Pop superstar Justin Bieber returned to the stage on Saturday night to headline the second day of the Coachella festival in Indio, California, marking his first major performance since 2022. The Canadian singer, who had cancelled the remainder of his international tour due to health issues, played a minimalist set that took fans on a journey through his musical past.
Dressed in a red sweater, shorts and black boots, the 32-year-old artist opened with several tracks from his recent album Swag II. He then sat at a computer, searched for his old YouTube videos and sang snippets of hits including That Should Be Me, Beauty and a Beat, Never Say Never and the teen pop anthem Baby.
“This is special,” Bieber told the crowd. “This is a night I dreamed about for a long time, so to be here is amazing.” He also shared clips of himself and his wife, Hailey Bieber, captured by the ever-present cameras following them.
Other acts on Saturday included New York rockers The Strokes, who announced a new album for June after a six-year hiatus, and Nine Inch Noize, a collaboration between Nine Inch Nails and German producer Boys Noize. Rising indie star Sombr performed with Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, covering the 1990s hit 1979.
Coachella kicked off on Friday with headliner Sabrina Carpenter, who was joined on screen by actors Sam Elliott, Susan Sarandon and Will Ferrell. The festival runs over two weekends with a nearly identical line-up and is streamed on YouTube.
