The Strokes delivered one of the most talked-about moments of Coachella 2026 during their second weekend performance, closing their set with a striking visual statement tied to global politics and historical U.S. foreign policy.
While performing their track “Oblivius”, the band introduced a large-screen video montage that shifted attention away from the music and toward political imagery. The visuals included references to past U.S.-backed interventions in countries such as Chile, Bolivia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, accompanied by archival-style photos of political figures associated with those events.
The presentation also highlighted controversial historical claims involving international intelligence operations and regime changes, while pairing each segment with archival footage and captioned commentary.
Toward the end of the performance, the visuals transitioned into more recent and emotionally charged footage showing destruction in conflict zones, including Gaza and Iran. One of the final moments included the image of a collapsing building with a caption referencing educational infrastructure damage in Gaza.
This was notably different from the band’s first weekend appearance at Coachella, where no visual montage was shown. However, frontman Julian Casablancas previously made indirect remarks about the U.S. military during that set, hinting at political undertones without a full visual statement.
The performance quickly circulated on social media, drawing mixed reactions from fans—some praising the band for taking a bold stance, while others argued that the festival stage should remain apolitical.
The Strokes are scheduled to continue their touring plans across North America, Europe, and Japan later this year. They are also preparing a new studio album, their first in six years, which is expected to be released in the coming months.