Lady Gaga opened Coachella 2025 at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, on April 11. Her set lasted two hours and included material from her new album, Mayhem, as well as past songs like Bloody Mary, Poker Face, Shallow, and Bad Romance.
She began with a ritualistic performance of Bloody Mary, using dark visual themes. Then, during Poker Face, she staged a chess match with dancers.
In 2017, Gaga headlined Coachella as a last-minute replacement for Beyoncé during her Joanne album cycle. In early 2025, Gaga said via Instagram, “I’ve had a vision I’ve never been able to fully realize at Coachella for reasons beyond our control… I have been wanting to go back and do it right, and I am.”
Key Takeaways
- Lady Gaga returned to Coachella with a theatrical performance featuring songs from her new album, Mayhem, and past hits like Poker Face and Shallow.
- Coachella 2025 included surprise appearances by major stars such as Billie Eilish, Brian May, and Bernie Sanders.
- Despite traffic problems and long wait times, the festival drew around 100,000 attendees per day and delivered politically charged performances and unexpected collaborations.
Surprise Guests and Major Artists Fill the Weekend
In addition to Gaga’s headline set, the first weekend of Coachella 2025 featured a long list of scheduled performers and unexpected appearances.
Charli XCX performed her popular tracks Von Dutch and 360, then brought out Billie Eilish, Troye Sivan, and Lorde to perform Guess. The crowd erupted, especially during Eilish’s surprise entrance.
Benson Boone also surprised the audience by performing Bohemian Rhapsody with Queen guitarist Brian May. Before the duet, Boone executed a front flip on stage.
On Friday night, Yeat performed for a crowd that included Justin Bieber, Hailey Bieber, Tate McRae, and The Kid Laroi. BLACKPINK’s Lisa, who recently acted in Season 3 of The White Lotus, danced to Enhypen’s set and performed her own. Her co-star, Patrick Schwarzenegger, supported her from the audience and shared clips on social media.
Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner were also seen with fans during the weekend.
Post Malone closed the weekend by performing his older rap tracks and newer country songs. He ended the performance with Sunflower, telling the crowd, “Keep spreading love, keep giving love, keep receiving love. No matter what you’re going through right now… you’re loved more than you know.”
Political Speeches and Technical Problems Add Layers
However, not everything went smoothly. Before the festival began, many ticket holders were stuck in traffic for up to 12 hours. Coachella replaced its usual first-come, first-served camping process with a reservation-based system, which led to delays and complaints about the lack of water, shade, and restrooms during the wait.
Politics also took the stage at the festival. Senator Bernie Sanders made a surprise speech before Clairo’s Saturday set. He told the crowd, “This country faces some very difficult challenges. The future of what happens to America is dependent upon your generation.”
Green Day used their performance to make political statements. The band altered lyrics to criticize the war in Gaza and what lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong called the “MAGA agenda.”
Irish rap group Kneecap performed on the Sonora stage and led the audience in chants about former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Their live stream cut out at the exact time these remarks were made.
Full List of Surprise Guest Performances
Several surprise guests appeared throughout the weekend. These included:
- Billie Eilish, Lorde, and Troye Sivan (with Charli XCX)
- Brian May (with Benson Boone)
- Bernie Sanders (with Clairo)
- Queen Latifah, Ciara, and Victoria Monét (with Megan Thee Stallion)
- Jennie (with Kali Uchis)
- Noah Cyrus (with Shaboozey)
- John Mayer, Julia Michaels, Maren Morris, Zedd, LL Cool J, and Laufey (with the LA Philharmonic)
- Machine Gun Kelly, DJ Paul, Travis Barker, Wiz Khalifa, Juicy J (with Three 6 Mafia)
- Tyga and Ty Dolla $ign
- Weird Al Yankovic and Flavor Flav (with Yo Gabba Gabba)
- Peso Pluma and Junior H
Other Major Performances Across the Stages
Coachella’s official lineup also included:
- Megan Thee Stallion
- Green Day
- Missy Elliott
- Ed Sheeran
- FKA twigs
- T-Pain
- Tyla
- Weezer
- Jimmy Eat World
- The Marías
- BLACKPINK’s Lisa and Jennie
- Shaboozey
Missy Elliott’s set included laser visuals, and her hits Work It, Lose Control, and Get Ur Freak On. Megan Thee Stallion was joined by Queen Latifah, Ciara, and Victoria Monét.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, led by Gustavo Dudamel, performed with artists like Maren Morris, Zedd, LL Cool J, and Laufey in special sunset shows.
French electronic duo Polo & Pan—Paul Armand-Delille and Alexandre Grynszpan—returned for their second Coachella. Grynszpan told reporters, “We feel a responsibility to represent France. Coachella is definitely a global institution when it comes to festivals.”
