Sabrina Carpenter’s Coachella Performance Thrills With Iconic TV & Movie Star Cameos

Michelle Stein April 11, 2026, 10:26 am

What To Know

Sabrina Carpenter’s 2026 Coachella headlining performance featured an Old Hollywood theme with elaborate staging and storytelling elements inspired by classic films.
The show included surprise cameos from iconic stars such as Will Ferrell, Susan Sarandon, Samuel L. Jackson, and Sam Elliott, each playing memorable roles during the set.
Carpenter’s performance paid homage to movies like The Wizard of Oz and Snakes on a Plane, blending music with cinematic references and theatrical moments.

Sabrina Carpenter just stunned with a 2026 Coachella performance filled with cameos from iconic TV and movie stars.

On Friday, April 10, the “Espresso” singer put on a “SabrinaWood” show in Indio, California. The headlining performance, inspired by Old Hollywood, not only featured guest appearances from Will Ferrell, Susan Sarandon, Samuel L. Jackson, and Sam Elliott, but also included odes to The Wizard of Oz, Snakes on a Plane, and Alfred Hitchcock.

To open the set, Carpenter, 26, sang Kool & the Gang’s “Hollywood Swinging” as she drove on a highway at night in a black-and-white short film. Her “Hitchcock Blonde” character was eventually pulled over by a police officer, played by Landman star Elliot. Carpenter then continued driving, ending up at a drive-in that was the Coachella. As she exited the vehicle, the video changed to color — much like in The Wizard of Oz — with the Hollywood Walk of Fame serving as her yellow brick road. Carpenter then sang “House Tour” to begin the show.

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Toward the middle of Carpenter’s Coachella set, Sarandon delivered a dramatic monologue as an older version of the “Manchild” singer. The Rocky Horror Picture Show actress opined about her former stardom while sitting in a classic car at a drive-in, when she was suddenly interrupted by a bellhop played by Corey Fogelmanis. (He and Carpenter starred in Girl Meets World.)

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Carpenter later sang “Bad Chem,” with Ferrell surprising concert-goers at the end by playing an electrician. The Anchorman actor fixed the stage’s power after it short-circuited, complaining to the audience that he was working at Stagecoach and not Coachella.

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The final celebrity cameo in Carpenter’s Coachella show was Jackson. For the Juno position, she rang a gong before Jackson’s voice, who said, “Hello, Coachella. This is your spiritual guide. I’m here to take you motherf*****s on a journey to relaxation.” The line was a hat-tip to Jackon’s iconic line, “I have had it with these motherf***ing snakes on this motherf***ng plane!” from the 2006 film.