Queen legend Brian May made a surprise appearance at the weekend’s Coachella festival in Indio, CA, playing guitar on a version of Bohemian Rhapsody alongside pop star Benson Boone, and while the Beautiful Things hitmaker was clearly delighted by this turn of events, he was less impressed with the crowd’s reaction.
Taking to TikTok after the performance, the former American Idol star filmed himself lip-synching Bohemian Rhapsody into a banana while looking utterly baffled by the lack of audience response, and added the caption, “Me trying to get the crowd at Coachella to understand what an absolute legend Brian May is and the cultural impact he has on music and THE WORLD.”
@bensonboone Mystical Magical.
For his part, May was eager to tell his followers what a lovely time he’d had, taking to Instagram to say, “I’m still reeling from last night at Coachella. Thanks to all of you folks who made it feel so special – you know who you are! And this particular way of concluding Bohemian Rhapsody will be hard to beat in the years to come! Thanks. And for Benson and his entire team, I have no words. I’m awestruck.”
The mutual admiration continued on Boone’s Instagram page, where he wrote, “I have no words. You are easily one of the most legendary musicians of all time and I cannot thank you enough for coming out.”
The official footage of Boone’s version of Bohemian Rhapsody is embedded below.
May followed his appearance at Coachella by visiting Sphere in Las Vegas to watch Eagles perform their 32nd residency show at the revolutionary venue. He was pictured backstage with the band’s Timothy B. Schmit and Joe Walsh, as well as guitarist Bobby Weir from Dead & Company, who are also currently performing at the venue.
Benson Boone (feat. Brian May) – Bohemian Rhapsody – Live at Coachella 2025 – YouTube 