Sabrina Carpenter reacted with confusion during her set
While headlining Coachella on Friday, April 10, 2026, Sabrina Carpenter seemed to be confused after hearing a loud chant from the crowd. During the live stream, she was seen at the piano, making a visibly confused face while saying she did not like the sound of that chant. “I don’t like it,” she said. Then someone in the crowd called out, “It’s my culture!” to which Carpenter responded, “That’s your culture, yodeling? Is this Burning Man? What’s going on? This is weird.” The comment quickly drew criticism from online viewers, who took to social media to express their disagreement over her response.
“i couldn't hear clearly”
you literally heard "it's my culture" along with an explanation then proceeded to act dumb and make a mockery out of the person
now when people mad, your privileged ass just gonna say "i couldn't hear it" fucking liarpic.twitter.com/J9zuCHrPJd https://t.co/Eu1nmAixOE
— lizzieabeth taylor❤️🔥 (@icshanisabel) April 12, 2026
The singer apologized following the controversy
Following the critiques, Carpenter took to X and replied to the controversy. She stated that she had not clearly seen or heard the person in the crowd, saying that her reaction came from pure confusion. Carpenter admitted she could have handled the situation better and added that she now understood the sound was a Zaghrouta, a traditional celebratory vocal chant used in parts of the Middle East and North Africa.
Read her apology below:
my apologies i didn’t see this person with my eyes and couldn’t hear clearly. my reaction was pure confusion, sarcasm and not ill intended. could have handled it better! now i know what a Zaghrouta is!
I welcome all cheers and yodels from here on out https://t.co/f3KuT8sggH— Sabrina Carpenter (@SabrinaAnnLynn) April 11, 2026
The moment became part of a major festival headline set
The moment came during Sabrina Carpenter’s headlining Coachella set. Her appearance came two years after her first performance at the festival in 2024. Since then, she has released two #1 albums, Short n’ Sweet in 2024 and Man’s Best Friend in 2025. The singer has also put out career-defining hits such as “Espresso,” “Please Please Please,” and “Manchild.” This show marked an important milestone in her rising career as a pop superstar.
