David Lee Roth made a surprise return to the spotlight at Coachella, joining Teddy Swims onstage for a high-energy performance of Jump.
Swims, who kicked off his main stage set with a promise of special guests, used a doorbell sound effect to introduce each collaborator. The crowd first welcomed Joe Jonas and Vanessa Carlton before the biggest surprise of the set arrived.
When the doorbell rang again, out walked Roth.
“Oh, my God! It’s David Lee Roth from the best f—king band of all time, Van Halen!” Swims shouted as Diamond Dave hit the stage to a roaring crowd.
Moments later, the unmistakable synth intro of “Jump” blasted through the desert air, and Roth was in full form.
Dressed in a flashy, bedazzled vest and tight pants, Roth delivered the classic with his signature swagger. He spun, strutted, and twirled the mic stand during the solo as he worked the massive Coachella catwalk. It may have been just one song, but there was nothing low-energy about it.
Swims, clearly soaking it all in, grinned ear to ear as he shared the stage with the Van Halen legend.
Rolling Stone had this to say: “Swims saved the most special guest for last: The final time the doorbell rang, out emerged David Lee Roth, sporting a trademark smile, leather vest, and skintight pants, and sounding fantastic: Swims beamed while the two sang the Van Halen classic “Jump” to each other, imperfectly and charmingly missing the entrance to the second verse and laughing it off. Roth was positively beaming as he stood on the catwalk in the middle of the thousands-strong crowd as the song hit its key-change crescendo, and he had every reason to celebrate: It was clear another generation had learned Van Halen’s biggest hit by osmosis, fist pumping and singing along to the song’s climax.”
The appearance comes as Roth continues his return to live performances. After stepping away from touring, he hit the road again in 2025 and is set to launch a new U.S. run beginning April 16.
One thing is for sure. When “Jump” hits, even at Coachella, it still brings the house down.
Watch the Video:
Teddy Swims brings Val Halen lead singer David Lee Roth to perform 'JUMP' at #Coachella pic.twitter.com/v5rutOg9NL
— FilmIndex (@FilmIndexMedia) April 11, 2026
Video Interview with DLR:
The L.A. Times’ pop music critic sat down with legendary rocker David Lee Roth to talk about his first time at Coachella, the “forgiving” audience, Teddy Swims and what his name actually means. You can watch the two-minute interview on the L.A. Times.