Madonna’s “A League of Their Own” castmate Geena Davis also popped up to deliver a monologue her “Thelma & Louise” costar Susan Sarandon performed for week 1 of the festival.

Madonna surprises Coachella, performs new song and classics with Sabrina Carpenter: ‘Full circle moment’

Madonna's "A League of Their Own" castmate Geena Davis also popped up to deliver a monologue her "Thelma & Louise" costar Susan Sarandon performed for week 1 of the festival.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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April 18, 2026 11:34 a.m. ET

Sabrina Carpenter and Madonna perform at Coachella 2026. Credit:

Coachella/Youtube

- Madonna surprised Coachella to perform "Vogue" and "Like a Prayer" during Sabrina Carpenter's weekend 2 headlining set.

- The pop stars also performed a new track from Madonna's forthcoming album, *Confessions on a Dance Floor: Part II.*

- Madonna previously performed at Coachella in 2006 and in 2015.

Madonna has touched down at Coachella.

The legendary pop star rose onto the festival's main stage on a platform near the end of Sabrina Carpenter's weekend 2 headlining set on Friday to perform a section of her classic 1990 hit "Vogue."

The track was a fitting inclusion in Carpenter's Old Hollywood–themed show, as Madonna kicked off her cameo with the song's bridge, which tips a hat to a plethora of classic Hollywood stars.

At the end of the song, Madonna looked to Carpenter and said, "Sabrina."

"Madonna," the "Please Please Please" singer responded.

"I've got something I wanna talk about," Madonna declared.

The duo then launched into a performance of a new song from Madonna's upcoming album, *Confessions on a Dance Floor: Part II*, the release date for which she announced on Wednesday. The record is a sequel to 2005's *Confessions on a Dance Floor* and reunites her with producer Stuart Price.

Madonna at Coachella 2026.

Coachella/Youtube

"Sabrina, thank you so much for inviting me on the show," Madonna said after concluding the new song. "What a gas."

"No thanks needed, Madonna," Carpenter replied.

"You've been incredibly accommodating," the "Material Girl" singer said.

"You can have whatever you want," Carpenter assured.

Madonna then launched into a lengthy speech. "So, 20 years ago today, I performed at Coachella," she said. "I was in the dance tent, and it was the first time I performed *Confessions on a Dance Floor:* *Part I* in America."

The singer added that it was "such a thrill" at the time. "So you can imagine what a thrill to be back 22 years later in the same boots, in the same corset... the jacket I had on earlier, the same Gucci jacket," she said. "So it's a full circle moment, you know? Very meaningful for me."

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Madonna also told the crowd that current phenomena in the zodiac signify that humankind needs to focus on two particular goals. "We need to work on our communication skills, 'cause we all think we're talking to each other on the phone, but we're not really communicating," she said. "The other thing we need to do is to avoid confrontation."

Madonna then reflected on the healing power of music.

"Let's try to get along. Let's try to be together. Let's try to avoid disagreements, and, to that point, the great thing about music is that it brings people together," she said. "It's the one place that people have to put their differences aside. Put their s--- down, and everybody [can] have a good time together, right? So I am thrilled to be a part of that healing experience bringing people together. And I just wanna say four lines from my *Confessions I *record."

She then performed an a capella rendition of the chorus of its track "Get Together," singing, "Can we get together? I really, I really wanna be with you. Come on, check it out with me. I hope you, I hope you feel the same way too."

Sabrina Carpenter and Madonna at Coachella 2026.

Coachella/Youtube

That song was one of six that Madonna performed during her Coachella debut in April 2006. She later returned to the festival during Drake's 2015 headlining set.

"The other thrilling, thrilling thing I need to point out to everybody right now is this is probably the first time I've ever performed with someone who's shorter than me," Madonna said, referring to Carpenter, who is around 4 feet 11 inches tall (Madonna is around 5 feet 4 inches tall). "Thank you for giving me that experience."

After the two singers performed part of Madonna's 1989 classic "Like a Prayer," Madonna exited the stage.

"You guys didn't know this, but she's a magician. And she's gonna make me disappear," she said of Carpenter before descending off stage on a platform.

Carpenter seemed totally starstruck. "Holy s---," she said. "What do you do after that? Oh my God. F---, I need a drink."

She then began performing her 2024 hit "Espresso."

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Earlier in the set, Madonna's *A League of Their Own* costar Geena Davis popped up in a surprise cameo to deliver a lengthy live monologue, playing an older version of Carpenter who is reflecting on her glory days.

Davis' *Thelma & Louise* costar Susan Sarandon recited a longer version of the monologue during Carpenter's weekend 1 Coachella set last week, which also included surprise guests Will Ferrell and Sam Elliott, and a voice-over from Samuel L. Jackson.

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