Sabrina Carpenter has issued an apology for mistaking “Zaghruta,” a festive Arabic hymn, as a sung rendition during the 2026 Coachella set.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t see this person with my own eyes and couldn’t hear clearly. My reaction was one of complete confusion and sarcasm and it was not in bad faith. The matter could have been handled better! Now I know what a zaghruta is!” Carpenter wrote on X Saturday. “I welcome all cheers and chants from here on out.”
In a widely circulated clip of the “House Tour” singer’s performance at the music festival on Friday night, an audience member can be heard chanting a Zaghruta chant. “I think I heard someone singing. Is that what you do?” Carpenter said onstage as she sat behind the piano. “Is that what you do?” I don’t like it.
The audience responded by telling the Grammy winner, “It’s my culture.” Carpenter replied, “That’s your culture, is it singing?” The audience added: “It’s a call to celebration.”
“Is that Burning Man? What’s going on? That’s weird,” Carpenter replied. The interaction sparked backlash from Carpenter, who responded directly to one of
Carpenter took the main stage at Coachella on Friday night, serving as the headliner for the 2026 festival. Justin Bieber and Karol G are also this year’s headliners, and will close out the first weekend of music on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
During Friday night’s shoot, the “Espresso” singer had a star-studded roster of stars, including features from Sam Elliott, Susan Sarandon and Will Ferrell, while also performing a few of her own tracks for the first time (including “We Almost Broke Up Last Night” and “When Did You Get Hot?” from her latest record). Man’s best friend).
Next week, Carpenter will perform her second headlining show at Coachella on Friday, April 17.
