Davido makes long-awaited Coachella debut amid surprise Wizkid and Tems appearance

• Davido made his long-awaited Coachella debut with a 45-minute set on the Gobi Stage, performing major hits and bringing out Adekunle Gold.

• Wizkid and Tems later surprised fans by joining Justin Bieber on the main stage for the ‘Essence’ remix.

• Despite the buzz, Davido was the only Nigerian artist officially billed on the 2026 lineup, marking a dip in representation.

• The moment adds to a growing history of Nigerian acts at Coachella, with Davido set to return for a second weekend performance.

Davido performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival for the first time on Saturday, April 11, delivering a 45-minute set at the Gobi Stage in Indio, California.

The same night, Wizkid and Tems joined Justin Bieber on the main stage, making it a notable, if complicated, evening for Nigerian music at the festival.

Davido took the stage from 7:50 to 8:35 p.m., opening with ‘Dami Duro’ and working through a catalogue of hits backed by dancers and a live band. He also brought out Adekunle Gold for a medley that included ‘High.’ The set also included ‘If,’ ‘Skelewu,’ and ‘With You,’ among others.

Coachella 2026 marks the festival's 25th edition, running across two weekends from April 10–12 and April 17–19, with headliners Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G.

Davido was the only Nigerian-based artist and the sole dedicated Afrobeats representative on the official 2026 Coachella lineup. 

It was a well-received debut; however, describing it as a historic first for Nigeria requires some context.

Seun Kuti was the first Nigerian to perform at Coachella, having taken the stage in 2012 with his father's band Egypt 80. Burna Boy followed with his debut in 2019, turning the moment into a cultural statement when he publicly called out the festival for the small font used to display his name on the lineup poster. 

Mr Eazi also performed that same year. CKay appeared at the 2022 edition, and DJ Spinall became the first Afrobeats DJ to perform at the festival in 2024, bringing out both Fireboy DML and Teni during his set. 

Tems and Rema both had dedicated sets in 2024 and 2025, respectively. By the time Davido stepped onto the Gobi Stage, he was performing at a festival where Nigerian artists had already built a track record.

What made Saturday more interesting was what happened later that night on the main stage. Wizkid and Tems joined Justin Bieber to perform the ‘Essence’ remix, a moment that sent the crowd into a frenzy when Bieber announced Wizkid's arrival.

Neither was on the official lineup, but both drew some of the loudest reactions of the weekend.

The contrast did not go unnoticed, especially as Davido, being the only Nigerian artist with a dedicated slot on the 2026 Coachella lineup, showcased a notable step down in representation from past editions.

The conversation around his placement on the smallest stage has been unavoidable.

He is scheduled to return for the second weekend, performing again on Saturday, April 18.

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