Justin Bieber faces backlash for 'lazy' Coachella headline set but the crowd erupts as Aussie singer joins him on stage

Justin Bieber is facing plenty of backlash over what some fans have labelled a "lazy" headline gig for Coachella. 

The 32-year-old pop singer, who reportedly got paid $10 million for the Day 2 performance at the iconic festival, wore a casual hoodie and shades while singing snippets of some of his greatest hits off a laptop. 

The much-anticipated performance left a lot of people confused, with the stripped-down approach far from what fans were expecting - although there was a surprise appearance from an Aussie star. 

Watch the video above. 

Instead of delivering a full-scale performance, like fellow pop star Sabrina Carpenter did on Day 1, he opted to play some of his classics mixed in with a handful of songs from his 2025 "SWAG" and "SWAG II" albums. 

Bieber sat on a stool with his laptop, scrolling through YouTube videos of his songs and streaming his earlier music as part of his set. 

The reaction on social media was immediate.

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"Not Justin Bieber scamming Coachella out of $10 million to play songs off of YouTube…" one person wrote. 

Another person commented, "Justin Bieber giving us one of the laziest performances of all time."

"Justin Bieber is the worse(sic) headliner at Coachella in history because wtf your(sic) just sitting with a laptop," one viewer wrote. 

There has been a lot of comparison to Carpenter, whose Day 1 headline act was a high-production show with plenty of wow-factor and celebrity cameos, which has further set the two apart. 

But the Beliebers were obsessed with the nostalgia-fuelled performance, with many praising the comeback and celebrating his unique "karaoke-style" show. 

"So many beautiful, beautiful faces in the audience tonight, we got a lot of people at home also watching in their living room, in their bedroom, what's going on guys? How you guys doing at home?" Bieber said as he kicked off the set. 

"I was thinking, maybe you guys can help me with the songs tonight. Maybe help pick your favourites. I don't know, tell me the songs you guys want to hear tonight, and maybe, or maybe, we'll just play it. Let's go!"

He pulled from the fan suggestions in real time, further leaning into the improvised nature of the show, which fans labelled "iconic" after he became famous through YouTube. 

Bieber's set also featured viral clips, including his own "is it not clocking to you" moment when he clashed with paparazzi, classic memes, and shout-outs to wife Hailey Bieber and their son Jack Blues Bieber. 

The singer also pulled out several guest stars for the performance, including Tems and Wizkid for Essence and Aussie star The Kid Laroi for their hit Stay. 

Fans erupted when the Australian singer and rapper emerged on the stage. When the song finished the duo embraced in a hug before The Kid Lario went back into the crowd. 

Bieber's set, which kicked off at 11:25 local time, was watched by plenty of famous faces including Katy Perry and boyfriend Justin Trudeau, Paris Hilton, Adele, Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner, Lewis Hamilton and Kim Kardashian, and many more stars. 

The Baby singer is no stranger to Coachella and has previously appeared as a surprise guest alongside stars like Ariana Grande, Chance the Rapper, Daniel Caesar and Tems.

But this gig was his first time as a headline act, and while the Belieber's can't get enough of it, not everyone agrees he delivered a pay cheque worthy performance.

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