justin bieber

YouTube is holding onto its exclusive livestream deal with Coachella.

The tech giant in San Bruno, Calif., has renewed its partnership with festival promoter Goldenvoice, keeping exclusive livestream rights to the three-day desert festival through 2030. The next edition, in April 2027, will mark 15 years of Coachella on YouTube.

“We’re excited to bring the energy of the desert to millions of music fans around the world,” Neal Mohan, YouTube’s chief executive officer, said at its Made On YouTube event in New York City on Wednesday morning.

This year’s Coachella, headlined by Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G, drew the most concurrent viewers in the history of Coachella on YouTube, according to the company. Bieber, who was discovered on YouTube, even included a nostalgic homage to the platform into his set.

Over the years, the livestream has become an essential part of the Coachella experience, especially for fans who can’t make it to the desert. What started as a single feed has evolved into live coverage of every stage across both weekends.

Beyond Coachella, YouTube doubled down on livestreaming during its presentation, unveiling a slew of new live and AI-powered tools. In August, more than 600 million logged-in viewers watched live content on the platform each day on average, according to YouTube. The new live features include a new co-hosting function in which two creators can appear on the same stream together, and a live auto-dubbing tool that automatically translates speech in real time. Several of the updates are slated to roll out in early 2027.

“Whether it’s a music festival or a creator’s livestream, fandom is no longer a spectator sport,” added Mohan. “Just look at the sheer scale of the live communities we’re seeing today.”

YouTube isn’t the only streamer leaning into live. Netflix has spent the last few years buliding out its own live business, which now includes NFL and MLB games.

Did Justin Bieber perform at problem-plagued MacArthur Park? Never say never.

An impersonator may have tricked a Las Vegas nightclub last year, but those at the park Tuesday appeared convinced of their brush with Bieber. L.A. County’s district attorney was too.

According to social media posts, the singer and a few band members set up on a grass lawn near a Central American fried chicken shop on 6th Street. He reportedly performed several songs, including the 2025 hit “Yukon.”

L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman on Tuesday night pointed to the “Yukon” clip as proof that park conditions were improving.

L.A. D.A. Nathan Hochman, center left, walks with First Assistant U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli on June 4 as L.A. police and federal agents conduct an operation targeting narcotics use at MacArthur Park.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Bieber’s performance, he said in a post on X, was a “testament to the progress we are achieving to take back the park from drug dealers and enliven it for families.”

“[He’s] definitely on the invite list for next year’s Labor Day weekend picnic!” Hochman said.

The Times reached out to Bieber’s representatives to confirm the pop singer’s appearance but did not immediately hear back.

The pop star has been leaning in to more intimate performances, notably appearing on the Grammys for a stripped-down rendition of “Yukon” (while wearing boxers and black socks).

In April, he made his Coachella headlining debut, playing a nearly 90-minute set. For a large portion of the set, he took Beliebers — as his fans are known — down memory lane, sitting behind a laptop and singing along to his old music videos.