20 Best Sets Of Coachella Weekend 1, Ranked
With Coachella 2025 Weekend One now officially over, some major artists and bands delivered as expected, while other big-name acts dried up in the desert sun. Weekend 1 viewers and patrons always have the advantage of finding out who the special guest appearances are first as they unfold in Indio, CA and live stream on YouTube. Those who are gearing up for Weekend 2, however, have the benefit of determining which sets are skips and which are absolute must-sees.
There are literally dozens of bands and artists who had great sets across all three days of Coachella Weekend One that didn't crack the top 20. Some of those honorable mentions include punk band Julie, electronic duo Maribou State, R&B singer d4vd, indie pop band The Maria’s, Engligh singer/songwriter Sam Fender, shoegaze artist Wisp, internet famous singer/songwriters like beabadoobee, Keshi, and Artemas, hip-hop legends Three 6 Mafia and Missy Elliot, K-pop idols LISA and Jennie of BLACKPINK, and more.
20 Post Malone
Sunday - Main Stage
Despite being one of the four headliners at Coachella 2025 and having a massive fan base, Post Malone closed out Sunday night of Weekend One without much of a spark. Cycling through his past hits such as "Rockstar" and "Psycho" mixed with his new country western material, Post's performance was solid but underwhelming. He was very appreciative of the crowd's support and looked like he was having a good time on stage but his singing ultimately felt patchy and uninspired, with no special guests called in to help out.
19 Kneecap
Friday - Sonora
Kneecap, a hip-hop trio from Northern Ireland, brought loads of energy to their Friday afternoon set in the Sonora Tent. They even crowd-surfed as they played their 2019 hit H.O.O.D., as seen above. Kneecap's energy is infectious and their command of the crowd is impressive. They also have a self-titled dark comedy movie that's streaming now on Netflix.
18 T-Pain
Saturday - Main Stage
T-Pain announced on the Main Stage during his Saturday afternoon set that it took him 20 years to make it to the festival and proved why his invitation was well-deserved. Similar to Mustard's set, T-Pain took the crowd on a journey through his celebrated career with his numerous original songs and hit features. He covered 22 tracks in total, including "Good Life", "Blame It", "Shawty", and "Bartender" before closing out in style with "All I Do Is Win".
17 The Dare
Saturday - Mojave
British pop artist The Dare delivered in the Mojave Tent to close out Saturday night. He's great to check out to continue the momentum from Green Day, Above & Beyond, or Mau P, which all end 10 to 15 minutes before his 11:00 pm set. He played most of his well-known songs with nonstop energy, including "LCA" and "Girls" (although no surprise Charli XCX appearance, unfortunately). He's arguably the best option past 11 on Saturday for Weekend 2.
16 Travis Scott
Saturday - Main Stage
Travis Scott's aesthetic takeover of certain regions of Coachella, which included the Main Stage late Saturday night, is rumored to have cost him $12 million. While there were certainly some memorable moments and stunts from his headlining set, such as various levitating illusions using cables and him performing two unreleased tracks, the crowd wasn't really clicking with all of it. Travis is known for bringing ridiculous energy, particularly on his arena tours, but the consensus is that his Weekend One set was surprisingly subdued.
15 Glass Beams
Saturday - Gobi
Glass Beams are majestic to see live and the Gobi Tent's aesthetic looks like it was crafted specifically for them. Fans of Khruangbin will absolutely vibe with Glass Beams, who offer a similar global sound and distinct attire, letting their music speak for themselves. Like Kevin Parker is behind Tame Impala, Rajan Silva is the multi-instrumentalist behind Glass Beams (and is also Australian).
14 Mustard
Friday - Sahara
Mustard celebrated his legendary career as a hip-hop producer and rapper and continued his winning streak with Kendrick Lamar following his Super Bowl 2025 Halftime performance. Mustard ran through a number of hits and brought out many special guests, including Tyga for "Rack City", 2 Chainz for "I'm Different", YG for multiple songs, Big Sean for "I Don't F88k With You", Roddy Rich for "The Box" and "Ballin'", and Ella Mai for "Boo'd Up." He finished his set with "TV Off" without bringing out Kendrick Lamar like everyone was hoping for a "Not Like Us" encore.
13 Kraftwerk
Sunday - Mojave
Kraftwerk is to electronic music like what The Beatles are to rock 'n roll. Pioneers of the genre, Kraftwerk has one of the most immersive sets of Sunday with a Tron-like retro-futuristic aesthetic and sound. The only issue with their set is the timing. Weekend 2 EDM fans will have to choose between seeing them and a modern EDM legend, Zedd.
12 Darkside
Saturday - Gobi
For those watching at home, Darkside might have the best in-camera visuals out of any other Gobi Tent performer. Inherently psychedelic and practically made to be accompanied by visualizers, Darkside is even better to experience live than listening to their albums alone. Their music can be pretty experimental but easy to dance to as well. Unfortunately, they have a nearly identical set time as Clairo on the Outdoor Theatre.
11 Parcels
Friday - Outdoor Theatre
Parcels have a classic and polished sound and are great to see live. Their Coachella Weekend 1 not only looked and sounded great but was full of unpredictable and quirky moments that added some personality to the 5-part band. Their composure and stage presence feel like a modern version of The Eagles, even if their sound can be more 70s disco-inspired in some songs. But don't worry, they can still rock out with the best of them.
