Lady Gaga delivered a five-act career-spanning — and perhaps defining — performance, Benson Boone sang “Bohemian Rhapsody” with Queen’s Brian May on guitar, and Lisa drew a massive crowd to the Sahara tent as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival opened in the California desert.
The 2025 edition, kicking off the year’s big music festival season, started Friday and runs through Sunday, followed by April 18 to 20.
Held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., in the Coachella Valley stretch of the Sonoran Desert, Coachella is one of the most influential music events on the calendar — and can sometimes tease what’s forthcoming in the zeitgeist. Lest we forget Chappell Roan’s career-confirming performance in 2024, when she introduced herself to the crowd with “I’m your favorite artist’s favorite artist,” a reference to “Ru Paul’s Drag Race” winner Sasha Colby. In many ways, it marked a moment when Roan moved from an obsession for those with their fingers on music’s pulse to a mainstream success story, foreshadowing her breakout year. That’s the beauty of Coachella.
This year, like every year, Coachella’s lineup spans genre and generation: Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone and Travis Scott. Charli XCX, Missy Elliott, Megan Thee Stallion, Kraftwerk, Mustard, Tyla, Japanese Breakfast, Arca. Weezer and Ed Sheeran joined the billing last minute. FKA Twigs was also set to play both Friday dates but had to cancel her performances due to ongoing visa issues.
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