Coachella is the largest music festival in the U.S., and one of the largest in the world, with over 750,000 attendees in 2025. During the two weekends at this California festival, you can enjoy the music of young stars like Reneé Rapp and music icons like Lady Gaga, alike. There is something for every music taste, from pop and rap to country, R’n’B, soul, rock, and techno.

Although Coachella has dozens of performers and, oftentimes, multiple headliners, there are certain performances that stand out. As the first weekend of Coachella 2026 is finally here, we decided to look at the best Coachella performances in history!

3. Lady Gaga (2025)

Lady Gaga has been one of the most electric performers in pop music since the moment she broke into the mainstream. And more than twenty years into her career, Lady Gaga proved that she is still an incredible performer at Coachella 2025. She was one of three headliners, along with Green Day and Post Malone, but her show was undoubtedly the most memorable.

Gaga’s performance at Coachella came about a month after the release of her sixth studio album, Mayhem. Although songs from her most recent album made up most of the setlist at Coachella, Lady Gaga did not forget her hits. She performed her timeless pop anthems Alejandro, Paparazzi, Poker Face, Judas, and Born This Way. She even treated fans to a rendition of Die With a Smile. The entire show’s song choice, entertainment value, choreography, and costumography made it one of the best Coachella performances in history.

2. Kendrick Lamar (2017)

Kendrick Lamar was one of the three headliners at Coachella in 2017, alongside Lady Gaga and Radiohead. Although Kendrick Lamar had plenty of critical acclaim and popularity before, his DAMN. era truly launched him from a young music star to a global rap phenomenon. And it was the DAMN. album that brought him to Coachella as a headliner that year.

At Coachella, Lamar performed nearly the entirety of his album, with hits like DNA and HUMBLE shining live. Of course, he also made space on his setlist for his earlier hits. That included Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe, Swimming Pools (Drank), and m.A.A.d city. With a dominant stage presence and global hits, Kendrick Lamar made a mark on Coachella history.

1. Beyoncé (2018)

Beyoncé is one of the greatest performers in pop music, that much has been obvious for years. But Queen Bey cemented her legacy as one of the greatest of all time with her performance at Coachella in 2018. Popularly dubbed Beychella, Beyoncé’s Coachella performance had it all: vocals, choreography, backup dancers, a massive orchestra, costume changes, and an unforgettable setlist.

Beyoncé was originally supposed to perform in 2017, but she had to bow out due to pregnancy. When she returned to the stage in 2018, she did so with a vengeance. She sang her older hits like Deja Vu, Crazy In Love, Drunk In Love, Survivor, Say My Name, and Get Me Bodied. Of course, she wowed fans with renditions of the hits from Lemonade, her most recent album at that point. Beyoncé redefined what a headliner at Coachella was supposed to look like, giving one of the best Coachella performances in history. This performance was immortalized in the Netflix documentary, getting 1.1 million viewers in 24 hours in the U.S. alone.

Summary of the Best Coachella Performances in History

Coachella is always an exciting time in music, whether you are a fan of a headliner or one of the other artists performing. Although there have been some misses, like Justin Bieber’s lazy excuse for a performance, most recently, Coachella is still a stalwart of music festivals. The best Coachella performances in history combine talent, popularity, and showmanship. That is why we selected these three performances!