Little Monsters, grab your fishnets and get ready for some “Gothic dreams” in the desert. Lady Gaga is making her grand return to the Coachella —and this time, she’s bringing Mayhem with her.
The global pop icon is set to headline the Friday lineup of the iconic festival, marking her first Coachella performance since 2017. Back then, she stepped in last-minute to replace Beyoncé, who had announced she was pregnant with twins. Eight years later, Gaga is back on the main stage—but don’t expect a repeat performance.
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“I don’t want to give anything away,” Gaga teased in an interview with Out, “but I’ll say that it’s a completely different show to what I did the first time. It’s going to incorporate a lot of the new record… and I’m so excited. I’m working on it with Parris Goebel, and we’re really having a good time.”
The new record she’s referring to? Mayhem, Gaga’s latest album, already streaming on all major platforms—and already being embraced by fans, particularly in the LGBTQ+ community, for its raw energy and theatrical vibes.
“Mayhem is, to me, a lot of Gothic dreams,” Gaga explained. “I’ve realized that’s been a part of my music since early in my career. So I’m just really thinking about the lighting, the feeling, the energy, and what I want to help people feel that night.”
And Gaga’s got big plans for that feeling. With a full two-hour set to play with, she’s aiming to deliver more than just a performance—she’s curating an experience. “It’s amazing that I get a time slot where they’re like, ‘You get two hours to make people happy.’ I’m going to do my best.”
Gaga’s mission to spread joy is especially personal as she speaks to her longtime relationship with her queer fans. “I just want to make people happy, so I hope that my queer fans feel happy listening to the music,” she said. “To me, music is a gift and contribution to culture.”
She adds, with her signature sincerity, “It’s an honor to be in conversation with the queer community all of these years. Thank you so much for giving me so much inspiration.”
Mayhem is available now on all streaming services. For tickets and information on Lady Gaga’s Coachella performance, visit coachella.com.
