Bieber is treating Coachella as a fresh start, giving fans an intimate preview of his Swag era with a secret Roxy show that felt like an exclusive rehearsal.
The omission of 'Sorry,' 'Despacito' and 'Peaches' from the setlist is loud — Bieber's clearly not looking backward. Sources say he's been livestreaming warehouse rehearsals for weeks, and this private show was his way of testing new material before the desert.
On March 29, 2026, Bieber performed 25 songs at The Roxy in West Hollywood. His Swag album duo (released July and September 2025) dominated the setlist, with 'Daisies' and 'Yukon' as standout singles. Swag debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
Bieber's keeping his biggest hits in the vault for now — but with Coachella weeks away, he's about to prove whether the Swag era deserves the hype or if fans are begging for 'Sorry' 2.0.
Justin Bieber pulled off one of the most secretive shows in recent pop memory, and barely anyone knew until it was already over. On Sunday, March 29, the pop star took over The Roxy in West Hollywood for what the venue's marquee bluntly declared: "Justin Bieber: Tonight Only." No press releases. No social media buildup. Just a small, intimate crowd lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time — or perhaps on a very specific guest list.
According to Setlist FM, Bieber played exactly 25 songs during the surprise performance. But here's where it gets interesting for anyone keeping track of his career trajectory: not a single one of his Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers made the cut. We're talking about the absence of "Sorry," "Despacito" and "Peaches" — tracks that defined his last decade of dominance. Instead, the entire setlist consisted of material from his Swag album duology released in 2025. Hit singles "Daisies" and "Yukon" were there, but so were deep cuts from both Swag and Swag II — many of which marked their live debuts at this very show.
This lowkey Roxy gig was essentially Bieber's dress rehearsal for what promises to be his biggest return to the stage in years. The Canadian singer is slated to headline Coachella 2026 alongside Sabrina Carpenter and Karol G, playing back-to-back weekend sets in the desert this April. In the weeks leading up to his private show, Bieber kept fans glued to their screens by regularly livestreaming from his warehouse practice space on Twitch — giving everyone a behind-the-scenes look at his rehearsal process while building anticipation for the festival's main stage.
The Swag albums themselves dropped with almost no warning, which now seems to be part of his entire strategy. The first Swag dropped in July 2025, with Bieber unleashing it just hours after announcing its existence. Swag II followed in September with the same short-notice approach. Both projects debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 — impressive numbers, sure, but notably not number one. Whether the Swag era can translate to Coachella-level hype remains to be seen, but one thing's clear: Bieber is making a deliberate choice to leave his biggest hits at the door. For now.
