Singer transformed the desert into an operahouse, and told the story of Mayhem — while effortlessly embedding the classics in her gothic dream sequence

American singer Lady Gaga returned to a massive audience for the first time in eight years to headline the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Friday night, dancing with model skeletons, fighting a dancer dressed as a monster and serving up a surprise encore.

Headliner Lady Gaga paid tribute to her illustrious career at the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., Friday night and was received with an uproar of cheers from her Little Monsters.