Lady Gaga's Most Iconic Moments: The Meat Dress, Super Bowl, and Tattoos
At the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, Lady Gaga wore a dress made of approximately 50 pounds of raw flank steak, which was later preserved by taxidermists.
This boundary-pushing fashion choice remains one of her most famous moments, alongside her historic Super Bowl performances and deeply personal tattoos.
| Lady Gaga Meat Dress Material | Approximately 50 pounds of raw flank steak |
| Meat Dress Designer | Franc Fernandez |
| Super Bowl LI Viewers | 117.5 million U.S. TV viewers |
| First Tattoo Age | 17 years old (in 2003) |
| Current Age (2026) | 40 years old |
Born in 1986, Lady Gaga has spent decades building a multifaceted career as a singer, songwriter, activist, film actor, television actor, and voice actor. Now 40 years old in 2026, she remains one of the most influential figures in entertainment, a status cemented by her boundary-pushing moments. Among her most famous fashion statements is the infamous outfit she wore to the MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010. Designed by Franc Fernandez and styled by Nicola Formichetti, the dress was made of approximately 50 pounds of raw flank steak. While some assumed the garment would simply rot, it was actually preserved by taxidermists into a type of jerky. Over the years, this unique piece of pop history has been displayed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Newseum, and the Haus of Gaga museum at Park MGM in Las Vegas.
Beyond her avant-garde fashion, Lady Gaga has delivered some of the most-watched live music performances in history. On February 5, 2017, she headlined the Super Bowl LI Halftime Show at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. Her 12-minute performance drew 117.5 million U.S. television viewers and reached over 150 million unique viewers across all platforms, making it a historic milestone in her career. Years later, in February 2026, she returned to the massive sporting event as a guest performer, sharing the stage with Ricky Martin during Bad Bunny's record-breaking Super Bowl halftime show.
Gaga’s body art also tells the story of her personal and professional evolution, with several pieces marking key milestones. On Valentine's Day in 2019, she added two significant pieces to her collection. To celebrate her acclaimed role in the film A Star Is Born, she had artist Winter Stone ink a large rose spanning her spine, accompanied by the words 'La Vie en Rose.' That same day, she got a musical staff tattoo spelling out 'G-A-G-A.' Although the design initially contained an error with only four lines instead of five—a mistake she jokingly blamed on drinking too many tequilas—she had the tattoo corrected that very same day.
Her collection of ink dates back to her youth, long before she achieved global superstardom. She got her first tattoo, a treble clef on her lower back, at the age of 17 in 2003 using a fake ID. Later in her career, she honored her close musical partnership with Tony Bennett by getting a trumpet tattoo on her right bicep in 2014, which Bennett had personally sketched for her. Each piece of ink, much like her historic performances and daring fashion choices, represents a distinct chapter in her journey as a global icon.