Susan Sarandon was among the famous names enlisted by Sabrina Carpenter for her showstopping Coachella set in the desert.
The 26-year-old pop star was the first headliner of this year’s California music festival, performing on Friday night (10 April).
Her Old Hollywood-themed performance transformed the stage into “Sabrinawood”, and featured surprise cameos from stars including Sarandon, Will Ferrell, Corey Fogelmanis, and Landman actor Sam Elliott.
Sarandon, in particular, was a stand-out. The 77-year-old actor delivered a nearly seven minute-long dramatic monologue in the middle of Carpenter’s set in which she played an older version of the singer.
Dressed in a crisp white shirt in a classic car, the actor reflected on “what it was like to be a star” in her prime – and ruminated on what a future niece would think of her.
Fans on social media have reacted to the moment, calling Sarandon and Carpenter an “iconic” duo.
Elsewhere, however, Variety reported that the elongated scene – also featuring Carpenter’s Girl Meets World co-star Corey Fogelmanis as a waiter at a drive-in theatre – “brought the pop show to a screeching halt” with “lots of people leaving” as a result.
Sarandon made headlines earlier this year when the actor spoke out during an emotional press conference about being blocked by Hollywood for speaking out and calling for a ceasefire in Gaza – after which she was fired by her agency in 2023.
Anchorman star Will Ferrell also made a surprise appearance on stage as the festival’s grumpy on-call electrician after the power “short-circuited”.
Carpenter opened her Friday night set with a black-and-white short film depicting her singing along to Kool & the Gang’s “Hollywood Swinging” as she drives down a highway at night in a 1950s classic car.
In a scene reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, she is pulled over by a suspicious police officer played by Elliott. After getting back on the road, she eventually arrives at a drive-in that is revealed to be the Coachella festival site. Emerging from the car, Carpenter kicked off the show with a rendition of her hit single “House Tour”.
One famous face not to be seen, however, was Madonna who had been rumoured to appear as the chosen celebrity to be “arrested” in what has become a signature moment in Carpenter’s shows. Other stars to have previously featured in the playful segment include Millie Bobby Brown and Nicole Kidman
Taking place across two weekends from Friday (10 April) to Sunday (19 April), this year’s Coachella is headlined by Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G.
The xx, Disclosure, Teddy Swims, Sexyy Red, Katseye, Central Cee, Ethel Cain, the Strokes, Addison Rae, David Byrne, Iggy Pop, and FKA twigs are among the other artists set to perform during North America’s largest music festival.
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