What is the best Coachella headlining performance of all time?

Legendary surprise sets, cultural moments, and genre-defining performances — Coachella headliners that transcended the desert stage. Pick your favorite!

1. 1
   Beyoncé (2018)

   Dubbed 'Beychella,' this historic set made Beyoncé the first Black woman to headline Coachella and featured a full HBCU marching band, a surprise reunion with Destiny's Child, and a dazzling tribute to Black culture.
2. 2
   Daft Punk (2006)

   The French duo's legendary pyramid stage debut at Coachella revolutionized live electronic music performance and is widely credited with inspiring a generation of EDM spectacles.
3. 3
   Prince (2008)

   A surprise late addition to the lineup, Prince delivered a transcendent three-hour set in the rain that included a stunning cover of Radiohead's 'Creep' and is frequently cited as the greatest Coachella performance ever.
4. 4
   Radiohead (2004)

   Radiohead's 2004 Coachella headline set is remembered as one of the most atmospheric and emotionally intense performances in festival history, coming at the peak of their post-'Kid A' era.
5. 5
   Kanye West (2011)

   Riding the wave of 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,' Kanye's 2011 Coachella headline set featured elaborate staging, a 25-song setlist, and one of the most theatrical productions the festival had ever seen.
6. 6
   LCD Soundsystem (2016)

   Four years after their 'farewell' show at Madison Square Garden, LCD Soundsystem returned at Coachella 2016 for a triumphant and emotional comeback performance that stunned the indie music world.
7. 7
   Billie Eilish (2019)

   At just 17, Billie Eilish became one of the youngest artists to perform at Coachella, delivering a raw and visually striking set that cemented her status as a generational star.
8. 8
   Frank Ocean (2012)

   Frank Ocean's Coachella 2012 appearance, shortly before 'Channel Orange' made him a superstar, was an intimate and emotionally charged performance that fans still regard as one of the festival's most special moments.
9. 9
   The Weeknd (2018)

   The Weeknd's 2018 Coachella headlining set featured a massive afrofuturist mask sculpture designed by Es Devlin, accompanied by an emotionally raw performance that included a tearful mid-show moment.
10. 10
    Kendrick Lamar (2017)

    Kendrick Lamar closed Coachella 2017 on the same day he surprise-dropped 'DAMN.,' delivering a stunning hip-hop opera that many critics called the best Coachella set of that decade.
11. 11
    Arcade Fire (2011)

    Arcade Fire's 2011 Coachella headline set — captured in a live film on Amazon Prime — was a euphoric, sprawling spectacle complete with crowd-launched glowing beach balls and a set spanning their entire catalog.
12. 12
    Jay-Z (2010)

    Jay-Z's 2010 Coachella headline set was a commanding rap masterclass that showcased his immense catalog, with multiple surprise guests and a performance energy that reminded the world why he's considered one of the greatest MCs alive.