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Justin Bieber’s highly-anticipated Coachella set on Saturday is already sparking backlash, with some fans tearing into the pop star and dubbing his show as the “worst performance.”
After a years-long hiatus, the 32-year-old “Daisies” singer — who was reportedly paid $10 million for his return — took the stage in Indio, Calif. only to be met with a wave of criticism from online trolls.
For the first half of the set, Bieber focused on his latest tracks from “Swag” and “Swag ll” before diving into a YouTube-heavy track list.
“Tonight is such a special night,” Bieber told the crowd while sitting on a stool behind a table that held his laptop. “I feel like we gotta take you guys on a bit of a journey. Do you guys remember this song?”
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Justin Bieber sparked backlash for his Coachella 2026 headlining performance. (Getty Images)
Bieber played hit songs like “Baby,” “Never Say Never,” and “Beauty and the Beat” on YouTube, while singing along to the music videos playing in the background.
At one point, Katy Perry poked fun at the moments in between YouTube searches.
“Thank God he has Premium,” the Grammy nominee, 41, said in a video posted to her Instagram. “I don’t want to see no ads.”
“I’m crying this might actually be the worst performance i’ve ever seen. He’s literally just playing music videos from youtube… zero effort, just pure laziness,” one user wrote on X.
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“Justin Bieber being the most paid artist by Coachella and he offered a performance with literally no work, no budget and some people are praising him,” another person wrote via X. “Male mediocrity privilege is real.”
“What the hell is justin bieber doing bro you’re telling me he was the highest paid to do this bulls—?” another added.
Justin Bieber performs on the Coachella stage during the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., on April 11, 2026. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Coachella)
Despite the criticism, some fans praised the artist for his stripped-down performance.
“These 8 minutes of Justin Bieber singing his old songs, I’m going to treasure them in my heart for the rest of my life,” one fan wrote. “THANK YOU JUSTIN, THANK YOU.”
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“Justin Bieber absolutely ended Sabrina Carpenter. You don’t need High Production set or 10 outfit changes to put on a good show. All you need is pure talent. LEGEND.”
Bieber’s Coachella set marked his first major performance since 2022’s Justice World Tour. According to Rolling Stone, the pop star scored a seven-figure deal to headline.
Justin Bieber performed onstage during the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
“It’s a groundbreaking move for a headliner, and it’s something he built entirely on his own,” a source close to Bieber told the outlet. “Between headlining Coachella and the success of Swag, it’s clear this is the start of an exciting new era for Justin — one where he’s fully in the driver’s seat.”
Throughout his performing hiatus, Bieber has expressed his vulnerability and mental struggles through multiple posts on social media.
In April 2025, Bieber wrote, “I’m just an average flawed guy. I’ve done things that have hurt others. I continue to do and say things that hurt others unintentionally. Yet I woke up this morning with another opportunity to grow and not be so selfish today.”
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He went on to write, “LOVE DRAWS US IN. LOVE DOESN’T CONDEMN. LOVE BELIEVES THE BEST. LOVE HOPES ALL THINGS AND ENDURES ALL THINGS. IT DOESN’T KEEP RECORD OF WRONG. LOVE HELPS U TO FORGIVE AND LOVE EVEN YOUR ENEMIES.”
The pop star has been open about his mental struggles throughout the years. (Cassy Athena/Getty Images)
Bieber made another post shortly after that, telling his followers that “Sometimes I think I’m gonna get exposed if I tell people how selfish I am. Like if I admitted that, maybe people wouldn’t like me or trust me.”
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The “Baby” singer explained that he felt that if he was honest about feeling selfish, then he would be “disqualified from the dreams I had of being included,” but said that the more honest he is about things, the more freedom he has.
In another post, Bieber wrote that he “can’t control” how he feels when he wakes up each morning, and that in the past “I would find myself even subconsciously blaming god for the bad feeling I woke up with rather than communicate with him and ask him to help me have a change of perspective.”
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Towards the end of his Coachella set, Bieber thanked the crowd for an unforgettable night.
“Tonight has been beautiful,” Bieber said before closing his set with “Daisies.”