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Missy Elliott’s Coachella performance was one to remember. On Friday, April 11, the Grammy-winning rapper helped kick off the festival’s first weekend in Indio, California. She pulled out all the stops for her fans in the desert by performing her biggest hits like “Work It” and “Pass That Dutch” alongside a parade of backup dancers, creating the ultimate dance party. As if that wasn’t enough, Elliott made several outfit changes throughout the night that left fans in awe. While all of her ensembles were worthy of praise, her Transformers costume was on a whole other level.
Missy Elliott’s Transformers Costume Was Everything
Missy Elliott’s Transformers costume was one of the biggest highlights of Coachella 2025 because it wasn’t just an outfit but a fully functioning cosplay. The star first appeared on stage dressed as a sports car. However, once she started getting up, her costume began morphing into a robot. Its silver and red color scheme instantly reminded fans of Optimus Prime, the main character of the Transformers franchise. “This was soooo lit,” one person said. “Just an icon doing iconic things,” read another comment. “It’s go big or go home,” another fan wrote.
If you’re wondering how Elliott was able to perform in something so bulky, don’t worry. She only kept the outfit on for a moment before she changed. After letting the robot costume have its moment, a few of Elliott’s backup dancers joined her onstage to help unveil her real outfit: a sleek racing suit complete with a helmet. An entire army of backup dancers later appeared dressed exactly like her.
An Epic Start For Coachella 2025
Missy Elliott’s Coachella set continued to surprise fans throughout the night with even more jaw-dropping outfits. For example, the rapper performed a few songs in a neon, glow-in-the-dark marching band costume. At another point of the show, Elliott appeared on stage in an enormous black puffer jacket complete with a cape.
Elliott performed on the main Coachella stage right after Benson Boone. The “Beautiful Things” singer made headlines for bringing out Queen’s Brian May for an epic rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Earlier on Friday, MARINA, Thee Sacred Souls, and Gabe Real also performed on the main stage. The final act of the night was headliner Lady Gaga. The pop star brought the heat by performing her new songs “Abracadabra” and “Disease” from her latest album, Mayhem. Of course, Gaga also included fan-favorite songs “Paparazzi,” “Born This Way,” and “Bad Romance” in her Coachella setlist, among many others.
Missy Elliott and the rest of the main stage acts will perform at Coachella again next week. Fans will be able to catch them on Friday, April 18. Considering artists like to change things up for weekend two, it wouldn’t be surprising if Elliott has even more epic costumes planned.