She’s been making waves online for years, but, this past weekend, Australian influencer Rebecca McLeod had her first taste of one of America’s most iconic experiences, and she went all in. Fresh off securing her US visa on the strength of her influencer career, Rebecca wasted zero time getting to the good stuff. Her first major stop stateside? Coachella 2026, where she soaked up every single moment of Weekend One in the California desert.
The Look That Stopped the Grounds
Rebecca showed up dressed like she belonged on a stage herself. The centerpiece of her festival look was a custom metallic gold top, literally sculpted to her body like a wearable piece of art.
Layered pearl necklaces, a jewel-studded chain belt, knee-high black leather boots, and wraparound shades rounded out a look that turned heads from the moment she walked through the gates.
“She looked like she was cast in gold,” one attendee said nearby. Yeah, pretty much.
See the full look here.
Cocktails, Fries, And Good Vibes
When she wasn’t busy being a walking fashion moment, Rebecca was living the full Coachella experience.
Her drink of the weekend was the Coachella Sunrise cocktail: fruity, vibrant, and honestly, the perfect thing to sip while watching the sun set over the Indio desert.
On the food front, she kept it simple but satisfying: steak-loaded fries, which she ranked as her favorite bite of the whole trip.
Two Hours for Front Row: Worth Every Minute
Here’s where the dedication really showed. Rebecca planted herself near the main stage two full hours before Justin Bieber’s Saturday night headlining set, determined to be in the front row when the moment finally came. Check out the video here!
Bieber’s set was a journey through nearly two decades of his career, moving from new material off his SWAG albums into an emotional acoustic section before pulling up old YouTube videos of his biggest childhood hits for a nostalgia-fueled singalong with tens of thousands of fans. Special guests Tems, Wizkid, Dijon, and The Kid LAROI all made appearances throughout the night, and the set closed with fireworks lighting up the desert sky. For someone experiencing their very first Coachella, it’s hard to imagine a better introduction.
Influencers Everywhere And Rebecca Fit Right In
Beyond the music, Rebecca spent the weekend connecting with other creators from around the world, meeting heaps of influencers who were all there doing exactly what she was, documenting, creating, and soaking in the experience. Coachella 2026 drew massive crowds and media attention across all three days of the first weekend, National Today, with the grounds packed with talent on and off the stage.
However, while the festival may look picture-perfect on social media, a growing wave of viral videos is telling a very different story behind the scenes. Multiple influencers have begun speaking out, describing their experiences as a “trip from hell,” citing everything from ticket disasters to last-minute housing issues and costly scams.
One influencer claimed her group was left stranded outside the festival despite purchasing tickets through what they believed was a secure resale platform. “I’m out of $3k. I don’t understand because we bought the tickets through the Coachella resale site, and somehow they were still reported stolen,” she said in a video now circulating on X.
Housing problems also seemed to be a major issue throughout the weekend. One influencer shared that her group’s Airbnb, which they had booked months ahead of time, was abruptly canceled without warning. “All of a sudden… he gets a notification that the reservation is canceled… he did not cancel it,” she said, highlighting the confusion and chaos many attendees faced.
Just the Beginning
Still, while many influencers were airing their frustrations online, not everyone walked away with a negative experience. Rebecca, for one, appeared to be having the time of her life, fully embracing the festival atmosphere and everything Coachella had to offer.
For Rebecca, this trip is a sign of things to come. She earned her US visa through her work as a content creator, and Coachella was just the opening chapter. America, consider yourself officially on notice.