Coachella: How the Festival Started and What Were the Most Iconic Sets
Coachella's 2025 opening weekend delivered a series of unforgettable performances. Lady Gaga's Friday night headlining set stood out as the weekend's most talked-about moment. Her performance, built around her new "Mayhem" album, featured multiple acts, costume changes, and a dramatic storyline, earning widespread acclaim and overshadowing her previous Coachella appearance.
That said, Coachella hasn't always been the spectacle it is now. The festival has seen its own sets of ups and downs, including financial losses. Here's a look at the storied history of Coachella.
How It Started
The origins of Coachella trace back to a 1993 Pearl Jam concert at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. The band, boycotting Ticketmaster venues over service charges, drew nearly 25,000 fans, proving the site's potential for large-scale events.
Inspired by this success, Goldenvoice promoter Paul Tollett launched the first Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in October 1999. Headlined by Beck and Rage Against the Machine, the inaugural event attracted over 25,000 attendees but failed to turn a profit due to high costs and scorching desert heat.
After skipping 2000 to regroup financially, Coachella returned in April 2001 as a single-day event before expanding to two days in 2002.
From its humble beginnings as an experimental gathering in the California desert, Coachella steadily grew into one of the most influential music festivals worldwide. By 2007, it added a third day to accommodate larger lineups and increasing demand. A pivotal moment came in 2012 when organizers expanded the festival to two consecutive weekends with identical lineups, doubling its capacity and cultural impact.
This growth was accompanied by innovations such as camping grounds, which were introduced in 2003, and increasingly elaborate art installations that became synonymous with the festival experience.
Most Iconic Performances
Over the years, Coachella has hosted some of the most iconic sets in music history. Beyoncé's 2018 headlining performance, dubbed "Beychella," made her the first Black woman to headline the festival. Her show featured a massive ensemble, a Destiny's Child reunion, and a celebration of Black culture, later immortalized in the Netflix documentary "Homecoming".
Daft Punk's 2006 pyramid stage set is widely regarded as one of the most spectacular live shows ever, blending electronic music with groundbreaking visuals.
Prince's 2008 appearance, highlighted by his emotional cover of Radiohead's "Creep," left a lasting impression on fans.
Other legendary moments include the 2012 Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg set, which featured a hologram of Tupac Shakur, Madonna's surprise collaboration with Drake in 2015, and Harry Styles' duet with Shania Twain in 2022.
