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Justin Bieber is under fire after fans criticized his Coachella headlining performance as “lazy.” The pop sensation’s set prominently featured him singing short snippets of his hits from a laptop, despite receiving what has been described as a “groundbreaking” payment.
At 32, Bieber reportedly earned $10 million for the appearance. On Saturday night, he opted for a laid-back style, donning a hoodie, shorts, and sunglasses. This minimalist approach to his highly anticipated show left many attendees scratching their heads.
Instead of delivering a high-energy set filled with his well-loved hits, Bieber performed several tracks from his upcoming 2025 album, “SWAG II,” before transitioning to his classic songs.
During the performance, Bieber was seated on a stool, using a laptop to scroll through YouTube videos of his songs. He streamed a brief medley of 12 earlier hits.
The reaction from social media was swift and vocal.
“Not Justin Bieber scammed Coachella out of $10 million to play songs off of YouTube…” one person wrote.
Another added, “Justin Bieber giving us one of the laziest performances of all time.”
A third piled on, “If Sabrina Carpenter did what Justin Bieber is doing right now, her career would be over.”
The comparison to Carpenter, who headlined the first night of the California festival with a polished, high-production show complete with celebrity cameos, only intensified the criticism.
Bieber’s set, which kicked off at 11:25 p.m. local time, had already been rumored to be delayed due to desert winds, but he hit the stage on time
The screen also featured viral clips, including his own “is it not clocking to you” moment when he clashed with paparazzi, as well as classic memes like “deez nuts” and “double rainbow,” adding to the chaotic feel of the set.
“Justin Bieber is the worse(sic) headliner at Coachella in history because wtf your(sic) just sitting with a laptop,” one viewer posted.
Another went even further: “justin bieber 2026 coachella performance may just be the worst mass streamed/televised performance…ever?”
Some defended Bieber, pointing out that using YouTube was “a little iconic” since “Justin became famous” through the platform.
One X user dubbed him a “mastermind” — but acknowledged “some won’t understand.”
In an attempt to engage the audience, Bieber asked fans to “help me with the songs tonight,” encouraging them to drop their favorites into the livestream comments.
He then pulled from those suggestions in real time, further leaning into the improvised nature of the show.
One of the more unexpected moments came when Bieber dug up his own past, playing YouTube clips of himself as a child — including a nearly two-decade-old cover of a Ne-Yo song — which famously helped lead to his discovery by Usher and Scooter Braun.
Bieber reportedly secured his Coachella deal directly with Goldenvoice, earning $5 million per weekend, without the help of an agent.
The move followed his split from longtime manager Braun in 2023 after roughly 15 years.
Bieber is no stranger to Coachella, having previously appeared as a surprise guest alongside stars like Ariana Grande, Chance the Rapper, Daniel Caesar and Tems.
But this marked his first time topping the bill — and for many fans, it didn’t live up to the hype.