Sabrina Carpenter has apologized after referring to a fan’s Arabic celebration call with a yodel during her highly-praised Coachella set on Friday.
In videos shared online, the “Manchild” crooner interacted with a crowdgoer after what she thought she heard was a yodel.
“I think I heard someone yodel. Is that what you’re doing? I don’t like it,” Carpenter said into the microphone while sitting at her piano onstage.
“It’s my culture!” the fan quipped.
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“That’s your culture, is yodeling?” Carpenter asked.
“It’s a call of celebration,” the fan responded.
“Is this Burning Man? What’s going on? This is weird,” said Carpenter.
After her set, one fan took to X to share her disappointment with the pop star.
“Sabrina saying that she doesn’t like a cultural Arabic cheer… this is so insensitive and Islamophobic,” one user wrote. “I am very disappointed in her.”
Carpenter was quick to apologize.
“My apologies i didn’t see this person with my eyes and couldn’t hear clearly. my reaction was pure confusion, sarcasm and not ill intended,” she wrote on X. “could have handled it better! now i know what a Zaghrouta is! I welcome all cheers and yodels from here on out.”
“thank you so much for apologizing and i will be looking forward to your new music.,” the fan responded on X.
Carpenter turned up the heat on day one of Coachella.
The 26-year-old singer delivered a star-studded spectacle Friday night, turning the desert into her own “Sabrinawood” with a glittering playground, Hollywood fantasy, Broadway spectacle and a cheeky house party.
Carpenter saved one of her boldest statements for the final stretch, rocking a sizzling, see-through black lace bodysuit that left little to the imagination.
The barely-there look sent fans into a frenzy as she powered through a medley of smash hits including “Juno,” “Espresso” and “Goodbye,” closing out the night with unapologetic pop star confidence.
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Earlier, she kicked things off with a cinematic intro video complete with Sam Elliott playing a cryptic cop warning her about California: “You know it’s not right out there. It’s wrong.”
The first half of the set leaned heavily into retro glam. Vintage cars, a Hollywood Hills backdrop and a towering “SABRINAWOOD” sign framed a performance that nodded to Marilyn Monroe.
During her performance of “Manchild,” the stage filled with dancers dressed as poodles and dalmatians. Mid-set performances of songs like “Taste” and “Please Please Please” turned into crowd-wide sing-alongs, with celebrity fans like Anya Taylor-Joy spotted vibing along on the livestream.
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“I can’t believe I’m headlining Coachella!” she shouted. “I mean, I can a little bit, but it’s nicer to say that, right?”
For Carpenter’s performance of “Feather,” the stage was complete with winged dancers and sultry choreography. A playful sample of Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana” added a splash of retro glam, while surprise celebrity appearances from Will Ferrell and a booming voiceover by Samuel L. Jackson kept the unpredictability alive.
Jackson said, “Hello, Coachella. This is your spiritual guide. I am here to take you motherf—ers on this journey to relaxation.”
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The pop sensation included a lengthy interlude featuring Susan Sarandon as an older version of Carpenter alongside a cameo from “Girl Meets World” co-star Corey Fogelmanis.
The finale leaned fully into Broadway glamour. Flashing marquees lit up with phrases like “Icon in Motion” as Carpenter reflected on her rapid rise from playing Coachella in 2024 with a then-unknown “Espresso” to commanding the main stage.
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“Two years ago, I wanted to put out a little song before Coachella,” she said, sipping from an espresso martini glass. “And now I think you might know the f—ing words.”
Confetti rained down as nuns, showgirls and Chippendale dancers flooded the stage in a surreal, celebratory mashup. Carpenter closed out her performance with her song “Tears.”
Carpenter performed at Coachella on the heels of the release of her latest music video, “House Tour,” in which the pop singer stripped down alongside a pair of A-list companions — Margaret Qualley, the daughter of Andie MacDowell, and Madelyn Cline.
