As the desert sun prepares to set over Indio, California, anticipation is reaching a fever pitch for the opening night of Coachella 2026. This year, the iconic music festival is set to deliver not just one, but two highly anticipated performances on Friday, April 10: pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter’s most ambitious show to date, and the dazzling, newly reinvented girl group Katseye, fresh off a dramatic transformation. Both acts have been in intense preparation mode, each promising to bring something unforgettable to the Coachella stages.
For Sabrina Carpenter, the upcoming headliner slots on April 10 and April 17 are more than just another pair of gigs—they’re the culmination of months of planning, creativity, and personal evolution. In a recent interview with Perfect magazine, Carpenter opened up about the magnitude of these shows and the journey that led her here. "It’s the most ambitious show I’ve ever done," Carpenter told Marc Jacobs. "It’s probably the most time I’ve ever had to actually just sit down and talk about a show as I’m building it. Most of the time, you’re really quickly thrust into physical rehearsals, but this time around we started this process around seven months ago. So it’s been a long journey. It will be very special."
Carpenter is no stranger to the Coachella main stage. She reminisced about her 2024 performance, which coincided with the release of her breakout single "Espresso." "I was playing sunset, around 5:30 pm on the main stage two years ago. That was a really special day for me, the day my song ‘Espresso’ came out. I got to play that for the first time at Coachella. And now, two years later, we’re back. And I think that’s what makes this show feel really, really surreal: getting to celebrate all the songs that have come after it, and just how many lives they’ve lived since they’ve come out," she reflected.
Her evolution as an artist has been marked by growth both on and off the stage. Carpenter spoke candidly about the duality of her life as a performer and a young woman navigating her twenties. "I started touring when I was 16 years old, and I’ve always felt that there’s a button that turns on when you’re performing," she explained. "And when you’re singing these songs, whether these songs be your personal stories or songs you wrote about other people, in that moment it really becomes a show. I’ve always been able to differentiate when I get off stage. I am a human being. I’m a 26-year-old girl. I’m hormonal. I’m emotional. I’m dealing with a lot of stuff. For me, it really just has been compartmentalising the moments where I feel like the show must go on and then moments where I can really allow myself to be a little all over the place and allow that to be OK."
She added, "Part of me needs to channel a version of myself that maybe doesn’t take it all so seriously. But then when I’m off stage, I’m a little more locked in. I’m more of the businesswoman. … I’m definitely figuring out how to keep those pieces of myself separate so that when they collide, it feels a little bit healthier, if that makes sense."
Carpenter’s connection with her fans has only deepened over the years, especially through her Short ‘n’ Sweet Tour. "Concerts are still one of the most inspiring things that I get to be a part of in my work," she said. "When I’m writing, I’m pretty isolated in the studio. Even when you’re on the set of something, you’re in a little bit more of an intimate crew of people. Whereas I feel like these shows are just where you can feel so much energy in a crowd, in a sea of that many people. There are so many stories, and there’s so many different kinds of people that it just feels like you’re really living. I’m really excited about those shows coming up and everything to follow."
Just days before her Coachella set, Carpenter also released a new music video for "House Tour," a track from her latest album Man’s Best Friend, which dropped in August 2025. The video, co-directed by Carpenter and Margaret Qualley and featuring Madelyn Cline, marks the third visual from the album, following "Tears" and "Manchild." The timing of the release only adds to the momentum building around her Coachella performances.
While Carpenter crafts her most elaborate show yet, another act is making bold moves of their own. Katseye, the dynamic five-member group consisting of Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Yoonchae Jeung, and Sophia Laforteza, has been hard at work in a Los Angeles dance studio, rehearsing from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. in the days leading up to their Friday night slot on the Sahara Stage. Their commitment is palpable. "We’ve been working for weeks on our performance—9 a.m. to 11 p.m. today—because we want it to be as perfect as possible," Avanzini explained during a group interview, as reported by Rolling Stone.
But it’s not just their choreography that’s getting a refresh. The group recently underwent a dramatic hair makeover, with celebrity hairstylist George Papanikolas—also a Matrix global artist—leading the transformation. Each member drew inspiration from personal icons and pop culture touchstones. Jeung, for instance, finally realized her dream of going blonde, inspired by a mysterious Pinterest photo. "I just knew I wanted the color to have a little bit of yellow," she shared. Raj opted for Y2K-style blonde highlights, channeling Christina Aguilera’s iconic look. "The 2000s are an era of music and pop culture that we find really inspiring," Raj said. "I’ve always loved the song ‘Dirrty’ and wanted to have those types of streaks in my hair since I was eight."
Skiendiel’s bold hair, featuring S-shaped bleach lines, was inspired by Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu. "We decided to do my own version of her shine lines, which almost looks like you just splashed some bleach on my hair and found out what happened," Skiendiel said. Laforteza’s platinum extensions were a nod to late ’70s grunge-glam, while Avanzini opted for subtle platinum money pieces to frame her signature curls. "This was a way to bring back just a little bit of my past blonde era, but in a subtle way," Avanzini noted.
Maintaining hair health was a priority amid all the bleaching and styling. Papanikolas ensured each member was equipped with Matrix Build-A-Bond masks, emphasizing the importance of weekly treatments to keep their hair strong and soft—essential for the group’s energetic hair choreography. Laforteza described the transformative power of her extensions: "When it’s time to perform, I just get to add in the extensions, and I feel like Hannah Montana when she puts the wig on. I can take it off and be Miley, be Sophia, be myself. But when I go home, I still get to be myself. It was the perfect way for me to still be a part of the blonde."
The timing of the makeover is no coincidence. Katseye is entering their third comeback era, dubbed "Pinky Up," and the new looks are part of their evolving visual concept. "We love to play around with our concepts with every era of Katseye. It’s something that’s really prominent from SIS to Beautiful Chaos. ‘Pinky Up’ is our third comeback," Skiendiel explained. The group’s willingness to experiment, both musically and visually, underscores their commitment to growth and reinvention.
With both Sabrina Carpenter and Katseye promising electrifying performances, Coachella’s opening night is shaping up to be a showcase of artistry, ambition, and transformation. As the festival gates open, fans can expect not just music, but a celebration of creative evolution—onstage and off.