Coachella’s rock surge
- Weekend 2 at Coachella delivered surprising rock standouts beyond the headliners, with lots of guitar-driven energy. - The standout acts named were Turnstile, Joyce Manor, Sombr, David Byrne, Royel Otis and Iggy Pop. - Critics flagged that depth — including Sombr’s set with a Billy Idol cameo — as one of the festival’s strongest takeaways (rockcellarmagazine.com).
Coachella’s second weekend (April 17–19, 2026) delivered unexpected, guitar-driven rock highlights that punctured a pop-heavy billing. (latimes.com) Reviewers and livestream coverage across both weekends named Turnstile, Joyce Manor, sombr, David Byrne, Royel Otis and Iggy Pop among the festival’s rock standouts. (rockcellarmagazine.com) Sombr opened Weekend 1 with Billy Corgan joining him on April 11 for a rendition of “1979,” then on Weekend 2 (April 18) invited Billy Idol and guitarist Steve Stevens for “Eyes Without a Face” and covered Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees.” (rollingstone.com) Turnstile’s Outdoor Theatre set drew widespread praise as an “emotional, triumphant” performance that included onstage guests and big crowd moments; the band had also won Best Rock Album and Best Metal Performance at the Grammys on February 1, 2026. (consequence.net) David Byrne mounted a choreographed, theatrical Outdoor Theatre show that mixed Talking Heads classics with new material in a 13-song production reviewers called high-energy. (consequence.net) Iggy Pop mined Stooges classics and solo hits during his Mojave-stage set and capped the show by climbing into a coffin and being wheeled offstage during his Sunday performance. (consequence.net) Royel Otis appeared on the Empire Polo Club bill on April 18, and Joyce Manor played the Gobi stage on April 17 while previewing tracks from their January 30, 2026 album I Used to Go to This Bar (produced by Brett Gurewitz). (setlist.fm) Those rock moments registered against Weekend 2 headliners Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G, with photographers and critics repeatedly flagging the festival’s unexpected depth of guitar-driven sets. (latimes.com) Rock Cellar summed the takeaway bluntly, calling the festival’s rock depth “one of the festival’s strongest takeaways.” (rockcellarmagazine.com)
