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John Mayer joined Zedd's Coachella 2025 performance at the Outdoor Theatre on April 13, 2025 (Sunday), in Indio, California. The surprise wasn't staged. It was a deliberate move to introduce their new single, "Automatic Yes," live for the very first time. While Mayer and Zedd's collaboration might sound odd on paper, their camaraderie on stage screamed otherwise. The concert began with their duet song and quickly turned into a crossover event that made both sets of fans take notice.
Immediately following the new song, the crowd was treated to a double bill. Mayer segued into his song "New Light," but with a surprise twist: Zedd emerged from behind the DJ booth to perform live drums. That's correct—Zedd on drums, Mayer on vocals and guitar. A classic pop-rock fusion amid a frantic EDM set. No build-up hype, no teasing, just an unscheduled appearance that reflected the spontaneous nature of the festival.
What was done during the surprise stop?
Their short set consisted of two songs:
"Automatic Yes" – Zedd's inaugural collaboration with John Mayer. Mayer added vocals and guitar to give Zedd's electronic framework a blues flavor.
"New Light" – Mayer's 2018 radio hit, remixed with Zedd adding live drums, integrating EDM into live productions.
The collab stage was brief but stole the spotlight during Zedd's Sunday night show.
Was this show a surprise?
No warning was provided that John Mayer would be appearing with Zedd at Coachella. Fans and media were unaware, and the announcement was a total surprise. Mayer was not on the released Coachella lineup, and Zedd had not suggested this particular guest in the build-up to his show.
The cameo was consistent with a trend at Coachella in which surprise performers are likely to make viral moments. This stint was no exception—fans were visibly shocked, and the internet went into overdrive as soon as it ended.
How did the performance integrate into Zedd's entire set?
Zedd's set in 2025 was filled with a lineup of collaborations. In addition to Mayer, the DJ also included:
Maren Morris, to perform "The Middle."
Elley Duhé, for "Happy Now."
Julia Michaels, on "Daisy" and "Straight into Fire."
Bea Miller, who visited for "Out of Time" and "Tangerine Rays"
Mayer's performance arrived fairly close to the end of the show and was one of the show's dramatic peak moments, prior to things actually starting to wrap up.
Was there a deeper significance to the appearance?
The pairing could be a sign of a larger trend of genre-bending concerts. While EDM and pop-rock have long been in their respective worlds, this meet-up is an indicator that artists are more open to pushing musical boundaries. John Mayer has worked with artists from numerous different genres in the past, and Zedd has a reputation for working with artists outside the EDM sphere.
Neither artist has officially announced additional joint performances since Coachella, and no advertising campaigns have been spawned from their joint show yet.
John Mayer's surprise guesting on Zedd's Coachella 2025 set was not promotional nor accidental. It was the live premiere of a new song and an impromptu collaboration that injected new life into the festival stage. The surprise factor, the mixing of genres, and the short but memorable cameo highlighted what Coachella is best at: surprising without hype. This was one of them!
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