Lady Gaga's Coachella Set: All of the Easter Eggs to Mother Monster Lore

Mother Monster just delivered a performance for the ages at Coachella. Opening with an epic rendition of "Bloody Mary" followed by her new track "Abracadabra," Lady Gaga began her headlining set with high camp, gothic drama. For the next hour and a half, she took the crowd through enough set changes, costume changes, and hair changes to leave everyone completely and utterly mind-blown. There was a three-dimensional chess game! A sandbox filled with skeletons! A giant billowing cape! A multi-level stage! It was nothing short of epic.

"I love my new album so much, and I’m so excited to perform it live. I can’t wait. So this felt like a great opportunity to do something creative and artistic and just bring my full vision to life," Gaga told Uproxx prior to her performance, before noting that the show would feature "high artistry." "I think Coachella is an opportunity to do something unique and special," she said, adding, "I could honestly cry on the phone with you just thinking about how excited I am to do this show, and I want it to be a total surprise, and want everyone to have as much fun as possible."

Naturally, her epic, fashion-forward show was absolutely packed with symbolic imagery from her career to date. In fact, the set had Taylor Swift-levels of of self-referential Easter eggs.

began her headlining set with high camp.

Her opening dress

Gaga opened the show in a giant red gothic Tudor gown, with a skirt that towered above the stage. According to one fan account, the dress was inspired by Thierry Mugler's 1985 design for a Lady Macbeth costume.

The "Paparazzi" armor and crutches

Long-time Little Monsters are sure to remember the iconic 2009 music video for Gaga's song "Paparazzi" in which Gaga is tossed out of a window only to return (a little worse for wear) in an armor bodysuit, matching helmet, and crutches. Gaga recreated the look (along with a giant billowing cape) when she performing "Paparazzi" at Coachella.

A familiar figure

In another music video reference, Gaga found herself fighting with a white queen on a life-sized chess board during "Poker Face"—fans may have recognized the queen's spiky crown from the 2009 "Bad Romance" music video. You may have also spotted the dancers on the chess board recreating the claw hands from the video, too.

The Alexander McQueen reference

Some fans have noted that the chess board "Poker Face" sequence looks an awful lot like Alexander McQueen's 2005 show "It's Only a Game." Considering Gaga is a This Major Character Is Leaving Emily in Paris, began her headlining set with high camp.

The skeleton moment

Gaga just loves getting cozy with skeletons, doesn't she. While singing "Perfect Celebrity," she lay next to a skeleton in a sandpit, in what was seemingly a reference to the final shot from her music video for "Bad Romance."

The return of the "Savannah" corset boots

Gaga loves her Ellie Shoes "Savannah" corset boots. And she just wore them again at Coachella 2025 in her 2010 Monster Ball. She wore them in her "Rain On Me" music video. She Becky G Opens Up About Mexican Music, Connecting With Fans, and Her Pre-Concert Ritual. And she just wore them again at Coachella 2025 In Stranger Things: The First Shadow a Dark Origin Story Is Told Through Lively Fashion. Politics & Social Issues.

11:59

In a very iconic move, Gaga started her show at exactly 11:10—which meant that she sang the "11:59" lyric from "The Beast" at exactly 11:59pm.