Aside from the programmed headliners each year, there are always a copule of breakout stars at Coachella Music and Arts that simply take our breath away. These artists – despite their early set times or small-stage scheduling – are the ones who defy the odds and show that real talent and showmanship can still garner huge crowds and headliner-level hype. We've seen it happen with Labyrinth (who brought out both Zendaya and Billie Eilish), and again with Chappell Roan in 2024. And now, at Coachella 2026, we have the unlikely rise of hyperpop sensation Slayyyter.
Who is Slayyyter?
Slayyyter was born Catherine Grace Garner on 17 September 1996 in St. Louis, Missouri (making her a Virgo). The American singer and performer has become known for her DIY-approach to the hyperpop/electronic pop genre (think Charli XCX, SOPHIE and Arca as influences). She's very Y2K-coded, and rose to fame from SoundCloud demos she posted back in 2018.
Her debut studio album Troubled Paradise was released in 2021, followed up by STARFUCKER in 2023, and now – just earlier this year – in 2026 she released her third album WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA. Her biggest songs are high-energy, industrial-pop hits like BEAT UP CHANEL$ and CRANK, as well as other hits like Mine and Alone.
She's already toured with Charli XCX, Kesha, and Tove Lo, where she told Office Magazine about her pre-show rituals: "Me and my DJ Owen Jackson do a shot to the song Time To Dance by The Shoes."
Why was her Coachella set so huge?
Slayyyter played for a massive Mojave Stage crowd on Friday, marking her debut performance at the festival. The capacity-busting crowd was compared only to that of Chappell Roan back in 2024 (whose set at Coachella absolutely launched her career to insane heights).
Will she be touring?
Yes. She'll be performing a her new album, WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA, on an upcoming tour that kicks off in North America this September, before moving to Europe and the U.K. in October. Dates for an Australian leg of the tour are yet to be announced, but hopefully won't be too far in the future.
