Sabrina Carpenter has apologised after mistaking a fan’s Arabic celebration call for yodelling during her headline set at Coachella, and drawing backlash for how she responded to the cultural exchange in the moment.
The incident occurred on Friday night as Carpenter sat down at her piano on the main stage.
A fan in the crowd let out a Zaghrouta, a traditional Arabic expression of joy, prompting Carpenter to address it over the microphone.
“I think I heard someone yodel. Is that what you’re doing? I don’t like it,” she said.
When the fan called back “It’s my culture!”, Carpenter replied, “That’s your culture, is yodeling?”
After the fan clarified it was a call of celebration, the singer quipped, “Is this Burning Man? What’s going on? This is weird.”
Videos of the exchange spread quickly online, with criticism mounting over her handling of the moment. Carpenter moved to address it on Saturday, posting an apology on X.
“My apologies, I didn’t see this person with my eyes and couldn’t hear clearly,” she wrote.
“My reaction was pure confusion, sarcasm and not ill intended. Could have handled it better! Now I know what a Zaghrouta is! I welcome all cheers and yodels from here on out.”
Beyond the controversy, the set itself was a significant moment for the two-time Grammy winner, who is one of this year’s three Coachella headliners alongside Justin Bieber and Karol G.
Her performance featured cameos from Sam Elliott, Will Ferrell and Susan Sarandon, who delivered a seven-minute monologue during one of Carpenter’s costume changes.
