The day has finally come, music fans. Coachella 2026 is here, and we’re bursting at the seams to get past those gates and see what’s new at this year’s festival.
If you’re having a hard time waiting for the clock to strike 1 p.m. PDT, distract yourself by doing some daydreaming with us and see who we think might surprise festivalgoers this year.
So, without further ado, here are the artists we’re predicting — and praying, low key — show up as surprise guests for Coachella 2026.
Conan Gray with KATSEYE
Singer/songwriter Conan Gray is a former YouTuber, and his recent internet collaborations with international girl group KATSEYE make that extra clear. The bedroom pop/indie pop artist from Texas is best known for hits like “Heather,” “Maniac” and “Vodka Cranberry,” the latter of which he posted a TikTok dance to with a few members of KATSEYE — along with several other cute collaborations on social media. Although Gray doesn’t have a song with KATSEYE, the two acts are clearly friendly, and Gray would be such a great person to bring out if KATSEYE were looking to take a break from the dancing and sing a slower song during their Coachella set.
— Niki Kottmann
Ellie Goulding with Anyma
The British singer has brought star power to blockbuster Coachella EMD performances in the fairly recent past: she closed out Calvin Harris’ Coachella 2023 set (which was in a similar post-headliner late-night time slot) by coming out to sing her part on their collab “Miracle.” Given that Goulding and Anyma’s song “Hypnotized” was the biggest hit off the DJ’s 2025 album “The End Of Genesys,” a Goulding sighting seems to make almost too much sense.
— Paul Albani-Burgio
Hudson Williams and/or Connor Storrie with Wet Leg
Yes, I know they’re not musicians, and yes, I recognize this prediction is rooted in my deep appreciation (obsession) with these new HBO Max stars, but Wet Leg’s “mangetout” plays during episode two of Williams’ and Storrie’s breakout show “Heated Rivalry,” so wouldn’t it be so fun if they just came onstage to dance? Like how Role Model keeps bringing famous people onstage to dance/play the role of “Sally” when he performs “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” live? This would be the highlight of my year, which is saying something, because I’m going on my honeymoon soon.
— Niki Kottmann
Teddy Swims with Shania Twin
We know Swims (whose real name is Jaten Collin Dimsdale) has an affinity for Twain and her timeless hit “You’re Still the One,” because his cover of it was a staple of the setlist of his recent “I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy” tour. So how cool would it be if Twain (who was last seen at Coachella when she came out during Harry Styles’ 2022 Weekend 1 set) came out to sing the song with Swims as a duet?
— Paul Albani-Burgio
Ben Platt with Addison Rae
This went very viral on a very specific corner of the internet that I’m lucky enough to be a part of, so if you aren’t aware, Broadway star Ben Platt covered TikTok-turned-pop-star Addison Rae’s “Diet Pepsi” at Bravo’s Las Culturistas Culture Awards, which is a newish award show created and hosted by comedians/podcasters/actors Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers (aka the hosts of podcast “Las Culturistas”), and the internet ate it up so much that they released the live recording on Spotify. I was blessed enough to witness this cultural moment live when I attended the taping on July 17 at Los Angeles’ Orpheum Theatre, and I can assure you that the Coachella audience would go just as crazy if Ben Platt came out.
— Niki Kottmann
Alysa Liu and/or Zara Larsson with PinkPantheress
We’ve had our eyes on Zara Larsson making a surprise appearance for PinkPantheress’ set for a while (though it looks like it’ll have to wait until Weekend 2 because of Larsson’s current tour schedule), but we’re going to take it one step further. American figure skater Alysa Liu not only took home an individual gold medal at the Winter Olympics earlier this year, but she helped boost the singers’ song “Stateside” on the charts after her Exhibition Gala skate. The three of them sharing the stage together would earn perfect scores from us.
— Ema Sasic
Anne Hathaway with FKA twigs
Maybe the most random collab we could ever hope for, but we can explain. Though these two seem like they have nothing in common, the English singer/songwriter just recently wrote the song “My Mouth is Lonely For You” for Anne Hathaway’s upcoming film “Mother Mary,” in which she plays a pop superstar. Celebs have been known to do promotional stunts at Coachella in the past — Coachella Valley native Jenna Ortega and past headliner The Weeknd showed up last year in support of their film “Hurry Up Tomorrow” — so how iconic would it be to see these two sing a duet together while Hathaway is in character?
— Ema Sasic
Jason Segel with Bob Baker Marionette Theater
One of the quirkier acts on the lineup this year is famed Los Angeles institution Bob Baker Marionette Theater, which promises plenty of puppet fun and surprises. One of those could be a Jason Segel sighting. For those who may not remember, the actor starred in the rom-com “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” in which his character created a Dracula puppet musical called “Dracula’s Lament.” A few years ago, he actually worked with the theater to restore his puppet, and he revealed in an interview that he performs his musical from time to time. There’s no better stage than Coachella to do a grand performance like this, so you’ll find me front row when this set begins.
— Ema Sasic
When does the Coachella livestream start?
The official Coachella livestream begins at 4 p.m. PDT Friday, and anyone with internet access can watch for free.
Coachella streaming schedule?
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Who could surprise us onstage at Coachella 2026, and how to watch
Reporting by Niki Kottmann, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
