella 2026 ha dado inicio con uno de los grandes nombres de su cartel: Sabrina Carpenter”

EuropaFM

The National Weather Service warned of wind gusts reaching 25 mph.

Fox News

An air quality advisory was issued due to windblown dust.

The festival continued with Bieber and Karol G scheduled.

Carpenter's set was the first of two weekends.