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Sabrina Carpenter has publicly apologized after facing backlash for mocking a fan’s yodeling during her inaugural Coachella headlining performance in Indio, California last Friday.
The 26-year-old singer was criticized by fans who labeled her comments as ‘rude,’ ‘ignorant,’ and ‘nasty.’
During her set, which included an unexpected appearance by a previously controversial star, Carpenter paused her keyboard performance upon hearing a fan in the crowd perform a celebratory Arab ululation, known as a Zaghrouta.
“I think I heard someone yodel,” the performer remarked, interrupting her song to address the audience member, as captured in a video shared on X. “Is that what you’re doing? I don’t like it.”
In defense, the fan explained that the yodeling was part of their culture and a form of celebration. Carpenter responded with skepticism, asking, “That’s your culture, yodeling? Is this Burning Man? What’s going on? This is weird.”
She faced a deluge of backlash and has now expressed her contrition, tweeting that her reaction was down to ‘confusion’ and that she ‘could have handled it better!’
Sabrina Carpenter caught some major flak for ridiculing a yodeling fan during her very first headlining Coachella set in Indio, California on Friday
Fans lambasted the 26-year-old singer as ‘rude’ and ‘ignorant’ and ‘mean,’ and even ‘nasty’Â
She faced a deluge of backlash and has now expressed her contrition, tweeting that her reaction was down to ‘confusion’ and that she ‘could have handled it better!’
She was responding in particular to a tweet in which a fan fumed: ‘sabrina saying that she doesn’t like a cultural arabic cheer… this is so insensitive and islamophobic. i am very disappointed in her.’
Quoting the post, Carpenter wrote: ‘my apologies i didn’t see this person with my eyes and couldn’t hear clearly. my reaction was pure confusion, sarcasm and not ill intended. could have handled it better! now i know what a Zaghrouta is! I welcome all cheers and yodels from here on out.’
After the Zaghrouta snafu, Carpenter went on to finish her set, wowing the crowd with a show-stopping set list including Taste, Please Please Please and We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night.
But after the show, fans took to social media to complain about the star’s behavior towards the yodeler.
‘I was actually enjoying the show till this comment. It was really rude,’ one Reddit user bickered.
Another Redditor commented, ‘She even said, “IT’S WEIRD.” A total lack of respect. Even after hearing that the fan said it was about her culture, it was still very disrespectful to react that way. But her fans will justify her by saying it’s a “misunderstanding.” I’m sorry, but there’s no way I believe that.’
‘Yikes what she said about the yodelling is abt to get her cancelled LMFAO,’ a third Reddit follower added.
Other fans hopped on X to vent their outrage, with one writing, per Page Six, ‘The way Sabrina doubled down and decided to continue to be ignorant even after it was clarified yodeling is part of that person’s culture says a lot about her.’
‘Did Sabrina Carpenter just call that girl’s culture weird and creepy?’ another fan chimed in.
Carpenter interrupted her keyboard playing to comment, ‘I think I heard someone yodel,’ before glancing at the person responsible and saying ‘Is that what you’re doing? I don’t like it’
‘Is this Burning Man? What’s going on? This is weird,’ the pop star added with a short laugh that seemingly had no humor in it
Fans flocked to social media to complain about Carpenter’s behavior, with one Reddit user writing, ‘I was actually enjoying the show till this comment. It was really rude’
‘The way Sabrina doubled down and decided to continue to be ignorant even after it was clarified yodeling is part of that person’s culture says a lot about her,’ a fan vented on X
Carpenter told festival-goers earlier in her set, ‘I can’t believe I’m headlining Coachella! I mean, I can a little bit, but it’s nicer to say that, right?’
The Taste singer’s Coachella show included a surprise cameo from previously canceled Susan Sarandon (pictured), as well as A-listers Will Ferrell, Sam Elliott and Samuel L. Jackson
But others rushed to defend the singer. ‘She clearly could not hear the girl speaking. You have to remember she’s all the way up on stage,’ one chanced to say.
Earlier in her set, Carpenter seemed excited to be headlining what’s considered to be most famous and influential music festival in the world.
She told festival-goers, ‘I can’t believe I’m headlining Coachella! I mean, I can a little bit, but it’s nicer to say that, right?’  Â
The 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will light up the desert in Indio, California, over two weekends.
In addition to Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G are also headlining the highly anticipated event.
They’ll be joined by an eclectic roster that spans genres and generations, including electronic act Anyma, Young Thug, Turnstile, David Byrne, FKA twigs, Addison Rae and Ethel Cain.
Legacy artists Iggy Pop, Moby, and Devo also earned spots on the packed schedule, while Radiohead appeared under a mysterious note teasing The Bunker Debut of Kid A Mnesia.
The xx and The Strokes are both making a comeback to the festival.
In addition to Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G are headlining the highly anticipated event; Carpenter pictured in 2024
The booking marks a major milestone for Bieber as he has never officially been billed at the festival; Bieber pictured in 2022
Colombian superstar Karol G made her Coachella debut in 2022, but this will be her first major set behind her new album Tropicoqueta, released in June; Seen performing in 2024
The booking marks a major milestone for Bieber as he has never officially been billed at the festival, despite making surprise cameos during Ariana Grande, Daniel Caesar, Chance the Rapper, Tems and Wizkid’s sets.
Bieber’s most recent live performance was at the 2026 Grammys on February 1, while his last full concert took place at a private Roxy Theatre show on March 29.
The Baby hitmaker hasn’t headlined a major tour since canceling his 49-date Justice World Tour after coming down with Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
In agreeing to perform at the Southern California-based festival, the two-time Grammy-winner was paid more than $10 million – surpassing musical icons Beyonce and Lady Gaga as the festival’s highest-compensated artist ever.
An insider told Rolling Stone that Bieber worked out his record Coachella payday directly with promoter Goldenvoice without the use of an agent.
‘It’s a groundbreaking move for a headliner, and it’s something he built entirely on his own,’ an insider close to the Daisies artist – who shares son Jack, one, with supermodel wife Hailey Bieber, 28 – told the outlet.
The source added, ‘Between headlining Coachella and the success of Swag, it’s clear this is the start of an exciting new era for Justin – one where he’s fully in the driver’s seat.’
Carpenter previously performed at Coachella in 2024, as her then-boyfriend Barry Keoghan cheered her on from the VIP section. She teased that her new Coachella performance will be ‘the most ambitious show I’ve ever done’ in a recent interview with Perfect magazine.
Prices for weekend passes ran from $549 to $1,299Â
For Karol G, it’s a long-awaited return. The Colombian superstar made her Coachella debut in 2022, but this will be her first major set behind her new album Tropicoqueta, released in June.
The milestone makes her the first Latina artist to lead the iconic Coachella stage.
Prices for weekend passes at this year’s event ran from $549 to $1,299.
The headliners for last year’s Coachella were Lana Del Rey, Tyler, the Creator, and Doja Cat.