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Big Bang, SHINee's Taemin, Katseye perform at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival — in pictures

Published: 13 Apr. 2026, 17:58 Updated: 13 Apr. 2026, 23:01

MICHAEL LEE
[email protected]

From left: Lara Raj, Yoonchae Jeong, Daniela Avanzini, Sophia Laforteza, and Megan Skiendiel of girl group Katseye perform during the first weekend of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 10 in Indio, California. [AP/YONHAP]

K-pop acts Big Bang, Taemin of the boy band SHINee and multinational girl group Katseye performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California during its first weekend run from Friday to Sunday.

Launched in 1999 in the desert city of Indio, Coachella has grown into one of the most influential music festivals in the United States, drawing more than 200,000 attendees annually with a wide-ranging lineup spanning rock, hip-hop, electronic and pop.

The second weekend of the 2026 edition is due to take place this Friday to Sunday, with reprises by the same performers from the first weekend.

Among the most anticipated K-pop appearances was Big Bang, widely regarded as one of the genre’s defining second-generation boy bands, who performed on Sunday. The group’s return to the global stage as a three-member act — G-Dragon, Taeyang and Daesung — comes just shy of the 20th anniversary of its debut in August.

Big Bang had originally been slated to perform at Coachella in 2020, which would have made it the first K-pop boy band on the bill, but the festival was canceled due to the pandemic.

The performances marked the group’s first official activity together since the release of its 2022 single “Still Life.” While the members had collaborated on individual projects — including Taeyang and Daesung featuring on G-Dragon’s 2024 track “Home Sweet Home” — the group had not taken the global stage under the Big Bang name in years, heightening anticipation among fans.

Also on the lineup was Taemin of SHINee, who has built a strong reputation as a solo performer since his 2014 debut. He was the only male K-pop solo artist featured in this year’s lineup and performed on Saturday.

Katseye, a six-member global girl group, performed on Friday, following its U.S. festival debut at Lollapalooza Chicago in August last year.

From left: Sophia Laforteza, Yoonchae Jeong, Lara Raj, Daniela Avanzini, and Megan Skiendiel of Katseye perform during the first weekend of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 10 in Indio, California. [AP/YONHAP]

Fans react as Katseye performs at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, on April 10. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

K-pop boy band BigBang performs at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, on April 11. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Singer G-Dragon of K-pop trio BigBang performs at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, on April 12. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Festivalgoers are seen during the first weekend of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 11 in Indio, California. [AP/YONHAP]

Taemin of the boy group SHINee performs at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, on April 11. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Taemin of the boy group SHINee performs at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, on April 11. [GALAXY CORPORATION]

Audiences watch K-pop star Taemim's performance at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, on April 11. [GALAXY CORPORATION]

Festivalgoers are seen during the first weekend of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 11 in Indio, California. [AP/YONHAP]

Festivalgoers are seen during the first weekend of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 12, in Indio, California. [AP/YONHAP]

BY MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]

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Big Bang, SHINee's Taemin, Katseye perform at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival — in pictures

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