Karol G’s historic headline
On April 12 Karol G became the first Latina to headline Coachella, sharing the bill on Day 3 with acts that weekend including Clipse, Suicidal Tendencies, FKA twigs and BIGBANG. (latimes.com) (desertsun.com)
Karol G closed Coachella on Sunday, April 12, becoming the first Latina to headline the festival in its 25-year history. (latimes.com) She topped the bill on Day 3 of Weekend 1 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, where Coachella is running April 10 to 12 and April 17 to 19 this year. Festival organizer Goldenvoice announced her in September alongside fellow 2026 headliners Sabrina Carpenter and Justin Bieber. (coachellavalley.com) Sunday’s lineup around her set included Clipse, Suicidal Tendencies, FKA twigs and BIGBANG, putting Karol G at the center of one of the weekend’s most internationally mixed bills. The Los Angeles Times live blog framed the night as a history-making close to the festival’s first weekend. (latimes.com) Coachella has booked major Latin acts for years, but its top line had remained out of reach for Latina performers until this year. Karol G’s billing moved a Spanish-language pop and reggaeton star into one of the most visible slots in the United States festival business. (eonline.com) (coachellavalley.com) The booking also capped a run in which Karol G had already become one of the biggest touring artists in Latin music. Her 2023 album “Mañana Será Bonito” became the first all-Spanish-language album by a woman to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200. (billboard.com) Ahead of the festival, Coachella’s published schedule had her set to start at about 9:55 p.m. Pacific time on the main stage, with YouTube again serving as the festival’s exclusive livestream partner. That gave her the same closing platform Coachella reserves for its Sunday headliner across both weekends. (usatoday.com) (coachellavalley.com) Her set leaned into that scale. The Los Angeles Times reported that she closed with a techno remix of “Provenza” and fireworks, while USA Today said the performance also included an onstage message in support of immigrants and Latino pride. (latimes.com) (usatoday.com) Weekend 2 begins April 17, when Karol G is scheduled to return to the same Sunday-closing role. For Coachella, the first weekend is now on the books with a new name in its headliner history. (coachellavalley.com)
