Sabrina Carpenter has broken her silence after landing in hot water for a culturally insensitive remark during her 2026 Coachella headlining set.

On Friday, April 10, the 26-year-old pop sensation faced intense backlash after asking a fan to stop “yodeling” during her performance.

Shortly after receiving criticism online, Carpenter took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond and issue an apology to a post that read, “Sabrina saying that she doesn’t like a cultural Arabic cheer… this is so insensitive and Islamophobic. I am very disappointed in her.”

“my apologies i didn’t see this person with my eyes and couldn’t hear clearly. my reaction was pure confusion, sarcasm and not ill intended. could have handled it better! now i know what a Zaghrouta is!” she wrote on X Saturday, April 11.

The Grammy-winning artist added, “I welcome all cheers and yodels from here on out.”

What exactly happened?

In a clip that quickly went viral, a fan can be heard performing a zaghrouta chant during Carpenter’s set.

“I think I heard someone yodel. Is that what you’re doing? I don’t like it,” Carpenter said onstage while seated behind a piano.

The attendee responded, “It’s my culture,” to which the Manchild hitmaker replied, “That’s your culture, is yodeling? This is weird.”

What is Zaghrouta?

Zaghrouta is a traditional ululation performed primarily by women in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It is commonly heard at weddings, celebrations, and sometimes funerals to honour someone or express strong emotions, according to Arab America.

When is Sabrina Carpenter performing next?

Sabrina Carpenter is set to return to Coachella’s main stage as a headliner during the festival’s second weekend, kicking off on April 17.