Afrobeats star David Adedeji Adeleke Jnr., well known as Davido, made his long-awaited debut at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, delivering a high-energy performance that marked a significant moment for African music on one of the world’s biggest stages.
 
The 2026 Grammy nominee and voting member, performed a 45-minute set on the Gobi Stage on Saturday, April 11, in Indio, California, opening with his breakout hit Dami Duro and thrilling fans with a string of crowd favourites.
  
Backed by a live band and energetic dancers, the self-proclaimed Omo Baba Olowo (O.B.O) moved seamlessly through hits including If, Skelewu, and With You. He also brought fellow Nigerian artiste Adekunle Gold on stage for a lively medley that featured their popular collaboration High.
  
While the performance drew strong applause from festival goers, the night delivered an additional surprise that captured global attention. Later on, the main stage, music superstars and Grammy award winners, Wizkid and Tems joined international pop icon Justin Bieber for a live rendition of the Essence remix.

The unexpected appearance sparked loud reactions from the crowd, despite neither artist being officially listed on the festival lineup. Coachella 2026, the festival’s 25th edition, is taking place across two weekends — April 10–12 and April 17–19 — with global headliners including Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G.
  
Notably, Davido stood as the only Nigerian-based artiste and the sole dedicated Afrobeats act officially on the 2026 performance lineup, reflecting a decline in Nigerian representation compared with previous years. However, his appearance builds on a growing legacy of Nigerian participation at the festival.
  
Afrobeat singer Seun Kuti was the first Nigerian to perform at Coachella in 2012 alongside his father’s legendary band, Egypt 80. In 2019, Burna Boy delivered a memorable debut that drew international attention, while Mr Eazi also performed that year.
  
More recently, CKay took the stage in 2022, while DJ Spinall made history in 2024 as the first Nigerian and Afrobeats DJ to perform at the festival, bringing out Fireboy DML and Teni during his set. Tems and Rema followed with dedicated performances in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
  
Against that backdrop, Davido’s debut represents both continuity and evolution for Afrobeats on the global stage.

However, discussions around his placement on one of the festival’s smaller stages and the reduced number of Nigerian acts this year have sparked conversations about representation at major international music events.
 
Davido is scheduled to return to the festival’s stage today for second weekend, where he will perform, reinforcing his growing presence in the global music scene and further extending Nigeria’s cultural footprint on the world stage.