If you love massive music festivals as I do, then brace yourself as Coachella just announced its lineup for 2026, packed with some serious talent: Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Karol G, and Anyma are amongst the headliners, performing over two weekends from April 10 to 12 and April 17 to 19 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. The festival vibes are, as usual, electric.
What really gets everyone, especially we Africans, going is Davido being announced as the only Nigerian artist on the bill; he will be performing across both Saturdays, April 11 and 18, and what an honor – his very first Coachella! I mean, can you just picture the kind of energy when he struts out on that stage performing all his hits? Mind you, it is going to be bedlam!
Then right after that, you have The Strokes, Iggy Pop, Nine Inch Nails with Boys Noize, and FKA twigs‘ own style of madness. Shoutout to some more diaspora stars, British-Kenyan singer PinkPantheress and British Nigerian rapper Little Simz, both performing Sundays, April 12 and 19. One big mix is flagged for international domination.
It’s exciting to watch African and diaspora artists slowly gain traction at Coachella. Consider Tyla, Amaarae, and Seun Kuti in past years carrying the torch. Davido alongside Little Simz and PinkPantheress makes a rather loud statement about Afrobeats properly entrenching itself on that global stage going forward. It’s moments like this that stir you proud.
