Fire Breaks Out During Green Day’s Coachella Set After Pyrotechnics Hit Palm Tree

Green Day's fiery Coachella set is drawing backlash, and not just for their politically charged lyrics.

The legendary punk rock trio, known for their electrifying performances, came under fire Saturday night after a palm tree ignited due to pyrotechnics used during Green Day's headlining set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California.

In a video obtained by People Magazine, flames can be seen engulfing a palm tree as festivalgoers gathered around, stunned by the blaze. The incident sparked swift outrage online, especially given California’s history of devastating wildfires, including a wave of destruction near Los Angeles earlier this year.

“After all the California wildfires, they are using pyrotechnics??! It's fine. They will host a benefit concert,” one person wrote sarcastically in the comments.

Another user added, “Can’t believe they are allowed to launch fireworks when it’s like 100 degrees in LA.”

A third chimed in, “They just set the entire Coachella on fire,” while someone else quipped, “This is why we can’t have nice things.”

One viewer even likened the moment to a notorious music disaster: “Flashbacks of Woodstock ‘99 but with palm trees.”

In addition to the fire-related controversy, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong reignited political conversation during the band’s performance of their hit song “American Idiot.”

In a clip obtained by Billboard, Armstrong altered the lyrics to take a direct jab at President Donald Trump, singing, “I’m not a part of a MAGA agenda,” instead of the original “I’m not a part of the redneck agenda.”

This isn't the first time the Green Day frontman has made his political views clear. Earlier this year, Armstrong performed the same revised lyrics during ABC’s "Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve," just weeks before Trump’s inauguration.

Plus, during a concert on March 1, Armstrong asked the crowd, “Don’t you want politicians to shut the f-ck up? Don’t you want Elon Musk to shut the f-ck up?”

The crowd erupted in cheers, as Armstrong added, “Don’t you want Donald Trump to shut the f-ck up?”

“Nah nah nah, I’m not going to get angry. F-ck that sh-t,” he concluded.

During the next song in their set, 2004’s Jesus of Suburbia, Billie Joe Armstrong kept the political jabs coming. He altered the original lyric “Am I r-tarded, or am I just overjoyed?” to “Am I r-tarded, or am I just JD Vance?" a pointed swipe at the vice president.

The lyric tweak came at a moment when international headlines were still buzzing about Donald Trump’s recent Oval Office blunder, where he failed to recall the meaning of AUKUS, the security pact between Australia, the U.K., and the U.S., during a press conference on Thursday, February 27.

That diplomatic misstep was followed by a tense exchange the next day between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, sparking fresh concerns in Australia about the future of its alliance with Ukraine.

Also, during their Coachella performance of "Jesus of Suburbia," frontman Billie Joe Armstrong altered the lyrics to include, “Running away from pain like the kids from Palestine,” a pointed reference to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The band delivered their message without letting it overshadow the music. Their setlist, featured below, spanned decades of fan-favorite tracks, including "Holiday," "Longview," "Welcome to Paradise," "Basket Case," and their recent release, "One Eyed B-stard."

Green Day also paid homage to rock legends during the show. They worked in the iconic riff from Black Sabbath’s "Iron Man" during "Hitchin’ a Ride" and opened "Wake Me Up When September Ends" with a nod to Tom Petty’s "Free Fallin’."

Coachella marks just the beginning of a busy festival season for Green Day, who are also set to headline Welcome to Rockville, BottleRock, Minnesota Yacht Club, and Oceans Calling later this year.