Lady Gaga dedicates Coachella performance to cancer-stricken friend

Lady Gaga dedicated one of her songs from her Coachella headlining set to a friend battling cancer.

The 31-year-old Bad Romance hitmaker took to the stage on Saturday (22Apr17) for the second weekend of the Californian festival to perform a hit-laden set including tracks Love Game and her Beyonce duet Telephone.

Gaga later become emotional as she told the crowd she was dedicating her song Edge of Glory to her close friend Sonja, who is currently battling cancer. "My friend Sonja is very sick and I love her so much and if it’s OK with you, I’d like to sing this song for her,” she said as she started playing the piano.

Her set was similar to her previous headline set last weekend (14-16Apr17), and the crowd went wild as she launched into hit after hit.

Talking to the audience before she performed a remix of her 2008 debut single Just Dance, Gaga said the song was for her fans or, as she calls them, her little monsters.

"It was many many years ago that I wrote this song and I played it and they told me, 'We think this is a big one, Gaga. We think it could be the one'," she explained. "I closed my eyes and played just about every club in this country I could find, and one day I opened my eyes and you all were standing right there and you all changed my life forever.

"It's never been the same. This one's for you - all the little monsters hiding in this Coachella crowd," she gushed.

Before her headline set, the Joanne singer shared snaps of her testing make-up looks on social media, and encouraged her fans to share what they would be wearing while watching her onstage.

Posting a selfie showing a floral design painted around her eye, Gaga captioned the picture, "Coachella make-up test. @sarahtannomakeup @fredericaspiras hair. Up for showing us your version?! Can't wait to sing for you and see all your looks!! #Gagachella."