The fashion at Coachella 2026 will most likely be defined by one garment: a hoodie. After four years, the prince of pop, Justin Bieber, made his highly anticipated public return on none other than one of music’s biggest stages, wearing Loewe gum boots, below-the-knee shorts, and a pink hoodie. Casual? You bet. However, the incredible pull of Bieberdom knows no bounds (wife Hailey dropped a Rhode collaboration with Bieber during the same week, which sold out immediately).
According to the Instagram account @databutmakeitfashion, the Google search volume for pink hoodies spiked by 47% in the US the night after the popstar played his first set.
But there was another major pull at play: choosing one of the world’s most-viewed festivals, known for its approach to wearing, spruiking, and selling fashion, to make his comeback. While it’s unclear on the label of the hoodie in question, Bieber's own fashion line, Skylrk, was simultaneously holding a pop-up at the festival’s showgrounds–featuring hoodies, sporty sunglasses, and slogan knitwear.
The two-weekend festival has long been a stomping ground for fashion brands to get seen and subsequently purchased as the northern hemisphere gears up for spring-summer trading. But what should buyers and merchandisers be looking for from festival-to-summer trends? What will outlast the hype and pass the mosh pit test?
Here are the trends from Coachella 2026 that fashion buyers and merchandisers should take notice of when assorting their spring-summer drops.
The festival fashion shift
Coachella fashion, out of the major festivals, is particularly polarizing. Remember the flower crowns? American Apparel? Gladiator sandals, slogan tees, bowler hats, and tights under shorts - sometimes all at once? Pure nostalgia, yet often pure cringe. In the modern trend landscape, the cringe cycle is unfairly fast; no longer can we look back fondly on the looks we love to hate from the 2010s. In today’s social content-driven society, tap into a trend too hard, and one week later, consumers will be wondering, ‘What was I thinking?’
Now, cash-strapped festival consumers are becoming more deliberate with their spend, prioritising pieces that extend beyond the festival rather than one-off, costume-led buys. Over-the-top boho layers have made way for casual cool; think Kendall Jenner in a white tank and white denim shorts, simply accessorized with a belt. This shift is elevating the overall standard.
What festival-goers define as “value for money” is being redefined through longevity and quality, opening the door for premium and luxury brands to play more credibly in this space. No longer is footwear purchased for the sole purpose of getting thrashed, and shirts aren’t bought to have drinks sloshed all over them. Categories like denim and elevated basics are now competing where fast, disposable fashion once dominated. Fans will likely hook into the fact that Hailey Bieber was wearing vintage Dior by John Galliano, or that influencer Gabbriette was decked out in Chrome Hearts.
For brands not traditionally aligned with festival dressing, this is a clear entry point, meeting demand with product that is both trend-aware and wearable beyond the moment. However, with demand increasingly shaped by social moments, brands need to be careful about merchandising the products that will actually last through the season. The ability to react quickly, adjusting depth, allocation, and exposure, is becoming just as important as getting the initial buy right.
The re-commerce factor
With Gen-Z more sustainably-minded when it comes to fashion, the resale opportunity is having its moment for festivals; from the ever-popular vintage band tee, to designer bags and eyewear.
Recently, ThredUp’s annual Resale Report revealed that the global secondhand market is projected to reach $393 billion by 2030, accounting for approximately 10% of total global apparel spending. “Resale is no longer just growing, it’s taking direct market share,” said James Reinhart, ThredUp cofounder and CEO. “In 2025, the U.S. secondhand market grew nearly 4X faster than the broader retail clothing market.”
The proof is showing at events like Coachella; actress Anya Taylor-Joy paired leather pants with a vintage Gucci Horsebit Sling Bag, Kylie Jenner was spotted in a sequin, fringe-embellished vintage Katharine Hamnett bra top with blue jeans, and Paris Hilton was seen in vintage Von Dutch reworked by SEW.Bardi.
Vintage and resale promote individuality and personality dressing; the key to catching younger consumers is to allow them to express themselves through their fashion choices. The opportunity for retailers is to tap into the individual or keepsake aspect, like collaborating with artists on exclusive festival merchandise, running a capsule of limited edition pieces, or communicating ways to wear beyond the event itself.
Coachella 2026 Trends
The hoodie
The Justin Bieber effect is underway with the singer's comeback making sartorial waves. Along with the aforementioned data, Justin's Hoodie is peak Y2K nostalgia.
“Y2K works because it’s already commercial - it doesn’t rely on the festival moment to sell,” says Style Arcade COO, Christine Reed. “The risk comes when brands lean too far into nostalgia and lose wearability; that’s where you see the drop-off between what performs on social versus what actually converts.”
The lace slip dress
Lace on silk and organza was a major component of the FW26 runways, with its move away from a more girlish attitude being adopted at Coachella. “Boho is evolving into something more elevated and romantic, which gives it far more longevity than previous festival cycles,” explained Christine. “This is one of the few trends that can move seamlessly from festival to everyday wear.”
Elevated denim
Where ‘festival shorts’ were once a key component of the Coachella weekend, elavated denim is presiding over distressed cut-offs and cut-outs in clean boot-cut styles in indigo washes, complete with western-style fringing for the personality-first effect.
Boots, boots, boots
If there’s any fashion takeaway from the crowd-favourite Nine Inch Noize set, look to Trent Reznor’s chunky boots. The combat styles are were all over the festival grounds, along with long standing festival choice, cowboy boots, that now fall neatly into the western-boho trend of the summer. Meanwhile tall boots have increased +5% in market adoption ahead of the festival season, according to Trendalytics.
Artisanal crochet
Our SS26 Trend Report taps crochet as a major theme for the season, while, according to WWD, crochet continues to evolve as a key theme at Coachella this year, adorned with metallic threading, beadwork, and embellishments. Many are opting for crochet dresses layered over bikinis or styled as statement pieces.
Leather over fur
With Etsy banning the sale of all animal fur from its website, leather is set to dominate the resale and general market for festival-adjecent wears. According to Trendalytics many are opting for leather (+419% in Market Adoption) and micro-shorts (+134% in Market Adoption), influencers also took to leather fringed jackets, boots and lace-up leather corsets.
Look-at-me accessories
The more-is-more philosophy is dominating accessories from stacked bangles, heavy statement belts, and fringed details on everything. Crochet skull caps, oversized sunglasses, and cowboy hats are trending as finishing touches.
For more trends to come this year, download the Fall Winter 2026 Trend Report.
Image credit: Hailey Bieber via PostMates
