Sabrina Carpenter recruits Susan Sarandon and Will Ferrell for splashy, Hollywood-themed Coachella headlining set

Sabrina Carpenter transformed Indio, Calif., into “SabrinaWood” in a showstopping Coachella 2026 headlining set Friday night.

The Old Hollywood–themed performance boasted surprise cameos from Susan Sarandon, Will Ferrell, Samuel L. Jackson, and Sam Elliott, and included cinematic references to Alfred Hitchcock, The Wizard of Oz… and Snakes on a Plane?

Carpenter opened the set with a black-and-white short film in which she played what looked like a “Hitchcock Blonde,” driving down a lone highway at night in a 1950s classic car as she sang along to Kool & the Gang’s “Hollywood Swinging.”

In a scene straight out of Psycho, police lights emerged in the rearview, and when she pulled over a mysterious, creepy officer portrayed by Landman star Elliott proceeded to grill her.

The “Manchild” singer managed to get back on the road, eventually arriving at a drive-in that was revealed to be Coachella.  As she emerged from the car, the black-and-white scene turned to Technicolor, seemingly alluding to 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, except her yellow brick road to the stage resembled the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Her Man’s Best Friend single “House Tour” kicked off the show, with the pop star decked out in a red glittery mini, perhaps a nod to Dorothy’s ruby slippers.

Sarandon nearly stole the show with her cameo (or at least brought it to a screeching halt) when she delivered a dramatic monologue in the middle of Carpenter’s set, playing an older version of the singer. Hearkening back to the opening sequence, the 77-year-old actress sat in a classic car at a drive-in and reflected on “what it was like to be a star” in her glory days. The nearly seven-minute soliloquy was eventually interrupted by a carhop portrayed by Carpenter’s former Girl Meets World costar Corey Fogelmanis, who popped up to give her the check and close her out before he ended his shift.

So what’s the connection between Sarandon and Carpenter? The singer’s 2025 video for “Tears” has drawn comparisons to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the 1975 musical comedy starring Sarandon and Tim Curry, so it could have all started there.

Several songs later, as Carpenter concluded “Bad Chem,” the stage’s power short-circuited, requiring a quick repair from the festival’s on-call electrician: none other than Will Ferrell. The comedian didn’t seem too thrilled about the gig, as he griped to the crowd, because he thought he was working Stagecoach, which will actually take place the weekend after Coachella wraps.

Ferrell got the lights working again just in time for Carpenter’s performance of “Juno,” a song inspired by the 2007 comedy about an unplanned teen pregnancy. However, she seemed to reference a different funny film toward the end of it — Snakes on a Plane, which features Jackson’s iconic line, “I have had it with these motherf—ing snakes on this motherf—ing plane!”

“Hello, Coachella, this is your spiritual guide,” said the actor in a voice-over. “I’m here to take you motherf—ers on this journey to relaxation.” After a few breathing exercises, he told Carpenter, echoing that Snakes line, “Now, Sabrina, finish the motherf—ing song!”

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Earlier this week, Carpenter promised fans that #Sabchella would be “the most ambitious show I’ve ever done,” and she did indeed turn in a splashy, glitzy, blockbuster performance.

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