BINI performs at the Mojave Tent during the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 17, 2026 in Indio, California. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella/AFP
Coachella 2026 officially wrapped up and the nation’s girl group BINI is still on cloud nine, after successfully completing their two-weekend performance and making history as the first Filipino group to ever perform in Coachella.
Fresh from the Mojave stage, BINI sat down with ABS-CBN News and looked back at how everything transpired onstage.
“[Kanina] bago tumuntong ng stage, hindi na po namin alam kung kinakabahan ba kami. Kasi last week, sobrang kabado talaga kami, pero eto feeling ko mas gusto na lang namin mag-enjoy na lang talaga onstage, pero may kaba pa rin,” said Jhoanna.
Mikha, on the otherhand, felt more nervous on their encore performance.
“Mas kinabahan ako today for some reason compared to last weekend, kasi I feel like 'yun nga, now that more people are more curious about us, na parang ‘oh who’s that girl group, BINI?’. Parang mas dumami pa 'yung eyes looking at us. Ang daming expectations and standards to meet. And our bosses are also here to watch us, and even the other ABS-CBN artists, they went and watch. Grabe 'yung pressure. Grabe 'yung iyak ko today.”
BINI’s quick outfit change onstage has become a treat for the fans. But behind the scenes, this is one of the most crucial and difficult aspect to rehearse. The girls took eight attempts to polish the outfit change during the pick-up rehearsals.
“Sabay-sabay natanggal, sobrang smooth, sobrang galing natin girls. 'Yun talaga 'yung pinakakinakabahan kami 'yung part na 'yun, including si Ate Ics (Ica Villanueva, BINI’s stylist) habang nagtatahi siya kasi 'yun talaga 'yung crucial part talaga,” said Stacey. “Pero it turns out, it was so smooth and actually mas madali 'yung pagtanggal natin ngayon compared to Week 1. Thank you din sa Besties kasi kahit seven sila, nakayanan nilang tanggalin talaga 'yun. So, sobrang congrats to us.”
One of the highlights of their Week 2 set was their self-introduction where they used their native languages.
Colet said, “Idea po 'yun ni Coach Mickey [Perz]. Noong una po kasi, jino-joke po namin 'yun sa practice, tapos sabi niya, why not gawin natin, ganito ganyan.”
“Grabe goosebumps talaga, lahat ng tao nagche-cheer talaga kapag nagpapakilala kami. Ganda ng representation na 'yun sa buong Pilipinas, na naipakilala kung saan talaga kami galing,” she added.
For Sheena and Maloi, it was truly a touching Pinoy pride moment when they flashed the Philippine flag during their extro.
“Tinanong tayo eh, kung kailan namin gusto lumabas 'yung Philippine flag, tapos sabi namin 'sa ending Coach, after ng BINI na logo, may PH flag.' Kaya pala after ng set namin, nag-iiyakan lahat ng tao. Pagtingin namin sa mga videos at pictures, sobrang ganda pala tignan,” said Sheena.
“Sobrang nakaka-proud lang na Filipino na may mga taong handang sumuporta sa amin,” said Maloi. “Representation really matters talaga, na makita 'yung kapwa Pinoy who made it to the global stage.”
She added, “Sobrang swerte namin, sobrang grateful kami to have this opportunity.”
Gwen appreciated the effort of some Kapamilya artists who went out of their way to watch their historic debut at Coachella. “Gusto rin namin mag-thank you sa mga Kapamilya na nagpunta po like sina Miss Anne Curtis, Sir Piolo [Pascual], Kyle [Echarri] and other ABS-CBN artists na talagang nag-fly pa po sila. Si Miss Anne daw po galing pa daw po ng New York.”
Everyone was in tears especially Mikha who wasn’t able to control her emotions when she saw her brother Enzo after their set.
“I feel like for all of us girls, our weakness is our family. So the fact that he was able to watch me, like represent the rest of my family members… it’s a very proud moment for me and my brother. Akala ko nga tumatawa siya eh, pero umiiyak na rin pala siya.”
She added, “For him to see me onstage, must have felt everything to him.”
But tears turned into ‘kilig’ and cheers when they went back to their trailer at the artist compound behind the big main stage of Coachella. Jhoanna and the rest of the girls, noticed something different.
She said, “Pabalik po kami galing Mojave stage, tapos sa artist compound po, siyempre ang titingkad ng suot namin, tapos ang dami po kasing tao sa labas. So, habang naglalakad po kami, siyempre sobrang pagod na kami, tapos nagbubulungan sila. ‘Oh that’s BINI, that’s BINI.’ Tapos 'yung iba, ‘Congrats, you did so great!’”
Stacey added, “Sabi ni Jhoanna kanina, habang, tintignan namin 'yung isa’t isa, parang sabi namin, ‘guys may nagbago sa 'tin?’, bakit lahat binabati kami. Literally, lahat ng mga tao dito sa artist compound chine-cheer kami.”
Jhoanna shared this to Direk Lauren Dyogi, and she candidly asked: “Direk, sumikat po ba tayo?”, to which she replied to her own question, “Sa artist compound lang” followed by a good laugh from the rest of the girls.
BINI had fun and genuinely had a great time in Coachella. Now the question is: where do they go from here?
“We have Grammy’s and Billboard," Aiah said. "And after that, we’re gonna go home to the Philippines! Miss na namin family and friends namin and parang ano po excited po kaming umuwi kasi may iluo-look forward kami na we bring the pride, especially 'yung makita namin 'yung team na wala dito, like sila coaches naming iba and other team po. And siyempre 'yung family namin, kasi matagal kaming nandito. And then hopefully, it’s not the end for us here sa Coachella. Sana, bigger stage, kung ano ang ibibigay na blessing, tatanggapin namin.”
Gwen quickly added, “And malay niyo, pagbalik namin, may kasama na kaming ibang OPM artist! diba?? That would be nice! 'Yun 'yung goal.”
“Nakaka-inspire lalo na mag-push pa,” said Aiah. “And maiisip mo na, there’s more pa to come na parang wala pa 'to. This is the start pa.”
Is that an easter egg for an upcoming project?
Jhoanna dropped some hints, “May mga bagong pasok na projects na hindi pa po namin pwede sabihin, pumasok lang ngayon. Like kahapon lang siya pumasok, so good luck po sa schedule.”
BINI in Coachella will now be forever in the history of Philippine music -- the very first Filipino group to set foot and perform in that global music festival -- sang in Filipino, spoke in Filipino and showed the world the Filipino talent.
“Sobrang grateful kami and overwhelmed talaga kasi hindi rin naman namin in-expect na ganun nila kaming susuportahan,” said Jhoanna. “Yung mga tao sa social media na hindi namin in-expect na magpo-post, sila 'yun talaga... kahit mga artista, may mga bata kaming supporters na umiiyak, 'yung mga LGBTQIA community na sumupport sa amin na para bang Miss Universe 'yung nilabanan namin sobrang overwhelming kasi pumunta lang naman kami dito bitbit lang naman namin 'yung talent namin.”
“Wala kaming ine-expect na anything. Pero pag-uwi namin, grabe binuhusan talaga kami ng blessings ni Lord. 'Yun, hindi naman namin ito magagawa without the support of our fellow Filipinos, thank you.”
BINI whole-heartedly dedicated their Coachella performance to ABS-CBN.
“Please know na itong performance na ito, bukod sa supporters namin at bukod sa Philippines, inaalay namin to sa ABS-CBN family namin. So hopefully, mabawasan kahit konti yung pain 'yung bigat na nafe-feel nila through our performances.”
BINI at the Grammy Museum is happening on April 21 PST.