Justin Bieber made his big stage comeback in the desert on Saturday to headline Coachella, three and a half years after he abandoned his 2022 tour over health concerns.
The 32-year-old “Baby” singer took the stage in Indio, California, for a stripped-back set that saw him scrolling through YouTube on a laptop, taking requests from fans in the Coachella livestream.
He opened with tracks from his 2025 albums Swag and Swag II — including “Speed Demon” and “Go Baby” before telling the crowd he wanted to take them “on a journey” and delving into his archive.
He repeatedly asked the audience: “How far back do you go?”
Using the laptop as a kind of digital scrapbook, Bieber pulled up old clips of himself singing covers, as well as the “standing on business” paparazzi confrontation that went viral last June.
He delighted the crowd by performing “With You” — his Chris Brown cover that skyrocketed him to fame in 2008 — alongside the original video on YouTube.
He also sang along to music videos of his older hits, such as “Baby,” “Never Say Never” and “Beauty and the Beat.”
At other points, the singer leaned fully into internet absurdity, flashing the “deez nuts” Vine meme across the big screen.
He was joined by some musical guests during the set, including The Kid Laroi, Wizkid, Tems and Dijon.
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Bieber’s minimalistic set divided fans, prompting adulation from many and mockery from others online.
“Justin Bieber is being paid 10 MILLION DOLLARS to search up his own music on YouTube and walk around the stage,” wrote one person on X, referencing the star’s reported Coachella booking fee.
“What the hell is justin bieber doing bro you’re telling me he was the highest paid to do this bull***?” Another questioned alongside a clip of Bieber playing the “deez nuts” meme.
“Justin Bieber playing songs from his laptop on stage while Sabrina Carpenter delivered multiple outfit changes, visuals, choreography and vocals,” wrote a third, comparing Bieber’s headline set to the “Manchild” singer’s on Friday.
However, others were overwhelmingly positive in their support for the free-flowing, bare-bones performance.
“These 8 minutes of Justin Bieber singing his old songs, I’m going to treasure them in my heart for the rest of my life,” wrote one fan.
“Justin Bieber and Laroi performing ‘STAY’ together THE VOCALS THE ENERGY THE CROWD EVERYTHING IS INSANE,” raved another.
“Justin Bieber singing ‘Baby’ at Coachella… the maturity in his voice is insane,” shared a third.
Bieber performed a similarly acoustic performance at the Grammy Awards in February; however, Coachella marks his first time performing solo in front of a large crowd since 2022.
That year, the artist cancelled the remaining dates on his Justice world tour after experiencing “full paralysis” on the right side of his face as a result of his Ramsay Hunt Syndrome.
“This is pretty serious as you can see. I wish this wasn’t the case, but obviously, my body’s telling me that I gotta slow down,” he told fans at the time.
“I hope you guys understand and I’ll be using this time to just rest and relax and get back to 100 per cent so that I can do what I was born to do.”
Last year, he admitted the prospect of touring again felt “super daunting” and said he had no immediate plans to hit the road. “I’m putting on a hell of a show for you guys for Coachella, getting ready, and getting inspired,” he told fans on Twitch.
