The desert skies lit up not just with lasers and spotlights Friday night, but with an unforgettable moment of rock and pop royalty colliding: 22-year-old pop sensation Benson Boone stunned fans with a surprise duet of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” performed alongside none other than Queen legend Brian May.
Boone’s Coachella debut had already been a high-energy thrill ride, with the singer flipping across the stage, belting out fan favorites, and announcing the June 20 release of his sophomore album, American Heart. But nothing could prepare the crowd for the show-stopping finale that was still to come.
After teasing Queen’s legendary Live Aid “Ay-Oh” call-and-response and performing his emotional ballad “Forever and a Day,” Boone exited the stage — only to return moments later clad in a regal fur cape. He took his seat at the piano, bathed in dramatic lighting, and began the haunting opening lines of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” backed by a gospel-style choir.
The crowd roared as the familiar chords rang out, but the real eruption came when Brian May, rising dramatically on a platform at the back of the stage, joined Boone for the operatic rock anthem. Boone knelt at the foot of the platform as May launched into the song’s searing guitar solo.
May didn’t just play one song and leave. He stayed on stage as Boone closed out the night with his breakout hit “Beautiful Things,” the crowd singing every word. Boone punctuated the night with one last flip — this time, soaring off the piano and into the arms of his fans.
For May, the performance marked a return to the stage after a health scare in late 2024. In September, the iconic guitarist revealed he had suffered a “minor stroke” that temporarily affected the use of his left arm. “All of a sudden — out of the blue — I didn’t have any control over this arm,” May shared on Instagram at the time. “It was a little scary.”
But any lingering fears were banished under the Coachella spotlight. In the days leading up to the performance, May had hinted at the collaboration on social media, posting photos of himself and Boone flying together to Palm Springs. “Maybe something will happen?!” he teased, calling Boone a “truly golden 22-year-old prodigy” and declaring, “I’m proud and happy to say we are now officially pals.”
Boone is set to return to the Coachella stage on 18 April for Weekend 2.