Justin Timberlake tribute goes viral at Coachella 2026

Justin Timberlake responded to Justin Bieber’s warm gesture during 2026 Coachella and a throwback photo that shows just how far both artists have come.

On April 18, Saturday, Bieber played a video of his pre-fame self covering Timberlake’s Cry Me a River and sang along with the crowd.

Whilst addressing the audience, “I grew up listening to Justin Timberlake and so many other beautiful talents, but I remember this like it was yesterday”. He even noted the guitar was out of tune before joining in with his younger self anyway.

Timberlake responded on social media with a throwback video of a brief interaction between the two, captured when Bieber was just a kid. The footage showed the pair posing for a photo together, with Bieber’s former longtime manager, Scooter Braun and Timberlake’s wife, Jessica Biel, also in the room.

He followed it with a clip from the Coachella performance itself. His caption made clear he had been watching and felt the significance of the moment. Timberlake also wrote, “I know this has been a long road. And I know it’s not always a smooth ride. I’m proud of you, and you should be proud of you too. Sending love @lilbieber”.

The two Justins have never released music together, though in 2021 DJ Khaled revealed he had missed a FaceTime call from both of them and was mixing their vocals for a potential collaboration.