It’s been a tough few years for Coachella.

After canceling in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID, the music festival had headliner drama in 2022 due to Kanye West’s misbehavior, a disastrous Frank Ocean set in 2023, and publicly low ticket sales in 2024. Earlier this year, Bloomberg ran an article declaring Coachella “a victim of its own success.” They're not wrong. There’s an argument that Coachella's run of impressive headliners throughout the 2010s, culminating in Beyoncé’s historic Homecoming set, forever distorted expectations for the festival. 

But as much as its A-List names dominate the conversation, Coachella’s lineups always end up being the best of America’s major US festivals. Up and down the poster, they feature unique reunions, respected legends, trendy up-and-comers, and an array of artists from across the globe. As live music becomes increasingly corporatized and homogenized, Coachella still makes the risky booking here and there: hardcore punks, a J-pop girl group, a fictional kid’s band, and the LA Philharmonic Orchestra all under one roster. More often than not, those bookings pay off. 

While Melon himself didn’t go to Coachella, I acted as Fantano’s festival correspondent and headed off to Indio to see what this year had to offer. Perhaps it’s the fest’s proximity to LA, its storied history, celebrity sightings, or its bespoke bookings that give it its undeniable clout. But I’ll share a phrase that my friends and I kept repeating throughout the weekend whenever there was an unexpected surprise guest, debut of new material, or the artist just put their all into a killer (or "Killah") performance. “Coachella: It Just Means More.” 

Best Headliner: Lady Gaga

“I wanted to make a romantic gesture to you this year, in these times of mayhem. I decided to build you an opera house in the desert,” Lady Gaga says with pride to the crowd. Gaga’s newest album Mayhem felt like an act of love for the long-time fans, the ones who enjoyed the twists and turns of her career, but secretly hoped she would return to the dance-pop of her prime. Still, nothing could prepare them for the gift that was Mother Monster’s 2025 Coachella headlining set. This one was for them. 

There was so much for the Monsters to revel at: the Gothic playhouse set, the costume changes from red leather to flowy white, the effortless cool of Paris Goebel’s choreography, Gaga’s nonstop vocals. After each song (though “number” is probably the more proper term for it, given each songs’ theatrical extravagance), you could hear Gaga breathing; the mic was undeniably on. The setlist felt curated for the Monsters too, with new fan favorites like “Killah” and “Garden of Eden” alongside beloved cuts like “Scheiße” and "Judas." Even “Die with a Smile”, Gaga’s colossal hit with Bruno Mars, was shortened so she could really make a meal out of “How Bad Do U Want Me". (We were thankfully spared a Bruno Mars guest appearance.)

Mayhem in the Desert was an impeccable display of everything that makes Lady Gaga one of the most compelling stars of the 21st century: fashion, choreography, and impeccable flair for drama. She duetted with skeletons. She flared a quill pen with the sass of a drag queen. She screamed “off with her head!” It was a true circus, and Gaga was both its ringleader and its top-notch performer. 

In an interview around the release of Mayhem, Gaga affirmed that she’ll never stop playing  “Born this Way” or “Bad Romance". It's moving that Gaga keeps these songs central to her live show. It’s not just that they’re two big hits. Clearly, "playing the hits" isn’t her priority, since she eschewed some of her best-known songs. “Bad Romance” and “Born this Way” are the heart and soul of Lady Gaga – campy, over-the-top, theatrical, and also unapologetic, queer, and sure, a bit sappy. No matter what goes on in the world, Gaga insists on making these songs and their messages central to her stage.

She labeled the encore for her set as the “Eternal Aria of the Monster Heart.” As she performed “Bad Romance”, clips from the music video played across the stage like ghosts. These songs are her Eternal Arias, to be performed forever. It’s clear from this Coachella set that Lady Gaga and her beloved fans will be more than happy singing them together into mayhem and beyond. 

Worst Headliner: Travis Scott 

Going into any performance at Coachella expecting guest appearances is a mistake. The guests are an added bonus, not the initial draw. But Travis Scott is a prolific collaborator, appearing on what feels like every mainstream rap album of the last ten years. Given his options, it wasn't far-fetched to assume he would bring some friends for the show. Scott’s headlining set could’ve been a celebration of his influence across rap, pulling in guests like Future, Playboi Carti, The Weeknd, even SZA. He says it best himself: “Who put this shit together?/I’m the glue.” 

In the Indio desert, that glue melted into a mess. Travis Scott’s set gestured as though it was a Major Rap Event. He performed on a unique circular stage; rumors circulated that he spent over ten million dollars of his own money on the production; he even showed up fifteen minutes late, in classic diva fashion. Everything was flashy: floating dancers, pyrotechnics, a full orchestra. But the Rap Event lacked a purpose to tie everything together.

All that flash was a cover to hide the reality that Travis Scott is not compelling enough on his own. The energy wasn’t in the crowd because Scott himself did not bring it. He opened his set with Playboi Carti’s “CRUSH”, trying to co-opt Carti’s mystique as his own. But the song ended before Scott actually did his own verse. It’s hard not to see that as a metaphor for Travis's inability to captivate on his own.

Travis played through his hits like "FE!N", "SICKO MODE", and "goosebumps", but his rapping alternated between sleepy boredom and screaming into the mic. Though his rapping skills were never the point. You go to a Travis Scott show to mosh, to jump around, to have fun with your friends, and to party to his frat-bro anthems. Yet even that didn’t feel quite right here, with the shadow of the Astroworld tragedy looming large. Though every Travis Scott song insists that “It’s lit,” you can’t quite feel comfortable letting your inhibitions loose at his shows anymore.

Last year, Tyler, the Creator brought a version of his Call Me If You Get Lost tour to Coachella. Even after touring the world with that album, he still managed to make his headlining set feel fresh, bombastic, and a must-see at the festival. This year, Travis created an entirely new production; he “Designed the Desert,” as per his Coachella billing. None of those fancy designs made this set feel any more alive. 

Best: Respect Your Elders 

While other major US festivals often neglect artists that started before the 21st century, Coachella’s lineup usually crosses generations. 2025 was no different. Some of the weekend’s best moments came from artists who have been playing for decades. 

“Most of these songs are from The Beauty and the Beat, which came out in 1980. Which is, I think, before most of you were born,” Belinda Carlisle joked during The Go-Go’s set. She’s not wrong, but the long shadow of The Go-Go’s is still felt today. Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong – a Go-Go’s disciple – was thrilled to be a surprise guest for “Head Over Heels.” And the group closed out their set with “We Got The Beat”, incorporating “HOT TO GO!” from another spiritual descendent, Chappell Roan.

Beth Gibbons was accompanied by a seven-piece, multi-instrumentalist orchestra for her set at the Gobi tent. She brought the chamber pop of her proper debut solo album Lives Outgrown to the desert in haunting, mysterious fashion. Gibbons’s voice is just as alluring on Lives Outgrown as it is with Portishead, so it felt like a cherry on top when she threw in the Portishead hit "Glory Box".

On Sunday, Circle Jerks simply demolished the Sonora. “We’re here to give you a Southern California punk rock lesson,” vocalist Keith Morris told the crowd at the start of the set. That they did. The hardcore pioneers careened through a 22 song set, interspersed with breaks for the moshers to catch their breath and Morris to offer statements like “We need an army of Luigis.” By the end, young punks and dads in the crowd were smiling, sweaty, and fired up. Lesson learned. 

Worst: MIA twigs 

Look, I get it: things happen. Touring, especially in 2025, is a logistical beast. So much is outside an artist’s control. This year, two artists booked to play Coachella – FKA twigs and Anitta –dropped out prior to the festival. twigs had to cancel her entire US tour due to visa issues, while Anitta dropped out due to “unexpected personal reasons.” I take no issue with either artist. As much as I wanted to experience Eusexua in the desert, I understand. 

Both artists were billed as top-line, and neither were replaced. Goldenvoice, the production company behind Coachella, swaps out headliners when they cancel, but not the next level down, apparently. Weezer was a last-minute addition to the Weekend One lineup, but that wasn’t technically a replacement. Historically, Coachella saves a couple acts to announce during the week of the fest. This festival is too pricey to lose top-line artists! Even an addition of a couple smaller acts with the loss of Twigs and Anitta would’ve been appreciated, as it left the lack of those two artists feeling like a big gap that went unfilled.

Best: “My next guest is…” 

If anything makes this festival’s pricey ticket worth it, it’s not the headliners. It’s the way that artists across the lineup do something extra special, just for Coachella. Sometimes, that’s new music. Artists including Arca, Amaarae, and Wisp debuted fresh material during their sets. Other times, it’s brand-new sets, played for the first time in the desert.

But Coachella is most famous for its surprise guests. The guests add spontaneity, excitement, and a “couldn’t happen anywhere else” quality that makes this festival worth it. This year was no exception. 

Danny Brown was the weekend’s frequent flier. During AG Cook’s Gobi slot, Brown appeared out of a red telephone box to rap on Charli xcx’s “Party 4 u.” Britpop called and the Detroit rapper was happy to answer. The next day, he showed up again with Underscores, performing an unreleased track called “Copycats”. Danny is a vocal fan of Underscores’ glitchy, emo-tinged pop, so it was a thrill to see them debut their track together. 

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The most star-studded set of the weekend was from the LA Philharmonic, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. Before moving en masse to party to Charli, the crowd gathered respectfully at the Outdoor Theater for the LA Phil’s long-awaited Coachella debut. It did not disappoint. LA Philharmonic was joined by Laufey, Maren Morris, Becky G, CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso, Zedd, and LL Cool J, performing orchestral renditions of EDM hits, Latin trap, and gospel pop. Throw in the Star Wars “Imperial March” for good measure. As the sun set over the mountains, Zedd played "Clarity" on the piano, joined by one of the world's finest orchestras. Talk about a remedy. It was the epitome of an Only At Coachella moment. 

For me, no one could best the rare appearance of Lorde, who joined Charli xcx for the “Girl, so confusing” remix. The duo strutted down the catwalk as Lorde sang “You walk like a bitch.” Charli may have dropped a hint for Lorde’s upcoming music, proclaiming “Lorde Summer 2025" as the pop star left the stage.

Worst: Sound Bleeding From Other Stages 

With eight concurrent stages all in the same place, some sound bleeding is unavoidable. Still, this year had the worst issues I had ever experienced in my years at Coachella.

At the Outdoor Stage, The Marías held the crowd in the palm of their hand during the first half of their set. Their psychedelic, vibed-out pop felt right at home in the desert. But as soon as Missy Elliott began on the Coachella stage, the energy dissipated. The bass from Missy’s set rumbled across the field, breaking the magnetism of María Zardoya’s voice. The next day, you could barely hear the intricate orchestration from Beth Gibbons with Green Day’s bombastic pop-punk nearby.

Lighting Round:

• Best: Kneecap brought rambunctious, tent-shaking energy to their killer show. Only Kneecap could get an American audience to chant along to “Maggie’s in a box.” 
• Worst: Near the end of Megan Thee Stallion’s set, the sound cut out completely. At least let her end the song! 
• Best: “I can tell you loved it, like a lot,” Arca smirked as she closed out her debut Coachella set. She commanded the stage with such ease, and that’s not even mentioning Addison Rae’s surprise live debut of “Aquamarine / Arcamarine”. 
• Worst: Watching people try to twerk to Kraftwerk. Set ruled, though. 
• Best: Brat Summer may be dead, per the burning of a Brat flag at the end of Charli xcx's set. But who cares!? The best part of the phenomenon was always the album, and Charli flawlessly brought her party to the desert. Every good party has the right crowd, and Charli’s trio of Troye Sivan, Billie Eilish, and Lorde lived up to it.  
• Worst: The exodus of the crowd after Djo performed “End of Beginning”. He had just one song left! 
• Best: Clairo’s very special guest, Senator Bernie Sanders.