Politics

Lady Gaga Turns 40: Nostalgic Photos That Show How Far She’s Come

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3 hours ago

28 March 2026

NewsAdmin

With six hit studio albums, six UK number one singles, 16 Grammys, three Brit Awards, an epic Super Bowl Halftime Show, three lead movie roles, at least 17 Guinness World Records and an Oscar to her name, there’s no arguing that Lady Gaga has cemented her place as one of the biggest stars of the 21st century.

Yes, that young woman who started out performing in nightclubs, setting hairspray cans on fire, making her own costumes and even providing her own fog machine has come a long way.

As the pop icon celebrates her 40th birthday this weekend, we’re looking back at the beginnings of her career, to recognise just how far she’s come from those early years to international superstardom.

So, get yourself a cup of tea (in a china cup, naturally), stick on The Fame (both the album and the perfume) and join us for a brief strut down memory lane…

The artist once known as Stefani Germanotta’s life changed when she signed to Interscope Records in 2007, the same year she performed at the Lollapalooza music festival under the moniker Lady Gaga And The Starlight Revue

Around this time, she frequent collaborated with cabaret icon Lady Starlight, with whom she was pictured in October 2007 after debuting what would become her signature blonde hair

As she geared up for the release of her debut album, Gaga performed in Miami Beach in March 2008

Even though she was very much a star on the rise, she still managed to squeeze in time for some fun with her old pals, including Lady Starlight

A month before The Fame’s US release, Gaga put in a suitably dramatic appearance at a Michalsky fashion show…

…and also performed at the show’s after-party, where she showed off the imaginative DIY aesthetic that would become her trademark around this period

Speaking of early Lady Gaga signatures, here she is rocking a snood in August 2008 while promoting The Fame on MTV’s TRL in her hometown of New York City

As her profile grew, she was booked for international gigs, including this show at the Dome 47 at Germany’s SAP Arena in August 2008

In October 2008, she headlined then-bestie Perez Hilton’s One Night In… concert at NYC’s Highline Ballroom

Here she is on stage that same night

Around this time, she made it all the way to Australia, brandishing her iconic ‘disco stick’ during a performance of LoveGame

We can’t be certain, but we think Lady Gaga might have been sporting some false lashes when she performed at the Z100 Jingle Bell Ball in December 2008

And if you loved that homemade dress, you’d have been overjoyed to discover that she had it in multiple colours

Gaga then kicked off 2009 with an appearance at G-A-Y at London’s iconic nightclub Heaven

During this London trip, she was also snapped DJing with Paris Hilton (and yes, that’s teen BGT winner George Sampson lingering in the background)

A month later, Lady Gaga made her Brit Awards debut, joining Brandon Flowers on stage as guests of the Pet Shop Boys

By March 2009, she’d racked up two UK number ones and had ascended to become one of the biggest stars on the planet

Lady Gaga soon began making headlines the world over with her bold fashion statements, including the famous ‘bubble dress’ which she wore while performing at the House Of Blues in April 2009

We don’t have much to say about this photo of Lady Gaga and Kelly Clarkson at a Grammys event in May 2009 other than we’re obsessed with it

That same month she made an appearance on Australian TV that we have to say was particularly… busy

She was also still opening for the Pussycat Dolls on their tour during this time, too

Mandatory Credit: Photo by David Rowland/Shutterstock (924153c)Lady GaGa aka Stefani GermanottaPussycat Dolls and Lady GaGa in concert at the Vector Arena, Auckland, New Zealand – 16 May 2009

Another of her head-turning wardrobe moments came in June 2009, when she wore this flaming bustier during a performance at Canada’s MuchMusic Awards

And her outfit backstage was the very definition of hair-raising

That summer she also made her first – and, to date, only! – appearance on the Glastonbury Stage

The Glastonbury 2009 set saw Lady Gaga throwing it back to her pre-fame days by wearing a mirror ball homage dress

If ever there were one night that proved to be a turning point in Lady Gaga’s career, it was the 2009 VMAs. She began the evening by making a grand entrance alongside Kermit The Frog…

…before livening up the red carpet with this kooky ensemble…

…and ending up suspended from the ceiling covered in fake blood (are we still gagged by Lady Gaga’s 2009 VMAs performance almost 20 years later? Obv.)

Among all of that, she also won her very first VMA in the Best New Artist category…

…and even managed to grab a photo with one of her idols, Madonna, long before the two stars kicked off a very public war of words (we’re pleased to say they’ve long since buried the hatchet)

If ever you wanted to know what Minnie Mouse might wear on her wedding day, Gaga gave us a glimpse in September 2009

Even when all she was doing was chucking some flowers in the direction of her fans, she almost made sure to turn a look

She also gave this homage to The Saturdays at the launch of her Monster Beats headphones

In October 2009, she took part in a march in favour of repealing the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, which forbade LGBTQ+ people from serving openly in the US military

As Gaga’s budget ballooned, the fashion grew even more elaborate and glamorous, as evidenced by this appearance at the ACE Awards in November 2009

Lady Gaga kicked off her performance at the 2009 American Music Awards with this skeletal costume…

…closing things out in dramatic fashion by smashing bottles while performing on a flaming piano

Within the space of two years, Gaga had gone from making appearances in tiny clubs to performing for royalty in December 2009

By the end of 2009 she was a global mega-star headlining her own arena tour

And with Bad Romance at the top of the charts, she performed on The X Factor dressed, of course, as a mechanical bat

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