Lady Gaga fans have praised the star’s headline performance at Coachella, with one writing on social media that just watching the elaborate set being built was “like being there when the pyramids of Giza were built”.
The 39-year-old topped the bill at the festival in Indio, California for the second time, having previously done so in 2017.
She opened her set on Friday night (11 April) with “Bloody Mary”, from her 2011 album Born This Way. During the song, she performed in a red dress high up in front of a baroque backdrop featuring gargoyles and angels.
She later sang 2008 hit “Poker Face” on a huge chess board, with her backing dancers playing the role of chess pieces.
Midway through the set, Lady Gaga told the audience that she “wanted to make a romantic gesture” to her fans by building “you an opera house in the desert”.
On X/Twitter, one fan wrote: “Lady Gaga is serving vocals, choreo, visuals, and a STORY all in one performance. this deserves a grammy in itself idgaf.”
Another wrote: “Lady Gaga absolutely devoured her opening to Coachella with Bloody Mary, Abracadabra, Judas & Scheiße this was more amazing then anything I could imagined.”
While a third opined: “Oh Lady Gaga easily one of the best headliners in Coachella history.”
And a fourth added: “Satanic rituals, fighting doppelgangers, chess queen dance battles, zombies, unsettling crutch walks... It's a Lady Gaga opera at Coachella. Our girl is back.”
Gaga was joined by French producer Gesaffelstein for a performance of their collaboration “Killah” from her most recent album Mayhem. The record earned a glowing five-star review from The Independent critic Helen Brown.
Earlier today at the festival, Benson Boone brought out surprise guest Brian May of Queen as he covered “Bohemian Rhapsody” in suitably epic fashion.
Green Day will headline the Saturday night of the festival in Indio, California tomorrow.
Attendees at this year’s festival have complained about long queues and a lack of facilities, branding the experience of arriving at Coachella as “worse than Fyre Festival”.
As well as Green Day making their Coachella debut, Saturday (12 April) will also see performances from British pop star Charli XCX and punk rock band The Original Misfits, while rapper Travis Scott will close out the night after Green Day.
Those not attending the festival in person can livestream performances on Coachella’s YouTube channel or via the new Coachella Livestream app, beginning at 4pm PT/7pm ET each day.
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