ENTERTAINMENT

MONTECITO, California — Meghan Markle returned home to a joyful family welcome from her children Archie and Lilibet on Monday after wrapping a four-day visit to Australia with Prince Harry, sharing new behind-the-scenes footage and heartfelt moments that quickly circulated on social media even as the trip drew both praise and sharp criticism.

INDIO, California — Taylor Swift did not perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2026, extending a two-decade streak in which the global pop superstar has never taken the stage at the iconic desert event despite persistent fan speculation and online buzz.

INDIO, California — Coachella 2026, marking its 25th anniversary at the Empire Polo Club, delivered a memorable blend of pop spectacle, historic milestones and unexpected magic across two weekends in April despite strong desert winds that disrupted some early sets. Critics, fans and livestream viewers have since debated the standout moments

INDIO, California — The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival celebrated its silver anniversary in 2026 with a pop-heavy lineup, history-making headliners and plenty of desert unpredictability, drawing massive crowds to the Empire Polo Club across two weekends from April 10-12 and April 17-19.

The sold-out festival featured a mix of pop, electronic, indie and Latin acts, including The Strokes, The xx, Young Thug, Addison Rae and Anyma, along with surprise guests like Becky G and Lizzo. However, several of music's biggest names did not perform, either due to scheduling conflicts, strategic career choices, booking decisions or ongoing controversies. Here is a look at 10 superstars who sat out Coachella 2026 and the reasons behind their absence.

INDIO, California — Beyoncé did not perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2026, despite ongoing fan speculation and nostalgia for her landmark 2018 headlining sets that famously earned the event the nickname "Beychella."

INDIO, California — Kanye West, performing as Ye, did not appear at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2026, despite circulating rumors and reports that he offered to perform for free. Organizers reportedly declined the proposal, leaving the controversial rapper absent from both weekends of the sold-out event that wrapped up Sunday, April 19.

(VIDEO) Billie Eilish Joins Justin Bieber Onstage at Coachella 2026 in Viral Surprise Moment

LOS ANGELES — Netflix's acclaimed anthology series "Beef" returned on April 16, 2026, with an entirely new cast and a fresh tale of escalating conflict set against the polished lawns of a Southern California country club, drawing immediate buzz for its powerhouse ensemble and sharp exploration of class, marriage and generational tension.

INDIO, California — As the sun sets on the final day of Coachella 2026's weekend two, the Empire Polo Club prepares for a star-studded Sunday, April 19, headlined by Karol G closing out the 25th-anniversary edition with her historic set as the first Latina artist to top the bill.

GREENVILLE, North Carolina — YouTube superstar MrBeast turned an ordinary grocery store into an extraordinary survival arena in his latest high-stakes video, challenging random shoppers to stay inside the longest for a chance to win $250,000 — a contest that quickly escalated into alliances, sabotage, emotional breakdowns and a stunning million-dollar twist.

LOS ANGELES — Justin Bieber's fashion and lifestyle brand Skylrk has rocketed from a mysterious teaser project into a commercial powerhouse, capped by a record-shattering $5.04 million in merchandise sales during the first weekend of Coachella 2026 alone.

INDIO, California — Justin Bieber's headlining performance at Coachella 2026 may have divided critics with its intimate, chat-driven set, but his fashion and lifestyle brand Skylrk delivered an undisputed triumph offstage, generating a staggering $5.04 million in merchandise sales during the festival's first weekend alone.

LOS ANGELES — Hailey Bieber has firmly rejected online conspiracy theories suggesting she tips off photographers to capture her daily outings, calling the speculation "so icky" and rooted in a "very dark" mindset.

MUMBAI — Bollywood power couple Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh announced Sunday they are expecting their second child, delighting fans with a charming social media post that featured their toddler daughter Dua holding a positive pregnancy test.

INDIO, California — Sabrina Carpenter turned her Coachella headlining set into a generational pop history moment Friday night when she brought out Madonna as a surprise guest during weekend two of the 2026 festival.

INDIO, California — As the final weekend of the 25th-anniversary Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival unfolds at the Empire Polo Club, global superstars Karol G and Justin Bieber are poised to deliver headline performances that could define the event's closing days.

LOS ANGELES — Oscar nominee Demi Moore has signed on for a key role in "Tyrant," Amazon MGM Studios' high-stakes culinary thriller starring Charlize Theron and Julia Garner, adding even more star power to a project already generating buzz in Hollywood.

PLANO, Texas — Cinemark Holdings Inc. is experiencing technical difficulties Saturday evening, April 18, 2026, with many users reporting that the company's website and mobile app are down or unresponsive during peak weekend moviegoing hours.

INDIO, California — Justin Bieber emerged as the highest-paid artist at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2026, reportedly earning a record $10 million for his two headline performances across the event's weekends.

INDIO, California — Multiple Australian artists took the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2026, bringing a diverse mix of punk energy, electronic innovation, indie rock anthems and genre-defying performances to the California desert despite no homegrown headliners.

INDIO, California — Selena Gomez is not performing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2026, despite swirling online rumors and fan speculation that the pop star and actress might make a surprise appearance or join headliners for a nostalgic moment.

INDIO, California — Rihanna is not performing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2026, dashing hopes among fans who had speculated she might make a rare live appearance or even headline after years away from the stage.

INDIO, California — Lady Gaga is not performing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2026, following her triumphant headlining performance last year that brought "The Art of Personal Chaos" and "MAYHEM" energy to the desert stage.

INDIO, California — Katy Perry once again did not perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2026, maintaining a curious pattern for one of pop music's most enduring hitmakers who has never taken the desert stage despite her massive global fame and repeated appearances as a spectator.

INDIO, California — Taylor Swift is not performing at Coachella 2026, continuing a two-decade streak in which the global pop superstar has never taken the stage at the iconic desert music festival.

INDIO, Calif. — Sabrina Carpenter capped a star-packed opening night of Coachella 2026 Weekend Two with a triumphant headlining set on Friday, April 17, highlighted by a surprise appearance from Madonna that sent the Empire Polo Club into a frenzy and reaffirmed the festival's reputation for generating unforgettable moments.

INDIO, Calif. — Madonna made a triumphant return to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Friday night, joining headliner Sabrina Carpenter for a show-stopping surprise appearance that blended pop generations and delivered one of the festival's most unforgettable moments in recent years.

ORLANDO, Fla. — In a heartwarming full-circle moment that has fans declaring 2026 the "year of healing," Selena Gomez attended the opening night of Demi Lovato's "It's Not That Deep" tour on April 13, marking the pair's first public reunion in nearly a decade. The former Disney Channel stars, who rose to fame together as childhood friends and co-stars, shared emotional backstage moments and onstage praise that quickly went viral across social media.