(CNN) Beyoncé performed for throngs of screaming fans Saturday night at Coachella after a year's wait.
"Y'all ready Coachella?," she asked the crowd as she opened her set, becoming the first woman of color to headline the music festival in Indio, California.
Excited fans had a new nickname for this year's festival: Beychella. Other headliners included the Weeknd and Eminem.
"Coachella, thank you for allowing me to be the first black woman to headline," Beyoncé said, before singing "Run the World (Girls)."
A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Apr 14, 2018 at 11:17pm PDT
Surprise reunion
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Beyonce became the first black woman to headline Coachella in a breathtaking set that featured her best material from a staggering back catalogue... and set a near-impossible standard for every headliner that will follow her.
Appearing at the festival in Indio, California, Beyonce performed one incredible dance routine after another - those rumoured 10 hour a day rehearsals ahead of the show certainly paid off, as she didn't put a foot wrong.
Beginning with her 2003 debut solo single, “Crazy in Love", she then transitioned into “Freedom", “Formation” and “Sorry” from her 2016 visual album Lemonade. During “Sorry,” she mixed in verses from two fan favourites: “Me, Myself and I” and “Kitty Kat”.
Beyonce's history-making set at Coachella 2018 - in pictures
20 show all Beyonce's history-making set at Coachella 2018 - in pictures
1/20 Beyonce headlined Saturday night at Coachella Getty/Coachella
2/20 She became the first black woman to headline Coachella in a breathtaking set that featured her best material from a staggering back catalogue Getty/Coachella
3/20 Husband Jay Z joined Beyonce for a rendition of "Deja Vu" ahead of their On The Run 2 tour AFP/Getty
4/20 Destiny's Child reunited in an incredible moment, for a flawless renditions of "Lose My Breath", "Say My Name" and "Soldier" AFP/Getty
5/20 Jay-Z made sure the spotlight was focused on his wife with a no-frills rap cameo AFP/Getty
6/20 Dancers and musicians surrounded Beyonce throughout to add to the impressive performance Getty/Coachella
7/20 Beyonce wore several outfits in her history-making set Getty/Coachella
8/20 Beyonce reunited with with Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams AFP/Getty
9/20 Beyonce enters the stage AFP/Getty
10/20 Fans go wild for her AFP/Getty
11/20 Beyonce performed one incredible dance routine after another AFP/Getty
12/20 Those rumoured 10 hour a day rehearsals ahead of the show certainly paid off, as she didn't put a foot wrong. Getty/Coachella
13/20 Beyonce performs with Destiny's Child AFP/Getty Images
14/20 She then transitioned into “Freedom", “Formation” and “Sorry” from her 2016 visual album Lemonade. During “Sorry,” she mixed in verses from two fan favourites: “Me, Myself and I” and “Kitty Kat” Getty/Coachella
15/20 Thousands watched Beyonce perform at the at the Empire Polo Field AFP/Getty
16/20 Beyonce began her set with her 2003 debut solo single, “Crazy in Love" Rex
17/20 DJ Khaled's voice was heard on the speakers at one point to announce: “After tonight, Coachella gotta rename Coachella the Beychella. New name alert: Beychella!” Getty/Coachella
18/20 Fans watch Beyonce perform AFP/Getty
19/20 Beychella became the top trend on Twitter for the rest of the performance Rex
20/20 Beyonce performs on stage at the Empire Polo Field Getty/Coachella
She returned to the stage after a sultry rendition of "Drunk In Love" for tracks including “Diva” “Flawless” and “7/11”. DJ Khaled's voice was heard on the speakers at one point to announce: “After tonight, Coachella gotta rename Coachella the Beychella. New name alert: Beychella!” Beychella became the top trend on Twitter for the rest of the performance.
Husband Jay Z joined her for a rendition of "Deja Vu" ahead of their On The Run 2 tour, making sure the spotlight was focused on his wife with a no-frills rap cameo, while Destiny's Child reunited in an incredible moment, for a flawless renditions of "Lose My Breath", "Say My Name" and "Soldier".
Beyonce performs with Destinys Child ( AFP /Getty Images)
Beyonce performs with Jay-Z ( AFP /Getty)
Fans watch as Beyonce enters the stage (AFP/Getty)
Her sister Solange joined her for a dance on stage, then Beyonce took to the runway for "Single Ladies" where she and two backing dances performed the famous routines. "Who Run The World (Girls)" was a powerful salute to feminism where Beyonce shouted out to every woman present and thanked those who had paved the way before her.
A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Apr 15, 2018 at 12:49am PDT
On Twitter, the mood was fairly unanimous:
And now a moment of silence for the other two artists who had to perform on the other stages at the same time as Beyoncé... #Beychella — Travon Free (@Travon) April 15, 2018
beyoncé performed for 2 hours straight with full choreo, looks, and sang the entire thing live in PERFECT PITCH. she is the greatest performer of all time, there is literally not one person that can argue otherwise #Beychella — Dylan (@scholaurship) April 15, 2018
Pausing for a moment ahead of the show's conclusion, apparently having barely broken a sweat, she addressed the crowds: "I was supposed to perform last year but I got pregnant, thank God," she said. "I had time to dream with two beautiful souls in my belly and this is everything and more I had in my dream, so thank you for sharing this with me. I want to sing this last song to all my incredible, beautiful fans. Loyal fans. Ride or dies. I love y'all."
Closing with an a capella "Love On Top" the stage was filled with her band and a troupe of dancers who played her out to an instrumental of "Shining", everyone was left wondering, really, if it wasn't worth ending the festival right as she walked off stage. No one was going to top that.
Coachella 2018: in pictures
47 show all Coachella 2018: in pictures
1/47 Beyonce reunited with Destiny's Child for a history-making set at Coachella AFP/Getty
2/47 Festival goers arrive Rex
3/47 Beyonce became the first black woman to headline Coachella in a breathtaking set that featured her best material from a staggering back catalogue Rex
4/47 Bella Hadid and Snoop Dogg at Levis Coachella brunch Rex
5/47 Nicki Minaj posted this photo from Coachella Nicki Minaj/Instagram
6/47 Street Style at Coachella Getty/Coachella
7/47 David Osokow, Jamie Foxx and Nicole Scherzinger at the Neon Carnival Rex
8/47 Beyonce became the first black woman to headline Coachella in a breathtaking set that featured her best material from a staggering back catalogue Getty/Coachella
9/47 A concertgoer poses Reuters
10/47 Beyonce headlined Saturday night at Coachella Getty/Coachella
11/47 Cardi B at the Moschino party Rex
12/47 Beyonce performs with her husband Jay-Z AFP/Getty
13/47 Mÿ and Charli XCX perform Getty/Coachella
14/47 Rita Ora stops by the Absolut Openhouse Tent Getty/Absolut
15/47 A concertgoer is wearing a feather headpiece Reuters
16/47 Dancers and musicians surrounded Beyonce throughout to add to the impressive performance Getty/Coachella
17/47 Haim performs AFP/Getty
18/47 Little Mix's Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall at the Moschino party Rex
19/47 Nile Rodgers performs Reuters
20/47 Beyonce began her set with her 2003 debut solo single, “Crazy in Love" Getty/Coachella
21/47 Hudson Thames, Maty Noyes and Stephan Moccio attend Republic Records and Dream Hotels Present "The Estate" at Zenyara Getty/Republic Record
22/47 Beyonce performs to thousands of excited fans AFP/Getty
23/47 Fans watch as Beyonce enters the stage AFP/Getty
24/47 Tyler, The Creator performs AFP/Getty
25/47 David Byrne performs Reuters
26/47 MO performs Reuters
27/47 SZA and Kendrick Lamar perform onstage during the 2018 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Field on 13 April, 2018 in Indio, California. Getty/Coachella
28/47 SuperDuperKyle performs on stage at the Empire Polo Field Getty/Coachella
29/47 Snoop Dogg performs with Jamiroquai Getty/Coachella
30/47 Whitney Port, Olivia Culpo, Paris Hilton, Victoria Justice, Rachel Zoe, Sara Foster and Erin Foster at the The Zoe Report's 4th Annual ZOEasis at Coachella Rex
31/47 The Weeknd performs Reuters
32/47 Alessandra Ambrosio seen wearing jacket from Inspiresmi GC Images/Getty
33/47 St. Vincent performs Reuters
34/47 Festivalgoers attend Coachella Getty/Coachella
35/47 Recording Artist Kelela performs Getty/Coachella
36/47 Jean-Michel Jarre performs Getty/Coachella
37/47 Rihanna at Puma x Fenty pool party Rex
38/47 Rita Ora performs at the Empire Polo Field Getty/Coachella
39/47 Street Style at Coachella Getty/Coachella
40/47 SZA performing Getty/Coachella
41/47 Street Style at Coachella Getty/Coachella
42/47 The Weeknd performs Getty/Coachella
43/47 A general view at Coachella Reuters
44/47 People walk inside an installation called "Etherea" by Edoardo Tresoldi at Coachella Reuters
45/47 People watch a performance by St. Vincent Reuters
46/47 Kygo performs Reuters
47/47 People walk by an installation called "Etherea" by Edoardo Tresoldi Reuters
If you failed to get your hands on a Coachella ticket this year, don't worry.
Instead of waiting in never-ending lines in the scorching desert heat, you can kick back on your couch and livestream the whole festival. Find out how here.
With guest spots from husband Jay Z, sister Solange and a reunited Destiny’s Child, this was a show about more than just music – it was about female power and self-belief
‘Is that a catwalk?” says one woman, awaiting the arrival of this year’s Saturday night headliner. “It’s Beyoncé. Of course, it’s a catwalk,” snaps another. “Is she gonna bring any guests out? She doesn’t want someone to cramp her style, right?” says the woman. “Dude, her style is uncrampable,” comes the reply.
It’s true: Beyoncé’s style cannot be cramped. When she headlined Glastonbury for the festival’s 40th anniversary, in 2011, it was big for Beyoncé. Tonight’s performance, in the slot she was initially scheduled to do in 2017 (before announcing her second pregnancy), is big for Coachella.
She comes out dressed as a modern-day Cleopatra, revealing herself at the end of that catwalk behind scores of dancers led by a Black Panther mascot. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Beyoncé homecoming 2018,” is the announcement over the tannoy, as a full marching band and orchestra take position on an enormous pyramid structure on the stage. Before the first song kicks in, Beyoncé has changed outfits into booty shorts and a jersey. “Coachella, y’all ready?” she says, and launches into Crazy in Love.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘A modern-day Cleopatra’ ... One of Beyoncé’s many Coachella costumes. Photograph: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella
Thus begins a show that is somehow not just about Beyoncé. She makes it about far more than her or her career: it’s about black excellence, female power and the unrelenting possibility of self-belief. She has only a handful of white dancers among a reported 100. Her set is in thrall to soul, jazz, gospel, dance, melody and music itself. With her second song, Freedom, she creates a literal movement with her orchestra in motion; it feels like a march for purpose.
Tonight, Beyoncé plays political as fiercely as she plays feminist. During Sorry she hones in on the line “suck on my balls” with furious wrath. She flits between going hard and expressing sweet graciousness towards the audience during her addresses. The artistry of the transitions between songs, and the travel across her 20-year catalogue – combined with the sheer awe of scores of people on stage moving and playing in perfect unison – proves that Beyoncé is in a league of her own. She is the greatest of a generation, both a leader of a huge group and a solo star of unconquerable talent.
She’s also indebted to her musical past, and not just her own history. She splices Drunk in Love with Nina Simone’s Lilac Wine, elevated on a crane over the crowd. She has a go at husband Jay Z’s back catalogue, her orchestra alluding to Dirt Off Your Shoulder. There are classic hits from her early solo days, including Baby Boy; outings of the likes of Flawless and Don’t Hurt Yourself showcase her rock stardom with her third outfit change into black PVC. When she sings the infamous line “I woke up like this”, she turns to Coachella and asks: “How did you wake up this morning?”
The thing is, Beyonce did wake up like this. There is clearly a double entendre to the notion of wokeness, but the show doesn’t get woke at the expense of actually waking everyone up to the joy and togetherness of live performance.
Once she’s proved her mettle more times than necessary the thought of potential guests starts looming. She covers a smidgen of Dawn Penn’s You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No) and you wonder if it might segue into Destiny’s Child’s No, No, No, but not yet. There are a few hits to get through – Hold Up, Countdown, Check on It – and then Jay Z comes out for Deja Vu. After Beyoncé has spent almost an hour singing scorned female anthems about adultery, they display a heart-melting chemistry for one another. Moving into Run the World, however, she appears in army khaki, and you know it’s coming. She has to paid her dues to the thing that got her to this point.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘A leader of a huge group and a solo star of unconquerable talent’ ... Beyoncé and her big band. Photograph: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella
It’s the reunion of Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams; destiny arrives with Destiny’s Child. Lose My Breath kicks off a throwback trio, including a meaty ecstatic rendition of Say My Name and then a fun-packed Soldier. For her final guest appearance, Beyoncé’s little sister, Solange, comes on to complete the family love-in, with a dance-off between the two that sings of sweet solidarity and universal sisterhood, before ending things with Single Ladies and Love on Top.
Mid-way through the set, Beyonce had turned to the crowd and, with total sincerity and humility, said: “Thank you for allowing me to be the first black woman to headline Coachella.” The crowd left the Polo fields with only one thing to say: “I was there.”
I don’t think you’re ready for this reunion.
During Beyoncé’s highly anticipated headlining performance at Coachella on Saturday — her first since welcoming twins Rumi and Sir last June — the superstar brought out her former Destiny’s Child bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.
DC3 wowed with memorable jams from the ’90s and early 2000s, belting “Say My Name,” “Soldier” and “Lose My Breath” in matching black and bronze ensembles that paid homage to the iconic looks from the group’s reign on the charts.
This isn’t the first time Beyoncé had Rowland and Williams join her for a high-profile performance — the three took the stage together in February 2013 for her Super Bowl halftime show.
Raven Varona
The 36-year-old singer began her nearly two-hour Coachella set by performing a selection of hits — including “Sorry,” “Crazy in Love” and “Drunk in Love” — and bringing out husband JAY-Z for a rendition of “Déjà Vu.”
Queen Bey also celebrated a historic moment for both the music festival and herself: “Coachella, thank you for allowing me to be the first black woman to headline,” she said, making the perfect introduction to “Run the World (Girls).”
Marking the milestone, the singer performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which is known as the black national anthem.
For a full gallery of photos from the spectacle, visit Beyonce.com.
Robin Harper
Raven Varona
The Grammy winner was originally slated to headline Coachella in 2017 but dropped out on doctor’s orders after revealing she was pregnant with twins; instead, Lady Gaga took her place. Along with their twins, Beyoncé and husband JAY-Z are parents to their daughter Blue Ivy, 6.
“She was disappointed last year when she had to cancel, so she wants everything be perfect this time,” a source previously told PEOPLE of Beyoncé. “She is very excited about the show.”
Beyoncé had prepped for the performance for months. In addition to regular workouts, the “Sorry” singer revealed in March that she adopted a vegan diet to get stage ready.
Shortly after Beyoncé takes the stage for a second Coachella performance on April 21, she and JAY-Z will hit the road for their second joint tour, dubbed OTR II, which kicks off June 6 in the U.K.
An insider previously told PEOPLE that the power couple’s children will join them on the road. “They are incredibly excited. It took a lot of work to make this happen. It’s the best choice for their family,” the insider said. “They will all travel together and have a fun family adventure.”
