Sabrina Carpenter reacted irritably to a Zaghrouta at Coachella and then apologized on X. What was behind the incident.
Sabrina Carpenter received harsh criticism after her Coachella performance on Friday evening, April 10, 2026. Although her show was praised and she brought surprise guests like Sam Elliott, Susan Sarandon and Will Ferrell on stage, a statement from the singer caused a major uproar.
Unpleasant interaction with a fan
During her performance, there was an unpleasant interaction with a fan that was heavily criticized online. The musician was sitting at the piano when an audience member sang a zaghrouta – a loud Arabic cheer that is often used at happy events and weddings. Sabrina Carpenter didn’t know this kind of cheering and was irritated. “I think I heard someone yodeling. Is that what you’re doing? I don’t like it,” she shouted. The fan replied that it was his culture. Carpenter wasn’t convinced and replied: “Your culture is yodeling. Is this Burning Man? What’s going on here? That’s strange.”
A video of the interaction quickly went viral, and the singer was quickly accused of cultural insensitivity and Islamophobia.
Sorry on X
On Saturday, April 11, the 27-year-old tried to clarify the situation. She posted on She also explained that she was happy about any kind of cheering at her concerts and that she had now further educated herself culturally.
Spectacular performance despite a faux pas
Aside from the faux pas, the “Espresso” singer delivered a spectacular performance at Coachella. With surprise guests, sophisticated stage designs and live premieres of songs like “When Did You Get Hot,” “Sugar Talking” and “We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night” from “Man’s Best Friend,” she set a strong tone. The evening motto was film and Hollywood, implemented in a burlesque stage design.
Sabrina Carpenter had previously admitted that the show was her most ambitious gig ever: “It’s probably the first time I’ve really had the time to sit down and talk about a show while I’m still putting it together. Most of the time you’re thrown into physical rehearsals very quickly, but this time we started this process about seven months ago. It’s been a long journey. It’s going to be very special.”
The performance was widely praised – the criticism of her statements marred an overall strong evening on stage.
