Coachella: The rumours and AI influencers

If Glastonbury is all about dancing in your wellies with your pals, Coachella is probably the complete opposite.

The glam and glitzy festival held in the Coachella Valley in California, USA, has been attracting visitors and making headlines since it all began back in 1999. It’s become a place for people to be seen and for big name acts to entertain the crowds.

The festival has however, also made headlines for the wrong reasons due to a number of fake stories and misinformation being shared and spread online. BBC Bitesize Other Side of the Story takes a look at some of the faux-biz tales that have come out of the festival.

Was Selena Gomez barred from seeing Justin Bieber rehearse at Coachella?

If you want to make a story go viral, leaning into a past romance can work - especially one as famous as that between former teen stars Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez.

A post on the social platform X claimed that Selena Gomez had not been allowed into Justin Bieber’s rehearsal for his headline set at Coachella 2026. It said that the singer had been barred entry by Justin’s security team.

However, there is no evidence to support these claims. The post suggested that Selena Gomez had issued an official statement about the incident, but she had made no such comment. Neither Justin Bieber nor the Coachella organisers shared any posts referencing the incident or confirming the claims circulating on X. In fact, there is no indication that the incident occurred at all.

The post itself further undermines its credibility, featuring a blurry, unrecognisable image and the festival name misspelled as “couchella” in what is said to be Selena's statement.

Sometimes, fake news can be spread so that its creators can become more visible online, gain followers and build up a presence. This is an example of disinformation - fake news spread on purpose.

What really happened between Justin Bieber and Tems on stage?

Rumours about Justin Bieber and Tems kissing at Coachella 2026 circulated widely on social media after a post on X shared an AI image, claiming they had shared a kiss during a live performance.

The post quickly gained attention, with captions encouraging outrage and speculation. Thanks to many Coachella attendees, fans were quick to set the record straight. Many shared footage from the festival confirming the image was fake, while others responded directly to the post with added context: “Justin Bieber did not kiss Tems at Coachella 2026. They performed ‘Essence’ with Wizkid, but videos and reports show no kiss occurred.”

This is an example of how misinformation can spread rapidly online, especially when edited or AI-generated images are shared without context. Content like this can easily fuel emotional reactions. It is possible to add context to images like this in the community notes section on X and other platform. This is where users can collaborate to draw other people's attention to further information about a post.

Always check your sources and verify claims before sharing anything online.

Do influencers fake going to Coachella?

Coachella is such a big deal that social media influencers like to be seen there.

Or, perhaps they like to be seen quite near it. This year, there’s been plenty of chatter on social media, with some users ironically suggesting that certain influencers may even be faking their attendance at Coachella for content.

In 2023, the singer and TikToker Loren Gray went viral when she explained that many influencers never set foot inside Coachella for the duration of the festival. It could be down to the ticket cost. Time Out magazine reported that prices for a 2026 weekend pass started at $549 (just over £406).

She said: “They don’t have wristbands [to get into the festival], they just drive… out to the desert to take Instagram photos, make TikToks, get ready with me’s, whatever.” Loren added that many of the influencers stay in hotels and Air BnB’s nearby just to record these ‘fake’ posts.

On this occasion, while Loren has no obvious reason to lie - she has almost 53 million followers and more than one billion likes on her posts, so doesn’t need to chase new followers - a good journalist would look for more than one source before saying it is definitely true.

This year there’s been a surge of AI generated posts appearing to show influencers at the festival, many supposedly with celebs. Although a lot of these posts will label their content ‘AI’ or include some information in captions, some don’t.

Forbes reports that the global influencer marketing industry is now worth a huge $32.55 billion. So although many creators may just be posting for fun, there’s a real interest from audiences who want to see their favourite names at an event that has such a big name.

Lewis Davey is the founder of an agency that manages AI influencers. He told the Daily Mail newspaper why posting about Coachella, and other huge festivals, is good for them, because it makes them seem more relevant to their audience and big brands more likely to collab with them. He said: "[They can] "show up" at events without the need for a physical presence."

So when you're an AI influencer, you don't even need to drive to the desert to have a Coachella moment.

This article was published in April 2026

Not sure if the news you’re seeing on social media is true or false? Can you always tell if the things you see online are real or fake? Learn how to get the other side of the story with our quizzes, videos and explainers.