Charli xcx Brings Brat-Fueled Chaos to New Coachella Set
Charli xcx didn’t just perform at Coachella—she detonated it.
The genre-bending pop star rolled up to the desert with full “Brat Summer” energy and unleashed a set that was equal parts chaotic, cathartic, and iconic. This year marked her second-ever Coachella performance (her first was back in 2023), but it already felt like a headliner moment. And no, she technically wasn’t one—but more on that in a second.
Coachella got Charli-fied. Charli kicked off her set with full-throttle energy and didn’t hold back for a single second. Her setlist was stacked with almost the entire Brat album, plus fan-favorites like “Unlock It” from 2017 and “Blame It on Your Love” from 2019. And yes, she closed with the banger she co-wrote and co-produced for Icona Pop—“I Love It.”
The visuals were on brand, too. She popped out wearing a sash that read, “Miss Should Be Headliner.” A massive serve—and a cheeky shot at the lineup politics that keep pop girls from getting the top slot.
According to Vulture, she wasn’t subtle about the message. Between the sash and the all-green visuals (Charli’s signature “Brat” shade), fans were living for the aesthetic rebellion.
Billie Eilish, Lorde, and Troye Sivan Pulled Up
Just when the crowd thought things couldn’t get more unhinged—in the best way—the artist brought out not one, not two, but three surprise guests. Troye Sivan popped out first, reliving their “Sweat” tour vibes with “Talk Talk.”
Then came Lorde, making her first-ever Coachella cameo to duet the remix of “Girl, So Confusing”—a track she wrote about the complicated energy between the two before they made peace. Lorde’s appearance was a moment. Full circle. Real pop healing energy.
And to top it all off? Billie Eilish walked on stage like the Gen Z pop messiah she is to perform “Guess,” and the crowd went feral. The remix has already been blowing up online, and this just locked it in as a festival favorite.
Pitchfork noted how the surprise appearances elevated the already-electric set, calling it “one of the weekend’s most viral moments.”
“Brat Summer” isn’t over; if anything, it is just beginning. Following Coachella, the musician will be performing the U.S. area dates. We can’t wait to see what the singer brings to the table next. The Brat era is alive and kicking. Before Coachella started, the singer had the internet spiraling over a cryptic billboard she posted to Instagram. It was covered in her signature slime green with the word “Brat” dripping down it. No caption. Just pure chaos marketing.
Then, Eilish fueled the fire by posting a black screen with the word “Brat” on her story. Fans instantly started speculating—and now we know why.
After her set, the screen behind the pop singer displayed a glitchy, emotional message that had fans feeling things:
“Thank you so much Coachella. Does this mean that brat summer is finally over????? … Idk? … Maybe? … yeah cuz duh it was already over like last year. … wait… was it? … NO???… I don’t know who I am if it’s over???…. Wait… I remembered…I’m Charli XCX… and honestly… I just want this moment to last forever… PLEASE DON’T LET IT BE OVER.”
Honestly? Same.
Next Stop: “Brat” Tour USA
She’s not slowing down anytime soon. Right after Coachella, she’s hitting major arenas across the U.S., including shows in Brooklyn, Minneapolis, and Austin. Her live tour kicks off the Brat era in full force, with new visuals, fresh remixes, and who knows—maybe more surprise guests.
According to Pitchfork, the upcoming arena dates are expected to sell out fast, and the energy promises to be just as unhinged as Coachella, if not more.
You can even catch her at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on October 11, where she’s expected to bring the full Brat fantasy to life.
