That’s a wrap on the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival as Weekend 2 concluded on Sunday, April 19.
The day featured performances by headliner Karol G as well as other notable acts like Young Thug, Major Lazer, Laufey, Iggy Pop, Suicidal Tendencies, Gigi Perez and more.
Here were our favorite and least favorite moments from Day 3 of Weekend 2.
BEST MOMENTS
Young Thug’s post‑prison comeback energy didn’t fade during Weekend 2
Rapper Young Thug’s post-prison comeback performances at the festival reflected a return to form for the rapper from Atlanta, who served more than two years behind bars due to racketeering and gang-related charges until his release from custody in late 2024, and the energy continued on Sunday. Even better, Mariah the Scientist was his special guest for Weekend 2.
Major Lazer’s golden hour set had all the good vibes
Major Lazer, the EDM supergroup featuring DJs Diplo, Walshy Fire and Ape Drums and vocalist America Foster knows how to deliver an electronic dance music performance that has all the vibes, and during the golden hour on Sunday, it was a mix of high-energy bass drops and Caribbean grooves. One of the highlights of the Coachella Stage performance was the performance of “Lean On,” which had a clap and sing-along. The blend of electronic music with dancehall, reggaeton, soca, rap and other genres was a nice energy boost to prepare festivalgoers for headliner Karol G.
Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo joins his son and old band Suicidal Tendencies as a special guest
Hardcore punk band Suicidal Tendencies featured former bassist Thundercat during its Weekend 1 performance with its current bassist Tye Trujillo. However, during Weekend 2, the band went back further in its history and brought out Tye Trujillo’s father, former bassist Robert Trujillo, who now plays in Metallica, for awesome renditions of the songs “Lovely” and “I Saw Your Mommy.” Trujillo hugged all the band members at the end of the set, including Tye, but tried not to make it look too embarrassing in front of the crowd before walking off.
Gigi Perez leveled up during Weekend 2
Cuban-American singer-songwriter Gigi Perez had one of the best sets of Weekend 1, and Weekend 2 was no different — actually, it was even better. Some highlights of her set included a guest appearance by one of her musical idols, Hayley Kiyoko, to sing Kiyoko’s Tumblr hit “Girls Like Girls” together, and the song ended with them waving the LGBTQIA rainbow flag together. She also spoke about being Cuban-American and said it was a huge “privilege” to be on the Outdoor Theatre stage as a daughter of immigrants. Perez also voiced her feelings about ICE, describing their recent actions as “atrocious.”
WORST MOMENTS
The lines at the Sonora tent
At 6:40 p.m., Coachella app users got a push notification that the Sonora tent was at capacity, meaning they wouldn’t let anyone else in to listen to the set by Mexican DJ/producer RØZ. Los Retros was the next artist to perform, and the line to get inside was incredibly long. Today was the hottest day of Weekend 2, so it’s possible several people were just seeking shade and air conditioning — or maybe these two artists are bigger than we realized.
It didn’t break 100 degrees, but the temperature was still uncomfortable
Even though the temperature didn’t reach the triple digits on Sunday, the hottest day of Weekend 2 was uncomfortably hot, and there isn’t much shade available at the Empire Polo Club. But once the sun went down, the relief of the cooler temperatures made it feel like those spring nights we love. Still, the desert sun sucks for long periods of time, and it shows no mercy at the Empire Polo Club.
Little wind, but plenty of dust
Personally, I’m not sure which is worse: a windy weekend at Coachella like Weekend 1, or a calm weekend like Weekend 2, where dust fills the air from the kicked-up dead grass and the heat stirs desert particles. The aftermath of the previous winds adds to the mess that locals are all too familiar with. If you’re coming to the Stagecoach country music festival next weekend, you’d better bring a bandana or a mask.
Desert Sun journalists Niki Kottmann and Tom Coulter contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: All the best — and worst — moments from the last day of Coachella 2026
Reporting by Brian Blueskye, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
