At Gov Ball 2025, friendship took the main stage as best friends Olivia Rodrigo and Conan Gray performed back-to-back sets at the New York City festival on Saturday — and each took a moment to celebrate the other while performing.
On June 7, Rodrigo headlined the GOVBALLNYC main stage, presented by Verizon, as part of a slew of festival shows this year that have shown the 22-year-old performer in a new light. She went full rock ‘n roll energy, even bringing out Talking Heads' David Byrne for a rendition of “Burning Down the House.” She was preceded by Gray, who took the slot just before hers on the festival's biggest stage.
Fans packed the crowd for both Gray and Rodrigo; videos show thousands on the grounds of Flushing Meadows Corona Park, where the festival has been held in recent years. (Lucky Verizon users could skip the crowds and watch from the network's VIP cabana Verizon Access about 20 feet above the fray, with seating and ample chargers.)
X content
Gray went on as the sun began to set, thanks to a rain delay, which worked well with his theatrical set-up in which the 26-year-old donned sailor chic and climbed atop a crow's nest amid crashing waves. Performing songs like “Heather,” “Never Ending Song,” and his new one, “This Song,” Gray looked happy to be among fans as he gears up for his forthcoming album, Wishbone (out Aug. 15). He also referenced the set to come, referring to Rodrigo and shouting out his “best friend” who would be performing next. Meanwhile, fans clocked Rodrigo and her other best friend Madison Hu watching from the side of the stage.
Those fans clearly stuck around for Rodrigo's headlining set — the pair felt like a package deal thanks in part to their longtime friendship. “Did you guys all see Conan on the stage?” she said during her performance. “It was amazing, I watched a little bit of it. I love him so much, he's my best friend and it's so cool we get to play the same stage on the same night. Did you guys all listen to his new song ‘This Song’?” We love friends who promote each other's work.
TikTok content
TikTok content
Conan Gray and Olivia Rodrigo have been friends since around 2021 — publicly at least — when they bonded over Fearless (Taylor's Version). "I very much value quality over quantity in my life. With Olivia, she’s someone that I just adore," he told Rolling Stone in 2022. “And it’s always nice to have friends that you can depend on. [Fame] is a very confusing thing, and it’s nice to have people that you can relate to and find comfort in.”
They've since gone on to perform on stage together during Rodrigo's Sour era and attend the Met Gala together (in complementary black-and-white looks) in 2023. Manifesting a musical collab sometime in the future…
