I Had The Ultimate Barbiecore Weekend At Coachella

To be a Barbie Girl in a Barbie World feels like an unreachable dream, but Mattel brought that fantasy to life for a special group of content creators and media, including Bustle, during Weekend 1 of the 2026 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, California.

The moment I arrived at my room at the L’Horizon Resort in Palm Springs, I felt like I walked into Barbie’s Dreamhouse, with an array of pink amenities, like a silk pillowcase, pajamas, a personalized robe, and so much more. And that was just the beginning of the Barbie-tastic weekend to come, which would include a fabulous dinner, artist guest access to amazing performances, fun afterparties, and hanging out with Love Island USA star Olandria Carthen.

Read on to see what it was like to have a Barbiecore experience at Coachella.

A Welcome Dinner At The Pink Cabana

The night before Coachella, Mattel hosted a welcome dinner at The Pink Cabana, complete with a delicious three-course meal, gelato cart, a photo booth, and an embroidery station where we could personalize silk scarves (which came in handy during the festival!) and matching pink sweat suits.

A Desert Dream... House

You couldn’t miss Mattel’s Barbie activation with its mirrored pink facade on the Coachella festival grounds. Once you walk inside, you’re met with a long hallway that leads to a hologram screen of Paris Hilton and Olandria as life-size Barbies. They stroll in and out of frame in adorable picture-perfect outfits.

Around the corner, the activation had a photo booth and a charm bar, where you can create a customized bag charm based on the kind of Barbie you’re feeling like at the moment. I chose Hot Tropic Barbie (a flower charm), but Crashout Barbie (fire) and Personality Hire Ken (smiley face) were popular ones.

Ochella!

If you were on social media at all over the past weekend, you couldn’t miss Olandria, who attended her first Coachella this year. The Love Island USA star, who’s lovingly known as “Bama Barbie,” teamed up with Mattel to promote the Barbie experience.

She told Bustle that she enjoyed recreating the classic Barbie striped swimsuit look she revealed ahead of the festival, and that another of her favorite outfits was a blue three-piece set she sported in one of the activation’s holograms.

Girl Power Galore

From Sabrina Carpenter manifesting her Coachella return to Karol G making history as the first Latina to headline the festival, it was all about girl power this weekend. Carpenter’s Friday set was a theatrical spectacle, transporting everyone to Sabrinawood. (Her fabulous outfits would’ve made Barbie proud.)

On Saturday, pop stars Addison Rae and PinkPantheress lit up the fest with their highly energetic and entertaining sets. The crowds went wild for their hits, like Rae’s “Headphones On” and PinkPantheress’ “Stateside” (which has a very Barbie-esque music video).

While on Sunday, Laufey set the mood with a jazzy set for her Coachella debut, singing her new single, “Madwoman” live for the first time, and Karol G closed out the fest with an empowering and celebratory performance that included an appearance from Becky G.

Nothing Like A Dance Party

On Friday night, NYLON House was the after-party of choice, with appearances from Katseye (who had just performed at Coachella hours before) and a DJ set from Diplo B2B HUGEL. Between grabbing drinks and dancing the night away, partygoers could stop by the Matrix activation for cotton candy or enjoy a beauty experience at the Neutrogena and e.l.f. stands. There was even a Barbie truck outside where you could get some cute, pink Coachella swag.

Tee Time

Golf brand Fore All hosted an event on Sunday to celebrate their new collaboration with Barbie at the Marrakesh Country Club. They served up drinks and a buffet to help us fuel up before our final day at the festival. We were also gifted an array of items, including a blazer that they monogrammed with our initials on-site. It was a picturesque way to wrap up a dreamy Barbie-inspired weekend.