From gothic couture to spicy receipts, we rank the most memorable dresses worn by music's biggest stars during live performances.
20. PJ Harvey
'Second skin' … Harvey at the O2 Academy in Brixton, London, in 2016.
"Dressed like a fabulously turned-out carrion crow," is how our reviewer described the gothic, avian-like get-up PJ Harvey wore to perform her ninth album, The Hope Six Demolition Project, in Brixton. The dress, by longtime friend Ann Demeulemeester, epitomises the dramatic yet pared-back stage looks she adopted for her later, darker albums. As Harvey said: "It's a second skin … protection."
19. Lily Allen
Final stretch … Allen in Chicago during her West End Girl tour.
Called the ultimate revenge dress, Lily Allen performed in Chicago wearing a dress printed with enlarged receipts, linked by fans to an alleged affair by her ex-husband. As she sang about a handbag bought on May 24, she unfurled from the dress showing credit card transactions and texts. A piece of pop performance art from a star who once wore gold hoops and prom dresses.
18. Harry Styles
Styles wearing a Gucci 'Dorothy' dress at Madison Square Garden, October 2021.
Harry Styles has championed gender-fluid fashion, but this is one of the few times he has worn a dress on stage. For "Harryween" at Madison Square Garden, he dressed as Dorothy in a bespoke blue gingham Gucci dress, accessorised with ruby slippers and a stuffed Toto. Lighthearted and bold, it gave fans exactly what they wanted.
17. Joni Mitchell
Not so mellow yellow … Mitchell at the Isle of Wight festival, 1970.
The marigold-orange dress with turquoise jewellery was the perfect look for her 1970 Isle of Wight performance, which Mitchell later called "a bit of a disaster." A rowdy crowd wasn't showing respect, so she called them out—"You're acting like tourists, man!"—and won them over. A powerful moment from a 26-year-old star.
16. Geri Horner (Halliwell)
Horner with the Spice Girls at the Brit awards, February 1997.
The union jack dress, worn a year after the Spice Girls' debut, became shorthand for Britpop's camp, sexy side. Designed by Tom Ford for Gucci, with a tea towel sewn on the front. It later sold for a record £41,000 at auction.
15. Björk
Oceans apart … Björk at the Athens Olympics opening ceremony, 2004.
Björk's dress at the Athens Olympics expanded across the stadium floor with 210 metres of fabric, representing the ocean flooding the arena. "I represent the ocean," she said. A thought-provoking fever dream from an artist who always delivers.
14. Rosalía
Rosalía at the Brit awards in Manchester, 2026.
Operatic, balletic, and classical with a grungey twist—Rosalía's music soars without costume help, but she still brings the drama. This custom Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood design was worn at the Brits, part of a string of high-drama looks for her Lux tour.
13. Grace Slick
Fringe benefits … Grace Slick with Jefferson Airplane at Woodstock, 1969.
Grace Slick headlined Woodstock in a white fringed tunic-dress over flares, cementing her role as the archetypal hippy pin-up. The deliberate choice of white contrasted with the surrounding tie-dye, as she belted out powerful social anthems.