How Much Coachella Headliners Get Paid

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How much cash are artists getting paid to headline Coachella? The Music investigates.

Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G performing at Coachella(Credit: YouTube)

This year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has already had one weekend of extravagant performances, surprise collaborations, and a diverse bill that offers a little something to everyone.

In 2026, the Californian annual festival is headlined by Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G across two weekends (10-12 April and 17-19 April).

Meanwhile, the rest of the line-up features a little something for everyone, with David Byrne, Nine Inch Noize (Nine Inch Nails and producer Boys Noize), KATSEYE, Turnstile, Wet Leg, The xx, Teddy Swims, Ethel Cain, The Strokes, Addison Rae, Sombr, Interpol, Young Thug, Laufey, Major Lazer, Iggy Pop, FKA twigs, Ecca Vandal and many others performing at this year’s festival.

With so many big names hitting the festival stages each year at Coachella, there’s no doubt that an eye-watering amount of money is paid to its headlining artists, and The Music has asked the question before: how much cash are these artists making from a lucrative gig at one of the world’s most famous festivals?

Coachella’s organisers are typically tight-lipped about how much its headliners are paid. However, over the years, including in the 2026 line-up, publications have circulated whispers about how much cash headliners receive, claiming the figures are in the millions.

This year, Rolling Stone reported that Justin Bieber received $10 million across two weekends – $5 million per performance.

Reports have alleged that this year’s other headliners, Sabrina Carpenter and Karol G, may have landed deals worth between $5 million and $8 million total, compared to Justin Bieber’s reported $10 million for his headline performances.

Previous headliners have reportedly taken home similar paychecks.

For her 2018 headlining slot, People reported that Beyoncé was paid $8 million in total – $4 million per weekend – for her Beychella performances.

However, Variety reported that the following year, Bey inked a $60 million three-project deal with Netflix, with her 2019 documentary Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé – chronicling her 2018 Coachella performance – being the first instalment. So, she might be the biggest winner of them all.

Ariana Grande was also reportedly paid $8 million for headlining the festival in 2019, while The Weeknd reportedly took home $8.5 million in 2018 after Ye dropped off the bill.

In 2017, The New Yorker reported that Kendrick Lamar was paid between $3 and $4 million for headlining that year’s festival alongside fellow headliners, Radiohead.

Going back to 2008, Prince reportedly took home a $5 million paycheck to headline the festival and was a late addition to the line-up.

Being a Coachella headliner comes with a hefty price tag. As the festival continues to grow in size and popularity, the amounts paid to its headlining acts will likely only increase in the years to come.

In 2023, The Music reported that, for up-and-coming artists, those on the lower lines of the line-up would usually earn approximately $10,000 for appearing at the festival.