Lady Gaga in Harlequin Live: One Night Only is a concert film by American singer Lady Gaga, centered on the live debut of her album Harlequin (2024). Co-directed and executive produced by Gaga and Michael Polansky, the film was recorded on September 30, 2024, during an intimate, fan-only performance at The Belasco in Los Angeles.
It premiered at the Grammy Museum on December 18, 2025, and premiered online on Gaga's YouTube channel on December 24, 2025. The performance was staged in an intimate, apartment-like setting inspired by the Harlequin album artwork.
Background and release
On September 27, 2024, Gaga released Harlequin (2024), a concept album conceived as a companion project for the musicalthriller film Joker: Folie à Deux (2024), in which she portrays the DC Comics character Harley Quinn.[1] The album consists primarily of reinterpretations of American jazz standards,[2][3] alongside two original compositions written by Gaga, "Happy Mistake" and "Folie à Deux".[4] On September 30, 2024, Gaga performed it in full during an intimate, fan-only concert at The Belasco in Los Angeles, a performance that later served as the basis for the concert film.[a][6]
According to Gaga, the appearance was initially planned as a brief three-song set following the premier of Joker: Folie à Deux, but the scope of the performance was expanded only days beforehand to include the full album.[6] She explained that the change was possible because she had already fully internalized the material, having rehearsed the arrangements extensively prior to the show. The concert ultimately received only limited rehearsal and was conceived to preserve a sense of emotional rawness and spontaneity, which she described as the culmination of years of preparation rather than a heavily staged production.[6]
After the recording, the film was deliberately delayed to allow what Gaga described as the "lore" of the Belasco performance to develop among fans before the footage was made public.[6] The concert film debuted at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on December 18, 2025, accompanied by a public discussion about the project,[7] and premiered online on Gaga's YouTube channel on December 24, 2025, at 4 p.m. PT.[6] Gaga considered the project a Christmas gift for her fans and felt that "by Harlequin standards, Christmas is the perfect time to release something rebellious."[6]
Production
The film was produced under Gaga's Morningview Production banner, with her and Michael Polansky serving as executive producers and directors.[6] The creative direction was handled by Todd Tourso and Mel Roy, with cinematography by Marcell Rév, while musical direction was credited to Gaga alongside her band members Brian Newman, Tim Stewart, and Alex Smith.[6] The production design for the filmed performance was inspired by a photo shoot created for the Harlequin album artwork. The stage was conceived as a dimly lit, disheveled apartment setting, featuring crooked venetian blinds, shadowy lighting, and an unmade mattress placed on the floor.[6]
Gaga explained that the visual concept drew on memories of her early years as a developing artist, when she lived in similar apartment settings and first formulated many of her creative ideas.[6] She stated that the visual approach emerged alongside the late decision to perform the album in full and was developed in close collaboration with Polansky. Gaga further noted that the intention was to create an environment that reflected the emotional and raw qualities of the music, rather than the polished aesthetic associated with her previous jazz-oriented projects.[6]
Critical reception
Writing for Variety, Chris Willman described the concert as "utterly bonkers" and wrote that Gaga appeared to be having "the manic time of her life," calling it one of the most compelling performances of her career.[5]Los 40's Alberto Palao highlighted Gaga's immersion in the Harlequin persona, describing the performance as one in which she "not only sings, but also acts, dances and plays the piano," underscoring her versatility as a performer.[8]
Notes
↑The only track performed during the event that was not from Harlequin was "Die with a Smile";[5] however, it is not included in the concert film.
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