The Coachella community on Reddit is in full speculation mode as the 2026 festival approaches, with focus zeroed in on artist radius clauses expiring this April. This contractual clause, limiting artists’ appearances at competing festivals nearby and in a set time window, is shaping fan theories and potential lineup predictions more than ever.
Gone are the days of constant mock lineups; instead, users are meticulously tracking upcoming tours and contract timelines to forecast who could headline. Nostalgic dream bookings like Daft Punk, The Beatles, and Elvis pepper discussions but are generally seen as fantasy picks, emphasizing the community’s blend of hopeful realism and wishful thinking.
Top Speculated Headliners
- Justin Bieber: A crowd favorite for headliner status, Bieber’s history of surprise Coachella appearances since 2014 fuels rumors he could finally take center stage.
- SZA: With a soaring recent career, SZA is a hot contender, capturing fan imaginations as a fresh, powerful main-stage act.
- Bruno Mars: Despite no new drops since 2021, Mars’s enduring popularity keeps him firmly in the mix.
These names reflect a strategic anticipation among fans who are aligning artist availability windows with festival timelines, showing how radius clauses heavily influence Coachella’s mystery lineup until official announcements arrive.
Festival Wire will keep you plugged in as more concrete news emerges, but for now, the Coachella fandom remains wired, analyzing every tour date and contract detail in a race to crack the final 2026 code.
Source: r/coachella