Gaga steals the show, White Lotus star parties and a rock legend is snubbed: This is Coachella
By Cindy Yin
While many of us might associate April with the Easter long weekend, for hundreds of thousands of music fans it marks the beginning of one of the biggest music festivals in the world – Coachella.
More than 100,000 festival-goers flock to the Californian desert daily for two weekends of music, merry-making, and eye-watering food prices. And although last year only 80 per cent of the event’s 250,000 tickets were sold, Coachella still generates plenty of its own viral moments to capture the culture’s attention.
Weekend one of Coachella served up an array of surprise appearances.Credit: Getty Images
From the audience’s complete ignorance of a rock legend, to US Senator Bernie Sanders’ unlikely surprise appearance to a mini The White Lotus cast reunion and more, here are five of the most memorable moments so far at Coachella 2025.
Who doesn’t recognise Brian May?
Apparently, not most of the crowd on Friday night (US time). There was little commotion for Brian May, founding member and lead guitarist of Queen when he made a surprise appearance to perform Bohemian Rhapsody with Grammy-nominated singer Benson Boone.
The crowd seemed way too quiet, and gave a lacklustre response to the rock legend, who contributed to some of Queen’s biggest hits such as We Will Rock You alongside bandmates Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor.
Brian May and Benson Boone at Coachella’s main stage on Friday.Credit: Getty Images for Coachella
Although the subdued response might be unsurprising, given the festival has come under fire in recent years for attracting ranks of influencers less interested in the music and more interested in taking selfies.
In a TikTok video which has since garnered over 2 million likes, Boone wrote: “Me trying to get the crowd at Coachella to understand what an absolute legend Brian May is and the cultural impact he has on music and THE WORLD”.
Bernie Sanders
Coachella is no longer reserved for musicians only, with politicians dipping their toes into the music festival too.
Vermont Democrat senator Bernie Sanders made a surprise appearance onstage to introduce singer Clairo, delivering a rousing speech calling upon the mostly young audience to stand up against billionaires and the Trump administration.
Appearing for his war on extreme wealth tour – called Fighting Oligarchy – at Coachella on Saturday, he said: “This country faces some very difficult challenges and the future of what happens to America depends on your generation.
“You can turn away and you can ignore what goes on, but if you do that, you do it at your own peril. We need you to stand up to fight for justice, to fight for economic justice, social justice and racial justice.”
White Lotus star makes waves onstage
Singer Lalisa Manobal, also known as Lisa, made her acting debut in season three of Mike White’s hit HBO drama The White Lotus. She also performs with K-pop juggernauts Blackpink, one of the biggest girl groups worldwide.
Manobal referenced her character, Mook, during her Coachella set, joking: “For the White Lotus fans, you might be surprised to see Mook on stage. This is her when she’s not working, you know?”
Co-stars Patrick Schwarzenegger, who played Saxon, the eldest son of the wealthy Ratliff family, and Tayme Thapthimthong, who played Mook’s security guard love interest, Gaitok, also supported her from the crowd.
“Excuse my dancing I had a cocktail,” Schwarzenegger wrote on Instagram.
The return of ‘Gagachella’
It’s no surprise that pop star extraordinaire Lady Gaga’s electrifying return to Coachella prompted festival goers and fans alike to call the festival “Gagachella”.
Gaga seemed to steal the show on Friday night, stunning audiences as she danced with model skeletons, fought a dancer dressed as a monster and served up a surprise encore. She performed 20 of her most career-defining songs, such as Poker Face, Die With a Smile, Bad Romance, and Shallow.
Lady Gaga’s fans have called the festival “Gagachella”.Credit: Getty Images for Coachella
It marks her first headlining slot in eight years since she stepped in as Beyoncé’s last-minute replacement in 2017. This year, she is back in full force alongside the other official headliners, Green Day, Travis Scott and Post Malone.
Her performance will leave many Australian fans eagerly waiting for December when Gaga will touch down for her first show in Australia since 2014’s ArtRave: The ARTPOP Ball.
The fantastic four
While brat summer may be well and truly behind us (for southern hemisphere-dwelling folks, too), needless to say, Charli XCX’s star-studded set left many wanting more.
Strobe lighting, hardcore bass and screaming fans wearing “Brat” T-shirts defined English pop singer Charli XCX’s Coachella performance on Saturday night. The Grammy-winner brought her signature club party energy, inviting fellow singers Troye Sivan, Billie Eilish and Lorde to join her on stage.
With Reuters