Stagecoach 2025: Lana Del Rey weaves a dreamy, Americana spell over the Palomino stage

Lana Del Rey turned the Stagecoach Country Music Festival into her own enchanted bayou on Friday, April 25, at the Palomino, delivering a breathtaking set that blended classic Americana and country, and her own flare of dreamy indie pop that she’s known to make all her own, combined with bold, personal storytelling.

As chants of “Lana” filled the air from the front of the stage all the way to the back where a sea of people could be seen flocking to the tent outside, Del Rey slowly emerged from a blue wooden cabin onstage — a setting that felt straight out of a Disney storybook, surrounded by hanging greenery, a swing tangled in leaves, a desert-like aroma in the back.

“I’m not even a country music person,” Jessica Moreles, 26, from Los Angeles, said while trying to find a good spot at the stage just moments after the set started. “But I bought a Stagecoach ticket with my sister the second I heard Lana was playing. She’s once-in-a-lifetime. Even though it may not be my genre, it’s cool to see her move into different spaces and she makes you feel like you can be a part of it regardless.”

Dressed in what felt like a cream dress straight out of the ’50s or ’60s with her hair curled into waves, she looked the part. The crowd roared the moment they caught a glimpse of her profile in one of the cabin windows, and even Lana herself seemed overwhelmed by the turnout, often sharing a “wow” every so often.

“It never ceases to surprise me the volume in the crowd,” she sweetly shared. “I swear to God. Thank you for being here. Thank you for being with us.”

Opening with a new ballad, “Husband of Mine,” dedicated to her husband Jeremy Dufrene, Del Rey immediately set the tone for the night. Seated center stage, she delivered the track like she was at a church, sharing a prayer — a blend of country and Lana’s signature dramatics.

Her set, advertised as a special country performance, was more so a Lana Del Rey venture, just with a new, Americana twang to it. She debuted a few songs off her upcoming album “The Right Person Will Stay,” including “Henry, Come On” and “Bluebird,” which she performed as a hologram as she walked off stage herself. The image was of her in a red dress, gliding with a bluebird circling around her.

Die-hard Del Rey fans already knew the words to the new tracks by heart and sang along. “57.5,” another track, stood out as a playful nod to her success, referencing her 57.5 million Spotify listeners.

Del Rey was also generous with the spotlight, welcoming several special guests during her set. She first brought out George Birge to perform his song “Cowboy Songs,” even asking to repeat the chorus after an issue with her mic pack, which she handled quickly. Later, she was joined by The Secret Sisters, Laura Rogers and Lydia Slagle, to perform a version of “Let the Light In” alongside a handful of background singers.

Between new songs, she treated the crowd to some of her most beloved classics. The audience lit up, singing every word of “Ride,” as she gracefully sat on the swing, “Video Games,” and “Norman F****** Rockwell.” One of the night’s most stunning visuals came during “Summertime Sadness,” a remix of the Sublime classic, when Lana reappeared in a strapless red dress, timing her entrance perfectly to the lyric “I got my red dress on tonight.” Background dancers, who earlier played with a dollhouse and mimed a burning cabin, added a theatrical layer to the already mesmerizing show, sometimes waving to the crowd from the rooftop of the set.

To close out the night, Del Rey gathered her friends once more for a joyous cover of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” It was a communal sing-along that felt warm and inviting — the perfect end to a night that combined country and classic Lana Del Rey magic into one set.

“It felt like Lana made her own little world inside Stagecoach,” Amanda Lawson, 22, from Phoenix, Arizona, shared. “I didn’t know what to expect, but I’ll remember this forever.”

With a grand showcase of her vocal talents, her storytelling, and her ease within the Americana space, Lana Del Rey proved she’s exactly where she needs to be.