In 2017, Lady Gaga faced the daunting challenge of stepping in for Beyoncé, who withdrew from her headliner slot at Coachella due to pregnancy. Gaga's performance during her Joanne era was nothing short of impressive, showcasing her exceptional talent as a live performer. While only Beyoncé could rival her in terms of live performance capability, Gaga delivered a set that exemplified her status as a consummate entertainer and a generational talent. However, Gaga felt she had unfinished business at Coachella. “I’ve had a vision I’ve never been able to fully realize at Coachella for reasons beyond our control,” she expressed in an Instagram post announcing her return for another headlining performance this spring. “I have been wanting to go back and do it right, and I am.” And did she ever.
Gaga approached her Coachella performance with a sense of transformation rarely seen in contemporary pop. With the intensity of a predator, she captivated the audience from the moment she appeared in her outrageous queen attire—a multi-story hoop skirt that opened to reveal backup dancers in a birdcage. The nearly two-hour show, which featured 22 songs from her extensive dance-pop catalog, has been dubbed “Gagachella” by her fans and is now considered one of the most memorable headliner sets in Coachella history. This performance stands shoulder to shoulder with Beyoncé’s postponed Homecoming, showcasing Gaga’s fully realized vision as a pop master and an exhilarating dance party that elevated her production and delivery above her peers.
At 38, Gaga reigns supreme in the world of pop music, a fact she wielded to stunning effect as she addressed a massive crowd, stretching far beyond the eye could see. “Welcome to my house,” she declared before launching into “Bloody Mary.” This was an understatement, as her stage resembled a grand neoclassical opera house—a captivating realm of elaborate make-believe. With the release of her new album, Mayhem, Gaga returned to her roots of pulsating volume, gritty synths, high theatrics, and irresistibly catchy hooks. The show conjured a fantasy world of witches and queens, presenting a twisted fairytale of light and dark through five acts.
Interestingly, Gagachella was not a complete career retrospective—no songs from Artpop, Joanne, or Chromatica were included, save for “Shallow” from A Star Is Born. Yet, the performance still felt all-encompassing, seamlessly weaving her foundational works like The Fame and Born This Way with her latest offerings. Mayhem marks a triumphant return for Gaga, showcasing a hard-earned understanding of her many personas and presenting pop music with a fierce edge and insatiable desire.
Gaga's performance style has always been one of possession; her frenetic dance moves resemble an exorcism, a refreshing departure from her peers. Gagachella featured a striking narrative of internal conflict, illustrated through powerful imagery—a court battle between a domineering black queen and an innocent in white. This thematic duality was further expressed through dramatic wig changes and pulsating transitions that highlighted her army of backup dancers and metal instrumentalists.
Throughout the performance, Gaga skillfully balanced her theatrical portrayal with genuine moments of connection. She took time to acknowledge her fans, her fiancé, and her belief in interconnectedness, stating, “The truth is we’re all one. It’s all just one big fucking thing,” before launching into the triumphant anthem Born This Way. The mayhem culminated in a breathtaking finale of Bad Romance, staged with Frankenstein-esque revivification and plague masks, shifting between performance intensity and personal joy.
Gagachella was not just a concert; it was a spectacle of pop theater that left an indelible mark on the Coachella legacy. Gaga led not one, but two extended curtain calls with her entire cast and crew—an unusual but fitting tribute for an unforgettable night. This performance solidified her status as a pop icon, demonstrating that when it comes to live music, few can rival the sheer artistry and passion of Lady Gaga.
