Post Malone, Megan Thee Stallion, Jennie & More: Best Moments From Coachella 2025 Day 3

In three years, XG went from its first song to hitting one of Coachella’s biggest stages to close out the first weekend. The Japanese girl group took the stage in leopard space suits and performed tracks like “XGENE,” “Wake Up,” and “GRL GVNG.” A live band arrangement gave some of the cuts a refreshed feel throughout the set. One thing of note was not just how impressive the dancers were, but that one of them was Dream Academy‘s Emily Kelavos. The girls switched out into some white fluffy track suits and ran through favorites like “Left Right,” “In The Rain,” “Wake Up,” “Mascara (Remix)” and “TGIF.” – MICHAEL SAPONARA

While everything’s bigger in Texas, BigXthaPlug is about to have a massive 2025. Coming off the release of “All the Way” with Bailey Zimmerman, which is expected to make a lofty Billboard Hot 100 debut and be X’s biggest career hit to date, the Dallas native made his Coachella debut on Sunday (April 13). X was a crowd favorite as the intimate Gobi Stage was packed to the gills with fans from various backgrounds. One thing’s for sure: the next time BigX is at Coachella, he will need a much bigger stage with the trajectory of his career. “This is now 6Chella,” BigX declared in a salute to his 600 Ent. imprint. – M.S.

Megan Thee Stallion was on the verge of having one of the weekend’s best sets before Coachella turned her mics off as she appeared to go over on her set time. The Houston Hottie stepped out sporting a dominatrix cowgirl-themed fit as she showcased hits like “Thot S—t” and “Savage.” There was no shortage of surprise special guests as Queen Latifah joined Meg to perform “U.N.I.T.Y.” Being a student of the game, Megan had Ciara pop out for “Goodies,” which she samples on “Roc Steady.” Thee Stallion even learned the choreography for CiCi’s return to the festival main stage.

Victoria Monèt was next on the guest list, as the Grammy-winning powerhouses teamed up for “Spin,” and Monèt finished off with her “On My Mama” hit. After “Body,” it appeared Meg’s microphones were cut off, but she didn’t have any idea as she continued to perform. The set ended shortly thereafter, around 9:28 PM. Who knows, maybe Cardi B was in line for “WAP,” which would’ve been a Coachella moment. We’ll see what happens next weekend. – M.S.

Addison Rae made a surprise appearance during Arca’s set where she performed “Aquamarine.” The bubbly TikTok star bounced around the stage in a lace white dress, but made sure the focus was on her backside before leaving the stage. Eagle-eyed fans noticed that Rae’s pink lingerie said June 6 to signify that the emerging singer’s debut album will be here just before the summer. – M.S.

Ty Dolla $ign’s brother, Big T.C., is currently behind bars on a life sentence. Even though it was Ty’s birthday, he made sure bring more awareness to his brother’s legal situation with his powerful stage set-up revolving around the prison yard and a jail cell. Ty and others were outfitted in jail jumpsuits for the set, which saw him delve into his solo discography as well as his collaborative work as one of music’s premier features. Vultures tracks like “Fuk Sumn,” “ Back to Me,” “Do It” and the Hot 100-topping “Carnival” rang off without Ye in the desert. Like Mustard on Friday, Ty paid tribute with a photo of Nipsey Hussle as part of the striking stage visual. It wouldn’t be a Dolla $ign birthday bash without some friends, as Wiz Khalifa, YG, Tyga, Leon Thomas and more all also brought the party to another level. – M.S.

Days before making his Coachella debut on the main stage, Shaboozey dubbed his performance “Coachella’s Country Hour.” Yet, his celebratory set kicked off a day that honored the genre, with performances from country rapper Jessie Murph and a headlining set from Post Malone (who ventured into country with his 2024 album F-1 Trillion). But it all started with Boozey, who welcomed Noah Cyrus to the stage for their collaboration “My Fault” — and it ended, of course, his Hot 100 No. 1 smash, “A Bar Song.” And this time, everybody in the desert was getting tipsy. – LYNDSEY HAVENS

It’s been almost one year since Post Malone saddled up and dropped his chart-topping country set, F-1 Trillion. But on Sunday (April 13), on Coachella’s main stage, his headlining performance felt celebratory and emotional enough to be release night. For the gig, Post fittingly brought a reimagined Forumla 1 racetrack to the desert that extended all the way from the stage through the crowd. He also leaned into his love for pyro, with various trash bins spread across the stage that, of course, would catch fire throughout the set. Because while the night was a celebration, it’s clear Post has no plans of slowing down. Rather, having just performed on a makeshift racetrack, nothing is stopping him from continuing full speed ahead. – L.H.

“It feels great to be back here in the desert,” said Jennie toward the middle of her evening gig. “Thank you for coming to my set.” Such humble remarks are true to form for the global sensation, but the fact that she could use the word “my” spoke volumes to the moment. Because although Jennie has performed at Coachella twice before, including one historic headlining set with BLACKPINK, tonight was indeed hers.

On the heels of her expansive solo debut album, Ruby, Jennie’s performance prioritized the new material. Songs like “ExtraL,” which included an high-energy dance break, and “Damn Right,” for which Jennie welcomed Kali Uchis to the stage, particularly stood out — did the in-your-face “Like Jennie.” But more than any one song, it was the overall experience that felt the most victorious — and bittersweet, as it could be the last solo set from Jennie before she heads back into BLACKPINK activities this year. – L.H.

The country rapper’s stage design was all pretty and all pink, with chiffon curtains and a ruched satin platform. Even her all male dancers were dressed in baby pink, and her mic was bedazzled in the color as well. And then there was Jessie, dressed in all black (including her infamous snoots, a mix of sneakers and cowboy boots). Her contrasting outfit symbolized the entire essence of her artistry: you can hit hard and be soft. You can come from a town where, as she said herself, “this s–t doesn’t happen” and be the one to break that mold. “I feel proud to be representing [Alabama] today,” said Murph, sharing that she cried earlier in anticipating of her debut Coachella set. – L.H.

Every year, the Outdoor Stage reliably delivers at least one mega dance music moment, and this year that honor belonged to Zedd, who drew one of the biggest crowds we can ever remember seeing in this area of the festival. The producer has many hits to pull from, along with a new arsenal of music from his exceptional 2024 album, Telos. This set took from both, with Zedd welcoming Maren Morris to sing “The Middle,” bringing John Mayer to guest on “Automatic Lover,” bringing out Indian vocalist B. C. Manjunath to perform the incredible Konnakol singing on “Shanti,” along with guests Elley Duhé, The Ollam, Tyler Duncan and Bea Miller. All of it also happened while Zedd (who had himself been a guest on this same stage during a performance by Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic) rotated between turns at the decks, the drums and the piano. – KATIE BAIN

A 5:30 mainstage show isn’t always the easiest slot to pull off, particularly for an artist who’s not necessarily spectacle-oriented. But Beabadoobee’s golden-hour performance felt both well-placed and well-timed. Her voice sounded fantastic as she played music both accessible and interesting, drawing a crowd to her and more than carrying Coachella’s biggest stage. – K.B.

The English dance duo’s set started nearly 25 minutes late, but if there was anything truncated about the show that eventually happened, it certainly wasn’t obvious. The pair pulled out all the stops for a set that featured a sprawling crew of fantastically costumed singers, dancers, brass players, and even someone in a gorilla costume who came out during the inevitable finale “Where’s Your Head At.” Altogether, the performance was a reminder that dance music live show maximalism can involve so much more than just lasers and confetti, with the vibe onstage looking like as much of a party as anything that was happening in the crowd. – K.B.

Electronic music is a foundational genre to Coachella, and most every electronic act on the lineup is able to draw a line connecting their work to that of the genre’s pioneers, Kraftwerk. The German group closed out the Mojave Tent, performing iconic hits including “Trans Europe Express,” “Computer Love,” “Radioactivity,” “Tour de France” and “The Robots” with a striking, minimalist stage setup and accompanying visuals. The audience was rapt throughout, cheering especially loudly at the end for Kraftwerk’s sole remaining original member Ralf Hütter, who closed his eyes amid the applause, seeming to take in all of the much deserved appreciation. – K.B.