At Coachella 2025, Lady Gaga did more than headline—she transformed the festival into a grand operatic spectacle that left the audience in awe. The 39-year-old pop icon turned the main stage into an immersive opera house with a set that was an eclectic mix of music, theater, and raw emotion.
Chess-Themed 'Poker Face' and New Music
Gaga’s performance was structured like a narrative opera divided into acts, each presenting themes of death, love, and rebirth. One standout moment was during the chess-themed dance-off in 'Poker Face', where Gaga took on the role of a formidable black queen, commanding the scene and triumphantly declaring, 'Off with her head!' as she claimed victory over a white figure.
The show also featured fresh tunes from her latest album, *Mayhem*. Songs like 'Abracadabra' and 'Die With a Smile' introduced fans to a sound described as a blend of disco and electro grunge. These tracks were not just played, but performed on a visually stunning skull-adorned piano, adding to the theme’s dark allure.
An Opera House on the Desert Stage
The ethereal journey took another haunting turn during 'Zombieboy', where Gaga emerged partially buried in a tomb, surrounded by dancers channeling the undead—a sequence that blurred the line between performance art and macabre theatre. This was just one example of how Gaga and creative director Parris Goebel weaved intricate narratives into the music, keeping the audience engaged both visually and emotionally.
One of the most striking segments was a solo piano performance of 'Shallow'. Situated mid-crowd, Gaga shifted the mood to solemn reverence, showcasing a vulnerability and sincerity that resonated deeply with the attendees.
The climax of the night arrived with a compelling rendition of 'Bad Romance' that wrapped up Gaga's operatic vision. A symbolic death and resurrection sequence had dancers dressed as plague doctors reviving her, making for a dramatic finish that underscored the overarching theme of rebirth and transformation.
Choreographer Parris Goebel deserves applause for her part in crafting the evening's movement. With a troop of two dozen dancers, the choreography was synchronized, intricate, and visually captivating, adding layers to the storytelling.
Some segments, like 'The Beast', showed minor pacing challenges, and the narrative structure occasionally dipped into complexity that demanded close attention. Yet, these were small blemishes on an otherwise masterpiece performance.
Gaga didn't just take the spotlight for herself. She dedicated the show to her devoted fan base and credited her fiancé Michael Polansky for pushing her back into the pop scene, inspiring much of the material on *Mayhem*. As the dust settled on Coachella 2025, Gaga's set was celebrated not just as a concert, but as a cathartic celebration of art, music, and communal experience.