As the Coachella Valley dust settles and the Instagram stories fade into memory, Coachella 2025 leaves behind a festival season full of unforgettable performances, viral fashion statements and a fair share of controversy. From jaw-dropping headliners to questionable outfit choices, this year’s event was anything but forgettable.
Let’s break down the highs, the lows and the “what were they thinking?” moments of this year’s music and fashion showdown.
The fashion
University of Miami alum Alix Earle sparked widespread discussion with her Coachella looks. While her outfits on days 1 and 2 were well-received — featuring layered belts, dark metallic tones and statement jewelry — her day 3 outfit raised eyebrows. The mix of cheetah print, fur boots and bold Jersey-inspired elements was met with confusion, though some fans defended her as one of the few who could pull off such a chaotic ensemble.
“She kind of gave pirate vibes, which was different but definitely up to par with her style,” said Leah Cohen, a University of Miami freshman and finance major.
Known for his consistent Coachella slays, James Charles once again delivered. His day 3 look featured knit details, a pashmina and embellished jeans. Fans appreciated his creativity and praised him for prioritizing fun, original content over the saturated “day in my life” vlog trend.
He posted GRWM videos along with raw moments of him enjoying himself and dancing at the festival.
Charli D’Amelio also made her mark this year. After going viral last year for a see-through top, she drew more attention this year with a sheer outfit featuring revealing cutouts and see-through material over her chest.
She got some hate due to her outfit being in some ways perceived as “inappropriate.” However other fans perceived her outfit as a power move, demonstrating that women’s body parts do not need to be as sexualized as they are.
Fans joked in D’Amelio’s comments, nicknaming this year’s festival “nipchella.” D’Amelio then clapped back with a sarcastic response, similar to one she made last year, in a TikTok video she posted just days after the festival.
“I just really need to admit this to you guys. I actually do have nipples… that’s really all I can say about this right now. I’m sorry,” D’Amelio said.
Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet were seen kissing and were dressed far more casually than expected. Though criticized for their understated looks, the couple ignored the noise and enjoyed the festival, even sneaking away during Travis Scott’s set.
Another A-list celebrity, Paris Hilton, wore multiple long dresses, dancing and skipping around the Coachella grass field. Videos surfaced on TikTok of her playfully skipping away from her security guard as he chased her.
Machine Gun Kelly made a surprise onstage appearance with Three 6 Mafia and Travis Barker, just weeks after welcoming a baby with Megan Fox. Not only did his appearance at the festival shock viewers, but so did his outfit. He wore a yellow camo jacket over a black tank, which fans called disjointed and inauthentic to his usual style.
Young and upcoming TikTok creator Katie Fang was one of the weekend’s biggest fashion misses. She wore a sparkly gold top, a ruffled leather mini skirt, a black cowboy hat, and studded ankle boots. The mix of bold pieces didn’t seem to quite go together cohesively.
Viewers criticized her outfit as haphazard, claiming it looked like she blindly grabbed pieces from a random clothing bin. Multiple Reddit chains began involving people hating on and laughing at her outfit choice.
“Not only do none of these pieces go together, they’re also individually all heinous. Not a slay in sight,” a Reddit comment said.
Other comments offered helpful tips on ways she could have styled the pieces better.
“Honestly the 2010’s booties with the ankle socks is really what’s dragging the outfit down,” a comment said, “knee high boots or even some cowboy boots with scrunch socks would help. If she swapped the skirt for leather shorts or like a long denim skirt maybe.”
The music
Lady Gaga’s headlining set was a performance-art masterpiece. Divided into four acts, the show merged her identity as both “Lady” and “Gaga,” blending light and dark, softness and edge. Dressed in a series of dramatic looks — from a blue gown and crown-like headpiece to a massive red dress hiding a full dance troupe — Gaga put storytelling and spectacle front and center.
Highlights included her dramatic transition from her hit songs “Bloody Mary” to “Abracadabra,” as her 270-meter red skirt lifted to reveal dancers inside. Gaga’s set was a statement on the power of human
creativity in a world overrun by algorithm-fed, AI-driven content. With the recent release of her new album, fans were anticipating a new kind of performance.
“I didn’t really like Gaga’s new album until I saw clips of her performing it,” Emma Paccione, freshman finance major said. “ I feel like it helped me better understand the deeper meaning behind the lyrics.”
Influencer Alix Earle called out the Coachella audience in disappointment during Gaga’s set on TikTok. She posted a video of her dancing and questioned why no one else was as hype as her both in the video and in the caption.
“Everyone was standing like a mannequin HELLO???” she said.
Charli XCX delivered a high-energy set that featured surprise guest appearances by Lorde, Billie Eilish and Troye Sivan. Her rave-inspired set drew on her latest album, “Brat” and included collaborations with Gesaffelstein, Skream and Benga.
Her afterparty outfit — a sash reading “Miss Should Be Headliner” — sparked debate. While some criticized her for relying too much on autotune, others praised her for redefining pop-electronic fusion.
Megan Thee Stallion’s anticipated performance ended abruptly due to reported technical issues. Fans took to social media to express disappointment, with many speculating about mismanagement and poor planning. A rep later confirmed the early end was unplanned, but Megan has not issued a statement.
There was a moment in the performance when Megan had to ask for help with her mic.
“Somebody better come out here and fix my m—-rf—ing microphone,” Megan said.
A worker then got on stage and tried to fix her microphone pack.
Megan continued but did not realize she had gone overtime. She was getting ready to perform the last song of the night, “Mamushi,” when the stage went black. You could hear her say: “Don’t do the hotties like that B—h, they said we gotta go!” She was then granted only a few more seconds to finish her performance.
Rising star Benson Boone had a defining moment when he joined Queen’s Brian May for a rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Boone impressed the crowd with his vocals and athleticism — landing multiple flips mid-performance — and earned praise as one of the festival’s breakout stars.
“He’s been up and coming for a while now and the few songs that I have come across are really good,” Ava Ferrara, pre-law freshman said. “He kind of came out of nowhere so for him to play at Coachella this year was impressive.”
While Boone’s flip gained a lot of attention and praise on social media, concertgoers and fans online did not seem to share the same excitement about Brian May’s appearance. People speculate that the Gen Z crowd was either not aware of May or aware of the significance of his cameo.
Boone wore a sparkly light blue custom Dolce & Gabbana jumpsuit. The jumpsuit was viewed as a fashion risk, yet the majority of people believe he pulled it off. People also claimed that his rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” was moving.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone attempt to cover Bohemian Rhapsody before. Let alone nail it,” a Reddit comment said.
Coachella 2025 proved that, love it or hate it, the festival is still an amazing experience where music, fashion and fame collide in the California desert.
