2026 Impact 50 Honoree: Paul Tollett

PAUL TOLLETT
President & CEO
Goldenvoice

BY THE NUMBER: 3. The days it took for Coachella 2026 to sell out after announcing its pop‑heavy lineup.
SAVE THE DATES: Coachella returns in 2027, April 9-11 and 16-18.

At some point during the first weekend of Coachella in April, Sabrina Carpenter paused to express her gratitude to those who made her memorable headline set possible.

“I want to thank a couple of people. I want to thank Paul. Paul, if you’re here, you’re the guy,” the pop star said during her Sabrinawood set, an ode to old Hollywood.

While some fans may have wondered who Carpenter was referring to—many on social media thought she was mentioning the great Sir Paul McCartney—those in the industry knew exactly who she was talking about: Paul Tollett, president and CEO of Goldenvoice, the promoter behind major music festivals like Coachella, Stagecoach, Just Like Heaven, Portola and Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival.

This year’s Coachella made headlines with a diverse lineup headlined by Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G, but the biggest news came three days after the onsale: both weekends of the festival had sold out.

Such a feat wasn’t accomplished in the previous few years, and Goldenvoice is poised to keep the momentum going into 2027. Even amid an uncertain economic climate, the festival already sold out the advance sale for next year’s edition without even announcing a lineup.

That demand is a testament to Tollett and his team’s work in recalibrating its flagship event by leaning into today’s diverse pop landscape while delivering the hip acts attendees are accustomed to seeing, uniting a variety of niche groups, from EDM fans to Latin aficionados to Beliebers. Coachella roared back in 2026 with vengeance to show the industry and naysayers that the festival circuit is alive and well and such events still have a major influence on the ever-evolving music culture.

Announcing this year’s artists on the bill last September, about four months earlier than when the 2025 lineup was announced, was a confident move on Goldenvoice’s part that proved to be successful, with fans claiming all advance 2027 passes in just a matter of hours.

It’s safe to say Tollett and his team are going to experience another big year.