Coachella 2025: Lady Gaga brings a night of 'Mayhem' to desert with sets, vocals galore

When Lady Gaga tells you that the category of the night is "dance or die," there's only one thing to do: "Dance in the dark" until you drop.

When Lady Gaga was announced as the Friday night headliner at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, she promised fans "a massive night of chaos in the desert." And that's exactly what thousands of fans got. The multi-Grammy Award winner brought mayhem, drama, theatrics and an insanely good time to the festival Friday night, closing out the first day by showcasing everything the singer does best.

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, the singer's full name, delivered just a taste of what her upcoming Mayhem Ball will entail, including an elaborate video introduction that led into the first act ("Of Velvet and Vice") of her perfectly choreographed, nearly two-hour set. She kicked things off with a package of religious leaning songs and motifs, such as opener "Bloody Mary." But a night of mayhem doesn't come without an appearance from the lady in red, a notorious figure from her "Abracadabra" music video. Lady Gaga, dressed in a poofy red gown and stuck behind a cage, announced fans had to "dance or die" before leading into her latest hit single.

Complemented by her entourage of dancers, who were also wearing red outfits, they delivered in the visual department. It was clear her show would be a full production — even before she started singing the screen listed all of the crew members, from the cinematography to production to choreography departments, who contributed to bringing the intricate show to life. After a certain point, you didn't know what element was more impressive, whether it was the perfectly in-sync dancing or the visually stunning mayhem house on stage or the light-up chessboard utilized for one of her first hit songs "Poker Face." Not to mention, the theatrics were on full display on "Poker Face," when she was facing off against a white queen piece and later yelling "Off with her head" when she defeated the masked woman.

Friday night's performance marked Lady Gaga's second time headlining Coachella, but in many ways it felt like her true first time. In 2017, she was asked to fill-in for Beyoncé when she withdrew, citing concerns about performing while pregnant with twins. Gaga was given just over a month to prepare for the performance. She said in an Instagram post that she "had a vision I’ve never been able to fully realize at Coachella for reasons beyond our control but I wanted to come through for music fans." It was obvious that fans couldn't get enough as they were dancing, cheering and shouting "Gaga! Gaga!" all night long.

Lady Gaga's Coachella headlining performance comes as she's having one of the biggest years of her career. She released her seventh studio album, "Mayhem," in March, and its many catchy dance tunes were showcased throughout her set. "Garden of Eden" turned the whole stage green, providing yet another religious motif. Additionally, Mistress Mayhem was brought up during several visual and voiceover elements, showing us just how much of a chokehold she had on the evening. And honestly, she can stay, because it meant there would be many entertaining moments on the big screen.

In addition to the sets, camerawork and other production elements, one can't not mention how incredible Lady Gaga's vocals were throughout the show. Whether she was singing behind her piano, busting out an electric guitar or shrieking, her singing abilities never faltered. Even when she showed off some intense dance moves, the singing was never sacrificed, the sign of a true entertainer.

In Act II, titled "And She Fell Into a Gothic Dream," Lady Gaga showcased a smattering of her musical eras. Kicking things off with "Perfect Celebrity," she was covered with dust and surrounded by skulls — I told you it was a night of elaborate sets! She also sang into the crowd looking for her "Alejandro," a hit from "The Fame Monster."

Though she was poised and clearly focused on delivering a set that festivalgoers wouldn't forget for a long time, the singer still got emotional while looking out at the crowd after finishing up "Paparazzi" (which featured the music video's iconic crutches).

"I love you so much. I wanted to make a romantic gesture to you this year in these times of mayhem. I've decided to build you an opera house in the desert for all the love and all the joy and all the strength you've given me my whole life," the headliner said. "Sometimes I feel like I went into a dream when I was like 20 years old. I've been in a dream ever since then and I don't know if I ever wanted to wake up because what if you weren't there?"

Showcasing her groovy side on "Killah," she was joined by French DJ and collaborator Gesaffelstein, who was masked. She donned a blue and sparkly black leotard, along with a blue ruffle coat, and she owned every move she made on stage and the runway. She teased in a recent interview that she was excited to sing "Killah" for the crowd because it "pops off."

Act III ("The Beautiful Nightmare that Knows Her Name") featured her at her most silliest, like when she danced with a skeleton for the groovy and sexy song "Zombieboy." Nothing says fully going for the gag like lovingly looking into a skeleton's eyes and serenading it.

Earlier this year, she won a Grammy Award for her hit duet "Die with a Smile" with Bruno Mars. Surprisingly, she sang the song solo, but that didn't hinder the performance at all. She donned a regal blue dress and black headpiece

Act IV ("To Wake Her is to Lose Her") began with her Michael Jackson-sounding tune "Shadow of a Man." Wearing a slick, short, black suit, the singer oozed cool as she continued to show off her impressive dance moves.

Gaga's love for her fans was evident all night long, but especially when singing "Born This Way," a song she said she hopes to sing with crowds forever. Fireworks filled the night sky as the chorus swelled over the Empire Polo Club grounds.

Of course, a visit to Coachella would be incomplete without a performance of "Shallow," her Oscar-winning song from "A Star Is Born." Gaga and actor Bradley Cooper filmed the iconic scene in the film at the festival, back when she headlined the first time. This time, however, she sang the song by herself.

The singer seemingly finished her polished set with "Vanish Into You," walking through the crowd and giving as many fans a memory they won't forget.

But sike! The true grand finale ("Eternal Aria of the Monster Heart") was only beginning. With a number of Black Plague-era masked doctors on stage, they brought Gaga back to life because "monsters never die." The evening wasn't over until "Bad Romance" played, and the singer, wearing a dramatic white outfit with feathers, closed it out with explosive fireworks. Now that's how you end a Coachella performance.

(This story was updated to add photos.)

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.