Addison Rae brought out Maddie Ziegler as a surprise guest during her debut Coachella set – check out the moment below.
- READ MORE: Addison Rae live in London: effortless euphoria from a pop icon-in-waiting
A year after she announced her debut album during Arca’s set and appeared as a special guest during Charli XCX’s, Rae returned for her solo debut at the Californian festival yesterday (April 11).
Ahead of her set, she’d told fans that the show would mark an evolution from her previous live performances. “This show is not really #TheAddisonTourShow anymore….. it’s #TheFameAndGloryShow. Sort of a 2.0. Starts at Coachella and finishes in Poland,” she wrote on Instagram. “You don’t want to miss it!!!!!”
To mark the occasion, Rae opened with her breakout hit ‘Diet Pepsi’, which played as the screen behind her read “The Fame and Glory Show”.
During ‘Aquamarine’, she surprised fans by welcoming dancer Maddie Ziegler to the stage, who joined Rae for the song’s famous dance break wearing a flowing, white ensemble to contrast against Rae’s own bright red latex.
Later, Rae got the crowd warmed up for the day’s headliner, Justin Bieber, slipping on a version of his iconic purple hoodie for ‘Headphones On’ and asking fans in the crowd, “You here for JB?” before later adding: “Just kidding, I’m here for Justin Bieber,” to her ‘Von Dutch’ Charli XCX remix.
Watch the highlights from her set below.
Addison Rae and Maddie Ziegler performing “Aquamarine” at Coachella. pic.twitter.com/MWXHeaQWp6
— 21 (@21metgala) April 12, 2026
maddie ziegler dances with addison rae during ‘aquamarine’ at coachella pic.twitter.com/rI0kB2PMpA
— leo ⋆｡°✶ (@temuchalamet) April 12, 2026
Addison Rae mentions Justin Bieber during her set at #Coachella 🤍
“Can we get a picture? Just kidding, I’m here for Justin Bieber.” pic.twitter.com/SRqQM75D7X
— ؘ (@hadidolls) April 12, 2026
Addison Rae is fully a pop star now. She just gets it. Works the crowd so well too. You can tell she’s hungry for superstardom and has studied the greats. Vocals could use a little work, but she’s here to stay. Great Coachella set. 🥲👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/LAKp8cGsxD
— Peter Stavros (@petestavros) April 12, 2026
it’s simply time to start having uncomfortable conversations about Addison Rae pic.twitter.com/hQKKCInUfz
— lip predictions (@lippredicts) April 12, 2026
In other news, Rae released her debut album ‘Addison‘ last year, which landed at Number Two in NME‘s 50 Best Albums of 2025 list.
“Addison Rae dreamt ‘Addison’ into existence, working from a mood board of colours and vague feelings rather than specific sonic references,” the entry read. “What emerged from this vibes-based approach is one of the best pop debuts in recent memory: starry-eyed, enigmatic observations on love, fame and money for an era in need of its hedonistic ethos.”
Her single ‘Headphones On’ also came in at Number Eight in our 50 Best Songs of 2025 list, with an entry reading: “With notes of dreamy ’90s R&B and Madonna’s ‘Ray Of Light’ era, pop’s brightest new star gives us plenty of reason to tune in.”
We also caught Addison live at London’s O2 Academy Brixton last year, where we gave her performance a four-star review. “When she’s not exuberantly thanking the crowd in front of her, Rae delivers a euphoric hour-long set of perfect pop,” we wrote.
“The lights blackout for the fake ending, and when they turn back on for the key change, she’s standing triumphant, the screen behind her transformed into a cascading torrent of falling sparks. Once again, she’s made the hard things look really easy.”
