Karol G Makes History

Karol G closed Coachella on Sunday night as the first Latina artist to headline the festival. (latimes.com) She topped the bill on April 12 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, one of three 2026 headliners alongside Sabrina Carpenter and Justin Bieber. Coachella’s official lineup announced the festival’s two weekends as April 10 to 12 and April 17 to 19. (coachellavalley.com) The set began at about 10:30 p.m. and included surprise appearances by Becky G, Mariah Angeliq, Wisin and Greg Gonzalez. Karol G told the crowd, “I am Carolina Giraldo from Medellin, Colombia, and today I am the first Latina woman to headline coachella.” (hollywoodreporter.com) Her show moved across salsa, old-school reggaeton, mariachi and Latin pop, with songs including “Latina Foreva,” “El Makinon,” “MAMII,” “Rakata” and “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido.” Rolling Stone reported that she also performed with an all-female mariachi group and premiered a new song with Greg Gonzalez of Cigarettes After Sex. (rollingstone.com) The booking put a Latina artist at the top of Coachella’s main stage for the first time in the festival’s history, even after Latin acts had become a larger part of the lineup over the past decade. Karol G’s slot came three years after Bad Bunny became the first Spanish-language artist to headline Coachella in 2023. (hollywoodreporter.com) Karol G had been positioned for that moment since the lineup reveal in September 2025, when Coachella announced her as a Sunday headliner. Time Out noted before the festival that her appearance reflected the event’s broader international lineup and Latin music’s growing reach inside mainstream pop festivals. (coachellavalley.com) (timeout.com) Onstage, she framed the performance as bigger than a single booking. The Hollywood Reporter said she dedicated the night to “my Latina community” and to Latinos “who have been struggling in this country lately,” asking fans to “Raise your flag.” (hollywoodreporter.com) Weekend 2 runs April 17 to 19, and Coachella’s official livestream partner is YouTube. After Sunday’s set, Karol G returns next weekend not as a first-time headliner, but as the artist who already filled that slot once. (coachellavalley.com)