Dodgy fireworks and 12 hour traffic: Coachella 2025 was chaos and these moments prove it

Although it’s recognised as the most Instagrammable place to be every April, the hype for Coachella has suffered in recent years. Whether it’s due to dead crowds or organisational failures, Coachella seems to be getting less and less popular, with many celebrities and artists not bothering to show anymore.

It’s one of the biggest festivals in the world, but it’s not immune to controversy. So from 12 hour traffic jams to political protests, here’s all the Coachella 2025 chaos.

Fireworks shot into crowds during Green Day’s set

@trevorsteckel

♬ original sound – trevor

Fireworks that went off during Green Day’s performance on Saturday caused panic when one shot at an angle and hit a palm tree in the artist’s area. One user filmed the explosion as they went off, captioning the video “Bad fireworks just shut down Coachella”.

The misangled firework resulted in a palm tree being set alight.

One user on X wrote: “This firework just flew into the crowd and exploded right next to FaZe Banks and all of his friends, causing trees and more to catch on fire at Coachella.”

People were stuck in traffic jams for 12 hours

@lovek8b

This traffic tho😔😂🥲 #coachella #coachella2025 #aftercoachella #coachellatraffic #postcoachella

♬ original sound – Kate B

Traffic at fesitvals is basically a given, but nothing could have prepared me for the insane queues that occurred here. The Coachella 2025 chaos officially kicked off during weekend one, where people compared the LA event to the likes of Fyre Festival due to its bad organisation. Attendees said they had been queuing for 12 hours without access to food or toilets when arriving to the site to camp, whilst others said it took over an hour to get out of the car park.

Most Read

All the gross and unfiltered videos Bonnie Blue has posted from her challenge with Julia Filippo

A former flatmate of Jacqui from MAFS Australia speaks out about what she was like to live with

Everything the cast of Young Sheldon have been up to one year after that emotional finale

One person claimed it was the “worst organisation” they had ever seen, adding: “The only porta potties available were at the security checkpoint inside the gates. We were turned down all 12 hours and were forced to pee on the side of the roads.

“A lot of people running out of gas and not restrooms. This is the worst organisation I have ever seen at a festival and this is Coachella for god sakes.”

Lady Gaga’s mic glitch

@jannbungcaras

Proving time and time again that @ladygaga is not lipsyncing; her microphone malfunctioned in her coachella second weekend opening and has to be replaced in the middle of the performance. The brief moment when we cannot hear her is proof that she will always sing live. We love you Mother Monster! #ladygaga #concert #littlemonster #microphonemalfunction #malfunction #LoveIsLove #mayhem #mayheminthedesert #coachella2025 #abracadabra #fyp #foryoupage #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #foryou #fypシ゚

♬ Abracadabra – Gesaffelstein Remix – Lady Gaga & Gesaffelstein

Joining the Coachella 2025 lineup as a last minute headliner, Lady Gaga’s mic was dead during the start of her opening song, Abracadabra. She soon reappeared with a hand held microphone before her head mic was switched out, but she apologised to fans for the blunder.

At the piano, she said: “I’m sorry my mic was broken for a second. At least you know sing live!”

As the crowd cheered, she added: “I guess all we can do is our best and I’m certainly giving you my best tonight.” She handed it all smoothly, rejecting any Coachella 2025 chaos that could possibly ruin her set.

The weather on weekend two was cruel

@ericksonnnn

Too windy at Coachella rn😔 #coachella #coachellacarcamping #fyp

♬ original sound – zach

TikTok exposed how bad weather resulted in a number of gazebos blowing over or breaking entirely over weekend two of the festival. One video shows structures collapsed over cars and blowing in the wind after strong weather toppled everything over.

Green Day and Charli XCXs ‘feud’

pic.twitter.com/yV2rMZmK0a

— Green Day Inc. (@GreenDayInc) April 20, 2025

British icon Charli XCX posed last weekend with a sash that read “Miss Should Be Headliner” at an afterparty, which sparked debate from Green Day fans.

One comment on her photo dump wearing the sash read “You’re not bigger than Green Day. Know your place.” whilst another person left: “Green Day > this”.

Others supported Charli, writing “omg I love you” and “Brat forever <3”. But Green Day responded and had their own fun in a post on X, where guitarist Tré Cool posed in a sash made out of toilet roll which read “Actual Headliner”.

Whilst Charli’s sash seemed to have rubbed people up the wrong way, the singer herself clearly wasn’t bothered by the band’s response, as she shared the photo and claimed she was “obsessed”. Not only that but Green Day frontman, Billie Joe Armstrong, closed the show with a Brat hat in honour of Charli.

Kneecap was censored for a political protest during its set

@pabbygarker

We love kneecap #kneecap #freepalestine

♬ original sound – Jane Frost 🤸🏼

Irish band Kneecap interrupted its set to orchestrate a pro-Palestine message where a screen reading “Fuck Israel, Free Palestine” was shown. It also initiated a number of chants during its set, but was censored by officials.

In other clips online, the band can be seen chanting “Maggie’s in a box, in a box, Maggie’s in a box” about the late Margaret Thatcher.

Coachella was approached for comment. 

Featured image via TikTok