When the inevitable oral chronicle of Coachella is inscribed in the annals of time, the opening day of the 2025 edition of this grand musical festival will undoubtedly be etched in memory for two pivotal reasons. Firstly, the relentless, almost unbearable heat that soared beyond the century mark, rendering the dawn hours of the event a grueling ordeal even for the most ardent desert-gathering enthusiasts. More significantly, however, was Lady Gaga's extraordinary headline performance, undeniably one of the most meticulously crafted and over-the-top spectacles to ever grace the colossal stage of Indio's polo field.
Gaga's showcase, her first full-length set promoting her latest album, 'Mayhem,' was masterfully structured into five acts, each with dramatically evocative titles such as "And She Fell Into A Gothic Dream" and "The Beautiful Nightmare that Knows Her Name." Underlying these acts was a semi-coherent narrative thread seemingly about Gaga confronting and ultimately resurrecting her Mother Monster persona. Regardless of the narrative, Gaga's ambition to reach the heavens was evident from the outset: she emerged singing "Bloody Mary" atop a towering set piece, adorned in a multi-story dress amidst a gothic-inspired stage, where a cluster of dancers clawed their way out of a fashion-prison.
The stage was adorned to resemble an ancient performance venue, complete with gargoyles, Roman columns, and surrounded by an ensemble of musicians—a string section concealed within a window, a powerful drummer and bassist stationed in another, and a team of guitarists poised for battle at a moment's notice. Accompanying Gaga were dozens of dancers, who writhed through incredible moments, transitioning from a zombie-apocalypse-Thriller-style resurrection to a life-sized chessboard battle set to "Poker Face," which escalated into a deadly confrontation, and culminating in a brutalist war march during "Born This Way."
At one pivotal juncture, a masked DJ Gesaffelstein emerged, flanked by two keyboards, to play "Killah," adding to the mesmerizing spectacle. If the entire performance seemed like a疯狂的电影片段, you would not be mistaken: it unfolded like a concert film, with certain set pieces—particularly the chess match—clearly designed to captivate both the live audience on the packed polo field and those watching the livestream at home.
"I decided to build you an opera house in the heart of the desert," Gaga declared mid-set, just before serenading the crowd with her hit "Alejandro." Indeed, it is challenging to fathom how this performance could be replicated in the arenas and stadiums she will tour later this year. The entire spectacle felt tailor-made for the Coachella audience, aligning with the best-of series featuring artists who have dedicated themselves to Coachella headline sets that transcend mere tour stops (Beyoncé and Prince readily come to mind). Gaga's set is the kind that has cemented Coachella's status as the king of music festivals for over two decades. Only time will reveal if this was indeed her plan, but for the 100,000 spectators immersed in the Polo Field, it certainly felt as though she had conquered the festival's throne.
Of course, Gaga wasn't the sole artist to captivate the vast crowd; just moments before she graced the main stage, Missy Elliott continued her well-deserved celebration, igniting a space-themed bash reminiscent of her thrilling arena tour from the previous year. She demonstrated that timeless classics like "Work It" and "Lose Control," over two decades old, were not only enduring but also ahead of their time. Meanwhile, Blackpink's LISA, also known as Mook from "The White Lotus," showcased her solo prowess, striking poses and beaming triumphant smiles during the live premiere of her track "Lifestyle" in the Sahara Tent. From the stage, she also shouted out her trending HBO show. Brian May, the legendary guitarist of Queen, made a sudden appearance alongside a gospel choir, assisting the rapidly ascending newcomer Benson Boone in performing both Queen's iconic "Bohemian Rhapsody" and Boone's own "Beautiful Things." May shredded tastefully, clearly relishing every moment on stage. Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, whose long-standing punk-pop band headlined Saturday's festival edition, joined the reunited Go Go's for a rendition of "Head Over Heels" at the slightly smaller Outdoor Theater. Despite sound issues, they successfully blended two generations of punk together. Ireland's Kneecap incited a mosh pit with their energetic, frenetic Gaelic hip-hop, while newcomer Lola Young led a colossal singalong of her hit "Messy" shortly after a minor mishap offstage—she had to use a bucket to alleviate nausea between songs, clearly battling nerves and heatstroke. On such a sweltering day, where the pressure was palpable, no one could blame her.
