Chappell Roan played Forest Hills Stadium (Night 3)

Chappell Roan's stint at Forest Hills Stadium is one of the biggest and best Pop moments of the year.

Over the weekend, a ridiculous rumor began to circulate online that Tuesday, September 23, 2025 would be the day of The Rapture. No, not a day about the early aughts Dance-Punk group, but the second coming of Christ. Seriously. Well, as of publishing this piece, we're all still here, but for those who attended Chappell Roan's third of four shows at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, NY, the night may have felt like a religious experience where we all ascended into Heaven. For her first U.S. shows in nearly a year and her first major headlining concerts at prime-time venues in select cities across the country, Chappell Roan made sure to deliver on her incendiary rise to fame with an epic spectacle of a performance that proved her reputation hasn't superseded itself. She is the real deal Pop Star of the moment and these shows are her fabulous victory lap in support of 2023's Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. Just about a year ago, Roan was scheduled to perform at Forest Hills Stadium as part of the line-up for the All Things Go festival, but a day before her scheduled set, the singer cancelled the show citing mental health issues and a needed break from the spotlight, something that felt perfectly valid given her trajectory in fame over the prior year. Now she's back with four shows in a row to mark her first non-festival U.S. appearances at the same venue, a move that felt calculated and like a redemption for what could've been. As soon as the lights went down (on the third night of her run, remember), it was clear that not only was Roan ready to reclaim her own history, but make it better than you could've imagined. An ornate, medieval castle adorned the stage and from cracks of lightning and rumbles of thunder, the '80s-inspired gothic themes made themselves clear and the fairytale themed characteristics would make themselves prominent throughout the night. Appearing in a tower above a staircase, Chappell graced the stage as the band ripped into "Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl." The power-riffs and charged-up rhythms immediately had the crowd jumping with fever and chanting along at maximum volume to each and every word. When she got to "After Midnight," she had the words projecting on the screen above her castle and the entire audience chanting "touch me, touch me, touch me" with soaring enthusiasm. Song after song, ranging from banger to ballad, the venue was under total control of Roan's every command, her very existence enough to set off the entire building. "This is 'Casual'" she nonchalantly declared as the place erupted in fervor, and the flashlights from phones instantly began to illuminate the scene. After premiering it at Gov Ball back in 2024, she hit us with "The Subway" and it was another enchanted moment that felt like a homecoming of sorts. Next up, Roan instructed us to dance and led the sold-out crowd through the choreography of "HOT TO GO," another stellar highlight of the evening that had everyone fully committed and ready to strut their stuff. There wasn't a single moment of the night that felt minuscule, each detail was loud and full of life, like your wildest dreams and fantasies come true and throughout numerous costume changes, Chappell made her hits feel like the soundtrack of a lifetime. Despite just a single studio record under her belt, Roan has managed to achieve a level of fame unlike anyone else in recent memory and to see her at this stage feels like seeing the birth of the next major star. Her creativity, talent, and authenticity have made her one of the most relatable Pop stars in quite some time and to see her curate and craft something of this nature felt remarkable. As she spoke to the crowd before "Coffee," she talked about how everyone deserved to feel safe and themselves and her entire show felt like a culmination of acceptance, not to mention like magical moments for what must've been the first concert for many young ones in attendance. It's hard to think of another show with such a devoted fan base and the entire night felt like it was one of the biggest night's in the collective crowd's year. "Good Luck, Babe" put things close to the edge of pandemonium and delivered yet another transcendent moment of 13,000-strong belting their hearts out to a killer tune. As the night hit its finale, the piano riff to her all-time classic and generational anthem rang out and things transpired to the moment of true euphoria. With the stage lit in a pink glow, the horses giddied-up and the night hit levels of pure nirvana. The Rapture indeed seems to have not come to fruition, but as expected, the night with Chappell Roan did feel like a defining moment of the artist's career and when "Pink Pony Club" spiraled off into the night, it felt as close to a religious experience as I, personally, would want to experience. Tuesday may have not been the world event some imagined, but for everyone at Forest Hills Stadium that night, it was an experience beyond belief, euphoric, and of the most holy levels.