“Coachella has been our number one dream since we became a group,” said KATSEYE member Lara Raj in the global girl group’s first-ever show at Coachella Festival. On Saturday, April 11 (Philippine time), KATSEYE delivered a bombastic debut set on the festival’s second largest stage, Sahara.
Between new releases and festival appearances around the world, the “Gabriela” hitmakers have been pretty busy. Before Coachella 2026, the girls performed at Lollapalooza Argentina and Chile in March, and stopped by Colombia that same month for a set at the Estéreo Picnic Festival. The group is also set to perform at The Governors Ball in New York City in June and Head in the Clouds Los Angeles in August.
But KATSEYE’s year so far hasn’t been without hiccups. Originally a six-member group under the Korean entertainment company HYBE, KATSEYE’s festival run has been marred by the absence of its member, Manon Bannerman, who is on hiatus. Despite missing a warm body, the group appears to be doing well as a five-piece, and Coachella is no different. Here, we take a quick look at the hits and misses from their set in the first weekend of Coachella 2026.
No Manon: Low
Just like in Lollapalooza, Manon was noticeably missing from KATSEYE’s debut Coachella set, with HYBE telling The Korea Herald on Thursday, April 9, that the group’s Swiss member remains on hiatus. And even though the other girls didn’t acknowledge or mention Manon between songs, her absence looms over them, especially when they talk about Coachella being a dream for them, and when they sing “My Way.”
‘PINKY UP’: High
After the energetic set of German DJ Marlon Hoffstadt on the Sahara Stage, it’s only right for KATSEYE to open theirs with their newest single, “PINKY UP,” a Eurodance-infused pop track that samples Da Hool’s trance classic, “Meet Her at the Loveparade.” The opening number sets the mood for the rest of KATSEYE’s high-octane and movement-inducing set.
‘Golden’: Low
KATSEYE isn’t exempt from a mildly irritating brainrot song, like “GNARLY” or “Internet Girl,” but “Golden,” from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, was a major vibrational miss. The animated movie’s stars Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami joined the KATSEYE girls onstage, which made for a cute moment. But I also couldn’t help but ask, “Who and/or what is this for?”
Sophia Shouting Out the Filipinos: High
When Filipino member Sophia Laforteza shouted out the audience members raising the Philippine flag, I, too, was filled with pride. The quick shout-out, along with BINI’s debut on the Mojave stage earlier that day, also just demonstrates Filipinos’ willingness to show up for each other anywhere. I cannot pretend to be bigger than other Filipinos who are big on Pinoy pride.
The ‘Gabriela’ Dance Break: Low
There are, thankfully, very few misses in KATSEYE’s Coachella set. But one of those was the dance break in “Gabriela,” where everyone except South Korean member Yoonchae Jeung put on the flamenco skirts. Maybe it was a mishap that caused Yoonchae to ditch her skirt, but seeing her dance uninhibited by it proved that the girls could have gone without theirs too. Let Lara do chair splits without a floor-length skirt!
‘GNARLY’: High
I know I just said “GNARLY” is mildly irritating, but KATSEYE showed that the song is a lot more enjoyable when seen and heard live. It’s a fitting closer for the set, being their most memorable song. While the girls’ energy has not waned a single time throughout their set, it’s in “GNARLY” that they truly show out. Never underestimate the power of fun choreography and brain-rotting lyrics to command a crowd.
