Sabrina Carpenter | Getty Image by Astrida Valigorsky

How Much Do Coachella Headliners Actually Get Paid?

April 20, 2026

If you’ve been glued to the chaos of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival over the past week – same. Between the surprise collabs, stacked line-up and full-blown main character energy across the desert, it’s once again proving why it’s one of the biggest gigs on the planet.

But behind all the glitter, lasers and influencer content… there’s one question that always pops up: how much are these headliners actually getting paid?

Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Espresso’ Live at Coachella 2026

This year’s top billing – Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G – are leading a wildly diverse 2026 lineup that also includes everyone from The Strokes and Iggy Pop to Turnstile, FKA twigs and our very own Ecca Vandal.

And while Coachella organisers are famously tight-lipped about the money side of things, reports over the years have painted a pretty clear picture: headliners are walking away with multi-million dollar paydays.

According to recent Rolling Stone reporting, Bieber is said to be pocketing around $10 million for his 2026 headline slot (roughly $5 million per weekend). Not bad for a couple of nights in the desert.

Meanwhile, Sabrina Carpenter and Karol G are reportedly sitting somewhere in the $5–8 million range total for their performances – still very much in “buy a small island” territory.

And if you’re wondering whether that’s normal… yeah, pretty much.

Back in 2018, Beyoncé reportedly earned around $8 million for her now-iconic “Beychella” set – before levelling up even harder with a reported $60 million Netflix deal tied to the performance. Casual.

Elsewhere, Ariana Grande and The Weeknd have both reportedly landed in the $8–8.5 million range in past years, while Kendrick Lamar was said to have earned between $3–4 million back in 2017.

Even going way back, icons like Prince were reportedly pulling in around $5 million for a headline slot in 2008 – which tbh feels like a bargain by today’s standards.

So yeah… while the exact numbers are rarely confirmed, one thing’s clear: headlining Coachella isn’t just a career milestone… it’s also a fat payday.

And as the festival keeps getting bigger, don’t expect those numbers to go anywhere but up.