Recap: Coachella Week 1
One of the most anticipated music festivals in the world took place this past weekend—so let’s talk about it. That’s right, Coachella Week One was packed with top-tier artists. From the Gobi Stage to the Main Stage, the 2025 lineup was a full-force showcase of talent. But now that the weekend is over, the big question remains: did the performances live up to the hype?
First, can we just talk about how diverse this year’s lineup was? I mean, from legends like Missy Elliott and Green Day to modern artists like Tyla and Ivan Cornejo, there was music for everyone’s taste. Of course, we can’t talk about Coachella without mentioning the Yo Gabba Gabba! appearance. If you missed it, you just need to know one thing—they’re just as incredible as our younger selves remember them.
As much as I could keep talking about them, let’s get into Night One.
I have to say, I was a little disappointed with the crowd during Missy Elliott’s performance, as it was one of the best sets of the night. It wasn’t just her legendary status—the performance itself was amazing. The choreography, the outfits, the vocals, the setlist—it all summed up to one thing: icon. Then there are the ones who paid tribute to iconic music festival moments, like Benson Boone’s rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody, even bringing out founding member of Queen, Brian May. He has been one of the most popular artists this year and one of the most anticipated acts of the night, as he channels a 70’s pop-rock performer, something the music industry has not seen in a long time. Many say this was one of the best sets of the weekend. It would be a crime not to mention The Marías, as they took the crowd by storm. Even if they had minimal fans going into Coachella, they left Weekend One with a huge fanbase, with many calling theirs the best performance of Coachella 2025. I won’t argue with that, they deserve their flowers.
There were plenty of other show-stopping sets that night, but there was quite a conflict for many attendees as DJ and producer Mustard and Lady Gaga’s time slots overlapped. Both are amazing talents in their own genres, but who would you pick? Hard choice, but whichever it was, it would not have disappointed. Lady Gaga didn’t just put on a performance—she turned the stage into a production. Singing some of her earliest hits to her most recent releases, she gave us a full-circle moment. Some may be too young to remember her original style, so this may have been an introduction to her old self—or even her new self. The set did not shy away from the “old self vs. new self” concept, and it did not disappoint. Come on, we all know we waited till the end for Bad Romance. But Mustard has made quite a name for himself, releasing some of the biggest hits this past year, making him a popular performer at this year’s Coachella. Many were hoping for an appearance from longtime collaborator Kendrick Lamar, but even without it, Mustard had people dancing and fully embracing the music festival culture.
Night two brought even more excitement, especially for those die-hard Green Day fans. Even after all these years, the musical veterans are still rocking and rolling for the biggest festival in the desert. It was so lit, it even caused a palm tree to catch fire—but that didn’t stop the night of fun. If I’m being honest, there were two performances I could not wait to watch, and one of those was the one and only T-Pain. His music was such a big part of the early 2000s, and who can forget that iconic autotune pitch? No matter the criticism, T-Pain is a star. After so many years, he finally got his Coachella moment, and it was amazing to see all the love he received. But most of all, it was satisfying to hear his live vocals, nobody can take away his talent.
This may be an unpopular opinion, but coming out of such a successful album release and bringing in such a big crowd, Charli XCX did not deliver the way I thought she would. Was it a good performance? Sure. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t expect more. That said, she had one of the best comebacks, and her music is a perfect fit for the music festival vibe. The crowd absolutely loved her. It wouldn’t be a music festival without a little something for the K-pop fans, and night two was all about ENHYPEN. Even without a massive crowd, they delivered a show-stopping performance. With strong vocals and sharp choreography, they made it feel like the biggest show at the festival. However, Week Two will most definitely bring in a bigger crowd—especially after they proved they can put on a show.
Night three was full of some of the biggest names, but I’d like to start off by saying that the second performance I was waiting for was XG. They shut down the Sahara stage—or like Gen Z says, they ate down. But seriously, they were more than ready to take on the main stage, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them headline in the future. Their vocal stability, with creative dance breaks, made them one of the best performances of the weekend. Many would agree, especially those who have followed them since their debut, as they ended their set with Shooting Star, their very first release and the song that started it all. There was no better way to close their performance than by paying tribute to the fans who have been with them since the beginning, and doing so on one of the most prominent stages in the music festival world.
Zedd was also one of the most hyped sets, bringing the whole crowd together to sing along to his mixes and collaborations. I mean, the crowd was the choir. It was fun, energetic, and the vibes were there, but I can’t say I expected anything less from a Zedd set. He’s one of the most popular DJs, bringing EDM-pop to some of the biggest music venues in the world and this time, it just so happened to be in the valley. What about Beabadoobee? It was like listening to the studio recording, that’s how perfect the vocals were. They became a fan favorite this past weekend, and rightfully so. I can’t talk about Weekend One without giving a shoutout to Junior H. He brought Mexican culture to one of the biggest music festivals in the U.S. In the past, artists like Junior H and Ivan Cornejo wouldn’t have taken the main stage at such a big Western festival, but Latin artists have proven that they bring in crowds and gain fans everywhere they go.
It wouldn’t be a live event without a few technical difficulties. Unfortunately, Megan Thee Stallion let out her frustration as she experienced multiple technical failures, which led to a delayed start and caused her set to overlap with Post Malone’s time slot. Any artist would be upset—getting your set cut short at a major event like Coachella, especially after all the preparation that goes into it, is no small thing. Hotties, don’t fret, we all know she is hot girl culture, and she’s definitely going to bring it for Week Two. Despite the hiccup, Post Malone closed the weekend with a great set, embracing country and what I like to call feel-good music.
This year, Coachella Week One had some of the best performances the festival has ever seen. And though many had criticized the lineup when it was first released, it’s now being called one of the best yet. Before closing this out, we have to shout out Coachella for bringing the first Peruvian band, Los Mirlos, to the desert. If people didn’t know what Amazonian cumbia was—now they do. And they got to hear it from the best. We also have to give a big shoutout to Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic for taking the stage, bringing light to orchestral music—the best kind of music, if you ask me.
That’s a wrap for Week One, but there’s still another weekend ahead, and it's sure to be full of surprises.
