Ranked: These are the highest paid acts there have ever been at Coachella

Coachella 2026 has kicked off, but the talk has quickly turned to one thing: Justin Bieber. During his set he sat behind a Mac and shared YouTube videos of his songs, and pretty soon after reports emerged claiming he was the highest paid Coachella act of all time.

Naturally, people have been slating him for being paid a ridiculous amount, whilst giving us next to nothing in performance value. Whereas, other people have been obsessed with the chill, nostalgia that his performance gave. It’s really divided us all.

So, whilst nobody can decide where they stand on Bieber’s show, here’s a rundown of the highest paid Coachella performers of all time.

8. Paul McCartney – $4million

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Paul McCartney is said to have received a $4million pay day for just one weekend at the festival, when he performed in 2009.

7. Lady Gaga – $3million-$4million

The New Yorker has reported that Lady Gaga earned between $3million and $4million for headlining the festival in 2017.

6. Sabrina Carpenter – $5million

via JILL CONNELLY/EPA/Shutterstock

Sabrina Carpenter was a headliner on day one of Coachella 2026. She performed her first set, and will return for the second weekend as well. Various reports have claimed she was paid around $5million for the two appearances.

5. Beyoncé – $8million

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It’s been reported that Beyoncé bagged $8million for her Coachella set in 2018. She also had the show filmed, and the rights then sold to Netflix. Big bucks!

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4. Ariana Grande – $8million

Ari is also said to have pocketed $8million, when she headlined in 2019. She performed across both weekends.

3. The Weeknd – $8.5million

via Christopher Victorio/Imagespace/Shutterstock

The Weeknd was also one of the big acts in 2018, and he is said to have been paid $8.5million. According to JustJared, the $500k more than Beyoncé that he got was to cover production costs.

2. Tyler, the Creator – $10million

via Daniel DeSlover/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Tyler, the Creator is the only artist to ever have spoken about Coachella pay himself. “What that Coachella pay like? It was eight figures,” are the lyrics in one of his songs. Eight figures? So *at least* $10million.

1. Justin Bieber – $10million

via Diggzy/Shutterstock

According to various reports, Justin Bieber has been paid $10million for his 2026 set. That’s $5million for each of his headline sets, across the two weekends. This makes Bieber the equal highest paid Coachella act in history.

An insider told Rolling Stone: “It’s a groundbreaking move for a headliner, and it’s something he built entirely on his own. 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.”

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