Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival kicks off nearly a full month of festivals in Indio. Bringing music, fashion, art, thousands of concert-goers and more to the desert, the world-renowned festival is a can’t-miss cultural event in Southern California. Read on for everything you need to know about attending.
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival takes place over the course of two weeks: April 11 to 13 and April 18 to 20. Over 100,000 people flock to the Empire Polo Club grounds each day, which open around 1 p.m.-ish each day and close around 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and midnight on Sunday.
Bags are allowed! You’ll want to load up on essentials to get through desert days and nights. In an up to 18” x 13” x 8.5” backpack or 12” x 6” x12” purse/handbag, you can bring in bandaids, cameras, Chapstick, eye drops, hand sanitizer, empty hydration packs, ear plugs, plastic water bottles (empty and reusable), non-aerosol sunblock, parasols, small to medium-sized towels, water misters and other items. Leave air horns, scooters, blankets, chains, chairs, coolers, glass bottles, glow sticks, hammocks, hula hoops, IV bags, umbrellas, stuffed animals and wagons at home. There are also lockers available so you don’t have to carry everything around all day and night, which are also helpful for when you need to do an outfit change when temperatures drop after sunset. Just be sure to make an advanced reservation.
Coachella 2025 will be headlined by Lady Gaga, Green Day and Post Malone. Throughout the weekend, other standout artists include Missy Elliot, Tyla, A.G. Cook, Charli XCX, the Misfits, Clairo, T-Pain, Japanese Breakfast, Jimmy Eat World, Megan Thee Stallion, Zedd, Beabadoobee, Kraftwerk, Jennie and Shaboozey. At the dedicated EDM stage, Quasar, you’ll also find the likes of Tiësto and Gorgon City. Set times vary by each weekend, so plan accordingly.
If you are driving to the festival, parking opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 2 a.m. It is on a first-come, first-serve basis, and everyone in the car must have a wristband. You can also buy preferred parking passes in advance. Are you getting dropped off or picked up by a rideshare service? Head to the rideshare stand in lot 1D. If you’re being dropped off by a friend, head to lot 2A. You are also allowed to walk, bike or take a private car, shuttle or public transportation. Just remember to give yourself an extra 30 to 90 minutes depending on your drop-off spot and time of day to arrive, walk to the entrance and get through security. More travel, commuting and parking info.
Coachella may be a music festival, it puts just as much care into its food and beverage program as the talent lineup. There are a ton of places, whether you’re at the DoLab or Outdoor Stage, that are a stone’s throw away where you can fuel up. Highlights include Le Burger by Camphor, All’antico Vinaio, Afters Ice Cream, Burger She Wrote, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Fat Sal’s, Irv’s Burgers, Love Hour, Monty’s Burgers, Sweetfin, Tacos 1986 and Yeastie Boys. See more
Pizza fans will particularly want to look out for Pizza Remix by Postmates featuring Prince Street Pizza. Located in the GA section of the festival grounds, the space evokes a pizza parlor combined with a recording studio. Here, visitors can enjoy slices and beverages while listening to remixed tunes and snapping photo station moments. The menu will feature collaborative pizzas between Prince St. Pizza and The Boiling Crab (The Whole Sha-bang Slice made with brushed Sicilian crust, The Boiling Crab's signature Whole Sha-Bang sauce, topped with mozzarella, shrimp and smoked sausage) and Bridgetown Roti (Honey Jerk Chicken Slice made with Honey Jerk Chicken, Mango Masala, Green Seasoning and Smoked Mozzarella).
The festival also has beverages, galore. Attendees can get a caffeine kick from Everbloom Coffee or hydrate at the Electrolit experience. Those looking for a glass of wine can keep an eye out for Dancing, the mother-daughter-founded wine label and lifestyle brand that’ll also pop up at Drift Hotels on April 12 and 13 from noon to 4 p.m.
As Coachella's official vodka partner, Absolut will present Absolut House of Cosmo in collaboration with Paris Hilton. The immersive experience will be your best bet for an out-of-this-world cosmo, not to mention, a place with plenty to do. It will feature a curated menu of Absolut cocktails, The Sliving Room for a little relaxation, interactive self-expression stations perfect for photos and exclusive surprises and performances. Even those watching the festival from home via the Coachella livestream can get in on the fun. To make your own Paris-approved cosmo, ReserveBar has the Absolut x Paris Hilton Cosmo Collection.
For fun, non-alcoholic drinks, L.A.-based The New Bar will return to the desert. Setting up as a retro gas station/ rest stop, come by for Lewis Hamilton-founded blue agave spirit Almave, Recess Zero Proof Craft Mocktails, Free AF Drinks and more. Furthermore, Almave will host daily Golden Happy Hours during both weekends for fans to try its Golden Hour Margarita and a chance to get complimentary professional portraits taken before sunset.
What’s more, Outstanding In The Field will take place in the VIP rose garden. In its tenth year, Jim Denevan’s exclusive culinary experience will treat festival goers to a four-course, family-style meal prepared by renowned chefs from around the world including Silvia Barban of LaRina, Diego Argoti of Estrano and Tara Monsod of Animae and Le Coq for weekend one. Additionally, the food will be complemented by refreshing Gray Whale gin cocktails and California wine. The 2025 farm partners include Aziz's Farm, Coleman Family Farm, County Line Harvest, Weiser Family Farm, Tehachapi Grain Project, Temalpakh Farm and Coachella Valley High School.
The most important thing you can do is stay hydrated. Whether it's a welcome 78 degrees or scorching 110+, it is important to drink water day to night so that you can get through the entire desert-set festival. Drinking stations are all around the grounds, and if the ones near the entrance have long lines, there is a good chance you’ll find a pretty open one deeper inside. In addition, if you’re thinking about getting merchandise, do it on the first day. The lines tend to get longer, and sometimes merch sells out as the weekend goes on. You’ll want to also bring a face mask, whether it’s your go-to COVID-19-protective mask or a bandana. It can get pretty windy at night (especially, usually, during weekend one) and covering your mouth and nostrils is imperative, otherwise you will get a lot of dust in your lungs. If you have allergies, you may also want to wear a mask while walking from your drop-off site to the festival entrance. Parts of the walking paths are excessively dusty. If you can swing it, pay a pedicab driver to make the walking path trip a lot quicker. Your feet will thank you and so will your energy levels. Finally, 4 p.m. is a popular time to enter the festival, so go earlier or later to avoid lines or pad your arrival time with extra cushion to be able to make it to your favorite artist’s set.
Coachella is at the Empire Polo Club, which is located at 81-800 Avenue 51 92201.
See also: The Los Angeles Spring Guide
Photography by: Courtesy AEG
