The Strokes Go Political at Coachella With War-Themed Visuals
April 21, 2026 
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The Strokes didn’t just rock Coachella — they lit a political firestorm in the middle of the desert had the crowd doing a double take.
The NYC rockers were cruising through their performance on Saturday like any other big act when things suddenly took a sharp left turn. Frontman Julian Casablancas and co. rolled out a heavy video montage calling out U.S. foreign intervention … and yeah, it got serious fast.
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The visuals included a rundown of governments allegedly overthrown by the CIA over the years, mixed with footage of more recent conflicts — including Israel bombing Gaza and U.S. strikes on Iran — all playing while the band ripped through “Oblivius,” a track they haven’t performed live since 2016.
Not exactly your typical Coachella vibe of flower crowns and influencer selfies!
And it didn’t stop there. As Casablancas delivered the chorus of “What side you standing on?” the imagery got even heavier … flashing messages like “over 30 universities destroyed in Iran” before showing what was described as the “last university standing in Gaza” being blown up in a controlled explosion.
The montage also pulled in imagery from U.S. history, including the slave trade and segregation, and even referenced controversial claims about the deaths of major political figures — including Martin Luther King Jr. — along with leaders from Panama and Ecuador.
The crowd reaction was all over the place. Some fans were clearly into it, hyping the band for speaking out on a massive stage … while others looked caught completely off guard, like they came for indie rock and got a crash course in geopolitics instead.
Still, it’s not totally out of character for The Strokes — they’ve always flirted with edgy commentary. But this was next level, especially for Coachella.
The Strokes didn’t just close out a set … they hijacked one of the biggest festival stages in the world to make a loud, controversial statement.
