INDIO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 11: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) (NOT TO BE LICENSED FOR ANY STANDALONE OR SPECIAL INTEREST BOOK PUBLISHING USE CONCERNING THE COACHELLA MUSIC FESTIVAL AND/OR STAGECOACH MUSIC FESTIVAL) Taemin performs at the Mojave Tent during the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 11, 2026 in Indio, California. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Coachella)

Getty Images for Coachella

South Korean superstar TAEMIN has accomplished one of his three major “big things” that he wanted for his career – to play at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. After weekend one of Coachella, he’s pumped to celebrate being the first male K-pop solo artist to perform at the iconic American festival, and is ready for weekend two.

“I’ve loved this festival for a very long time,” TAEMIN says over Zoom from Los Angeles. “To be there in person felt like a culture shock. It was overwhelming. And to be amongst the greats and musicians I have loved and listened to for a long time, all put together in one space, has been fascinating. It was such a good experience.

The 32-year-old artist made his Coachella debut on the Mojave Stage, performing several of his popular songs and sharing some new, unreleased tracks. He really wanted the set to be entertaining for those who haven’t heard of him before, as well as his beloved fanbase, known as TAEmate.

“It's great to be in a space where those people who don't know me can come and enjoy my show,” he shares. “As I was watching the other artists perform, a lot of them had setlists that were curated for the festival vibe. They were having so much fun versus when I created my setlist and performed. I wanted to leave everything out there, and I wanted to just perform and put everything in a bold, big way.”

He went big and bold, with "TAEMIN COACHELLA - INDIO 2026" displayed behind him as he performed. The hashtag #TAECHELLA spread on social media. He had crowds cheering his name as he transitioned flawlessly from one song to another. Though TAEMIN is a professional in the performance field, he was overwhelmed by weekend one and hopes to enjoy and explore the grounds and stages during weekend two. He really wanted to have the beer-in-hand concert-watching experience, especially since he’s been on a diet to prep for his show.

“There’s that culture of holding a beer and enjoying a festival,” he laughs. “I want to experience that. I want to experience that. I haven’t been able to do that yet. So I definitely want to do it.”

He adds, jokingly, “Usually after a show, I take off my mic, and I receive a bottle of water and drink some water. Instead, I’m going to replace that with a beer – and down some beer.”

Coachella isn’t the only thing that TAEMIN is celebrating – he is the first K-pop soloist to be featured with a display at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles. The display, “TAEMIN: Performer. Artist. Icon.,” showcases two of his distinctive stage outfits and artifacts. He smiles proudly when he hears all the firsts he’s achieved, excited that his display is right next to his role model, Michael Jackson’s exhibition.

“My exhibit is right next to Michael Jackson’s by chance,” he says, gleefully. “I’d love for people to take a look and think, ‘hey, this guy looks like he might be Michael Jackson Jr., or tie me in by association. I know it’s a big ask, but that would be really cool and lovely.”

The association between Jackson and TAEMIN’s talent is not far off. The Korean artist has performed many of Jackson’s iconic moves and has even moonwalked on several shows in the past. There are even side-by-side videos made by TAEMIN’s fans that highlight the similarities between the two. He blushes, grateful and honored that people have made this comparison.

He’s excited to collect more “firsts,” because he didn’t realize he had been collecting these honors. He’s just doing what he loves. He shares, “First Coachella. First GRAMMY Museum display. It feels really good. I’m seeking out the next first title that I could take on.”

He’s also been appearing on several U.S. news and entertainment shows, including The Jennifer Hudson Show and Good Day LA. He does enjoy being on American shows, saying there is a bit more freedom to express yourself, but it’s not too far off from Korean and Asian media. He says he’s gotten more comfortable doing all kinds of press now. He states, “I am hoping I can use these opportunities to have honest and earnest moments of reflection.”

Now that he’s achieved Coachella, his other “Big 3” goals are an arena tour around North America and receiving a GRAMMY Award. He’s not too far from that achievement, as he’s done many collaborations with the American music institution. He’s also released more English music, which he wants to do more of next. He doesn’t want to do all his songs in English; he wants to keep his mother tongue, Korean, in his music. But he wouldn’t mind adding more languages to his sound.

“You know what is really intriguing to me right now is possibly putting out music that may have a trilingual factor to it,” he says. “I’ve done a lot of things in Japan as well and can speak Japanese. I would love to use a song that uses Korean, my second language, Japanese, and my third language, English.”

He is also interested in learning Spanish for his Latin American fans, as well as French, German, and Chinese. He wants to do it all, but is worried about his pronunciation. He explains, “It’s really daunting for me, and it’s going to be quite difficult, but language is vital to communication. So, if I could, I would love to do all these things to communicate.”

As he prepares for his second weekend of Coachella, he’s excited to invite his family to come watch him this time. He is excited to spend time with them.

“Last weekend, I was at my Airbnb and thought my family would really love this,” he beams. “So I'm really looking forward to sharing that experience with my family this upcoming weekend.”

He revealed earlier that for this weekend’s performance, he plans on adding different elements to the show, including “more skin.” When asked what his family is going to think about this, he laughs, “It’s okay. They like it.”

TAEMIN performs this Saturday on the Mojave Stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Check out his performance as it streams live on YouTube this weekend.

Correction: 4/15/26 TAEMIN will be performing on April 18 on the Mojave Stage.