Cool if you're barely legal. Crowd was a majority of over privileged teens and people up to their mid 20's. If you like the idea of getting pushed and shoved into opposite directions when trying to get to one stage and the other, seeing a bunch of dehydrated people throwing up because they are near overdose on Molly's and ecstasy and you enjoy waiting in long lines that seems like for effin ever and eternity for a drink then this definitely is the the place for you. Btw...I'm 31 and have seen my fair share of partying but 2016s lineup was meh... read more

Coachella - Festivals Near Me - Indio, California

WOW! Coachella you Freagin R O C K ! ! ! A few of my friends 'n I decided to make a trip out of this, and here are my deEep thoughts: 1- Warm desert, but dry... sweet... didn't have my shirt on throughout the festival... sorry people, didn't mean to scare you off... 2 - Lines, hmmm not so bad. 3 - Smell of ganja in the air... mmmm not bad at all! 4 - Beer Garden & Red Bull/Soju - Yes! 5 - More Ganja! Oh baby! 6 - Festival food... quite decent even for my taste, & no people you aren't going to find a CPK or Mastros here, so quit yer bitchin... 7 - LCD Sounsystem! Freagin Rocks! 8 - Hippies galore - no this isn't a Hollywood nightclub! Even I looked like a nomad after a few days! 9 - Stephen Marley = more ganja 10 - Munchies! Damn! 2 churros and 2 diet cokes.... a bit too much for thy belly, but did it anyway... damn ganja! 11 - Chili Peppers (Rocked!) - per friend 23 mins. into concert "hey this sounds like The Chili Peppers".... duh!?!?! Wasted! 12 - Dusk is upon us, which means nothing less than.... EEEEEEE... 13 - TIESTO - I have met you now my God! 14 - $2 water - cheap, very cheap, and very necessary! 15 - Drive to nice comfortable hotel room and shower for an hour.... then sleep enough & repeat the next day... 16 - Repeat from step 1 Coachella I can't wait to be there again next year!!! read more

Ok so i promised you more, here goes: Day 2-I'm feeling relatively better about today(i think we all were) not only is the line up better but i have some "mood enhancers" burning a hole in my pockets. I miss Ariel Pink...whack. I do however make it to catch Joss Stone. I didn't even know she was playing but she put on a damn good set. I was pretty impressed and seeing how Winehouse couldn't make it...this was a close second. I'm not comparing the two but a little soul in the mid day heat never hurt anyone. Caught Para One and Surkin....not impressed. Seriously what is it about modern dance music that makes me cringe. Not all of it but this hard pounding, vocal distorting, hipster bullshit everyone seems to love. Whatever. It started getting better when i saw Henry Rollins.....ummmmm. Yeah. We walked into what seemed like a speech. Have to say I was actually kind of moved. It felt like he tapped into what we all wanted so badly to feel and for a moment we all did. At this point we meet up to watch Glasvegas....bastards never showed. We then make the hike back to the dance tents to find a friend who by this point was probably seeing tiny anime characters jumping out of the speakers. We don't find him and the Bloody Beetroots=Para one and Surkin. Pass. Me and a friend head over to M.I.A. I drop. By the time I get there and wait the 20 minutes it takes for her to come on, I'm rolling pretty good. Even with all that running thru my veins...I was kind of let down. So i take another. We leave early to meet up with everyone in time for the good shit to go down. Finally, the night reaches a high point. We get to see Glass Candy. OMG those pills were putting me thru it. Everything (including the trees) were dancing. The lights were slowly making me lose my footing. If I didn't sit soon i swear i would have fallen back and hit my head on the ground. Luckily I made it thru. Amazing. Then Gang Gang Dance. At this point my eyes are no longer focusing....and i was in love. i saw what appeared to be muppets dancing, smoke machines going, and various pieces of machinery circling a voodoo priestess. I had to go and get a friend of mine to make sure i wasn't hallucinating the entire thing. She claims she saw it too. After checking youtube clips when we got back....turns out the pills had gotten the better of both of us. i couldn't have asked for a better night. Day 3-Last day. i think at this point we all just kind of wanted to get this over with but Sunday did promise to be the best. We show up as drunk as all the previous days only we had an interesting twist of fate park next to us in the lot. The funny thing is we were pissed about parking in the lot cause it was the furthest from the field. Our misfortune proved to our saving grace. The guy parked next to us sold us some mushrooms encased in chocolate hearts. We eat them while walking in. By the time we get to the line....i'm tripping pretty hard. Perfect. We get in just in time to see Lykke Li. Oh my god i love mushrooms. I'm dancing my ass off in what is agreeably the hottest of the 3 days. Some Australian girl tells me I'm a good dancer...hehe. After that we seek shade in the food area. Buy the most amazing mango smoothies that we mix with the vodka we finally got smart enough to sneak in. While sitting we are able to hear in the distance Antony and the Johnsons set with Matthew Herbert. Despite not being a fan...i really liked it. Now it's time for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. we drop again and when i get there it all reaches a peak. When Karen O takes the stage I'm reminded of Henry Rollins speech. Almost makes me teary eyed. I turn to my friends and say how glad i am we did shrooms first so i appreciate the beauty of the day instead of focusing in how hot it is. Yeah i was fucked up. In the distance as she starts singing runaway I'm blown away by all the flags i see being waved. Mexico, Brazil, Australia....i'm reminded of raves and that feeling of being a part of something bigger than all of us there. It really was amazing. My friends leave us after that to watch...umm, i forget but i wasn't going anywhere. My Bloody Valentine was next. That was definitely another high point. Their sound I'm positive was meant to be enjoyed exactly how i experienced it. We missed the last few songs to catch the Kills...which i only remember snippets of. Damn. my brain had finally started giving out.After that we went to see Groove Armada who sucked. Which i was kinda glad about so i could sneak away and see Throbbing Gristle. After a few songs started to scare my chemically altered state of mind. To close out the whole thing we all meet up to see Etienne de Crecy. I have to say after alot of hype and numerous videos we were all disappointed. I guess it was fitting and summed up the whole weekend. Ugh....so this may have been my last but i can say, with all honesty, my friends....god love them, actually made this mess a really good time. read more

It's always a good time at Coachella. This year I had the privilege of getting complimentary tickets and VIP passes. That made it sweeter than fuck. Unfortunately, I also paid $300 for a bogus camping pass, so in the end, I guess you could call it even. Because of said bogus camping pass, we ended up sleeping in the car in the evenings and driving to the local truckstop to take showers. You know, paying $10 for some quality time alone with a clean, personal shower/sink/toilet is a real nice luxury. Especially after a night of intoxicated chair rest. So it sucks to lose the $300 but it's nice to gained experience in this process. I would probably never pay for VIP as it's ridiculously priced. However, when it's given to you, it's a beautiful thing. There really isn't much to it other than two sections of the event that only other VIP'ers can dwell with their own bathrooms and vendors. But when you're in an ocean of people, personal space and not waiting in massive lines are wonderful. They also serve alcohol an hour later in the VIP than the rest of the venue so that was a nice bonus. Overall, while Coachella took a dive with the lack of camping tickets for all, they've improved greatly by car/tent combo, the allowing booze and everyone in general in the camping area, IN's and OUT's from the event., and adding fun things to do after the show in the campsite. I just felt more relaxed overall. Even if you didn't have tickets, tried to sneak in and got caught, they were actually nice and understanding about it. Or so I heard, in story form from someone. The bands, the art work, and in fact, the weather wasn't so hot. It was a little hard to leave come Sunday ( we only did fri/sat), but my body and wallet were a little glad because of how thouroughly spent they were. Worth every penny. read more

i woke up unaware of what lay ahead of what mysteries existed. for myself again i gave up trying to ascend that ladder which was slowly eradicating my soul in every bit and every way. those turbines of time kept spinning in a way off in the distance as one began to ignite a formidable imagination in my mind that far broke beyond my traditional transcendence. in my own language of this unbearable inner-soul i decided to pre-suspend all animosity for my existence because i knew this was it. this was as far as i could go down this road... to the center of the spirit i took the journey to mend and heal my own wounds which were created by many before. and still still those turbines kept whirling and still i just decided to let it take me away. she held me she held me tight in a way which i felt incomprehensible. off in the desert neither of us existed because we didn't have to because we didn't need to. when i give up it comes back. life gives back and i and i accept it though we are from different eras though we are from different realms we were both granted another chance at life. as the sun rose i began to know luck has met my side. the realization came as a pinge, it came piercing and i took it all in. now here today observing this past and trying to define the future i ponder... where do i go now? how can i live in this now? what can i do... what can i do to make this right again what can i do to feel once again what can i do to find ' it ' again what can i do to restore myself again what can i do to be with her again? why analyze which does not need to be analyze... why should i care when i shouldn't even care... perhaps again perhaps again i shall let it come to me in the night when i am no longer there... read more

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, located in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley, in the Colorado Desert. Features some of the world's biggest acts in music. read more

It took me nearly a year to get over the pain associated with Coachella 2012. I attended in 2011, much to Kanye's excitement and could summarize the entire weekend as one giant sweaty, heat blistering, music popping, water blasting, crowd surfing, haze. I never had so much fun, and I've never been so dirty. I figured that since I stayed in a hotel last year and survived the festival, that camping would add new element and experience to Coachella 2012. Damn was I wrong. Weekend 1 as many know was rainy, but for those of us at Weekend 2, all hell broke loose. It was hot. So hot that I may have missed acts to stay cool. So hot that if that random dude didn't decide to dump his waterbottle on me instead of trashing it, I probably would have fainted. So hot that I cooked ramen by placing it on top of a car (not joking). You promptly wake up at 7:00am because its so hot, your eyes are on fire. But for those campers out there, the heat brings a sense of togetherness. Your camping neighbors will be happy to toss you a beer and exchange stories and greetings. That arena in the middle of the field? You know, the one that sprays na$ty water on the entire crowd and making the grass turn into mud while they bang out crazy weird music? Yeah, that becomes the best stage ever created. Oh and bring water, PLENTY of it, and have enough $ to buy ice. Its a literal lifesaver. I'm not even ashamed to admit I walked (yes WALKED) to Ralphs 2-3 miles away in the 110 degree heat, ran into the grass that was sprayed by sprinklers on the way, and camped inside the air conditioned Ralphs for 3 hours with 15 others, because it was so hot. When the sun relents, the nightfall brings a sense of "holy sh*t, I survived" and subsequently, you party your a$$ off. The festival itself needs no explanation. A desert full of arts, beautiful people, and amazing music from all eras. After you've spent all your energy in the mosh pits, dancing, shuffling, breakdancing, jiving, fist pumping, or just head bobbing to the music, run to the showers and I guarantee you that despite being in a portable trailer, it will be one of the BEST showers you have ever had. I'll be taking a break for this year, but when time and the lineup permits, I will return. read more

With two weekends, the festival is a little different now (performers come back, prices are higher, camping is not as nice the 2nd weekend) Keep your ears open for when tickets go on sale, because they sell out within minutes. Don't buy weekend two on regular sale, you may be able to buy later for $100/ticket! read more

What would I ever do without Coachella to look forward to every year? No matter what the cost, the stress, the situation, make it to Coachella at least once in your life. Break some rules. See some of the most incredible performers in the world and generally just experience the amazing neo hippy/hipster vibe. Parking is confusing, it's 100 degrees and your face is melting off. Lines are a mile long to do anything or go anywhere; BUT! You will walk away from this experience with memories that will last forever. Words of advice: -Download the Coachella App and create your personalized lineup. -Bring sunblock, shorts and basically try to wear as little clothing as possible. Cuz that's kind of what one does here. -Don't get mad when someone steps on your toe or some sweaty dude keeps bumping into you. Just catch the feel good vibes and ride them all day long. -Charge your phone before you get here! It WILL run out unless you buy a locker or spend an hour of your day sitting on the grass by the charging station. -Stay hydrated. read more

Coachella 2012 was an awesome experience. It lived up to its expectation as being one of the best festivals! Everything was well organised with logistics. The music, people and atmosphere was really good! I was surprised at how many Aussies were there! It's probably the easiest place to spot out a celebrity as well! read more

We're shepherded in like hogs to the slaughter. Bikini clad sun bunnies cling to uber hipsters in purple tanks and meat hooks with board shorts. Two men are berated into the ground for carrying in ice chests filled with Jim beam and possibly anthrax. What else would cause this sudden disturbance of the peace? They are laughed at and heckled by the motley crew of uniformed officials as they tread back to the camp grounds. A wonderful collection of the cream of the crop in modern music. Crowds gather like ants to half sucked hard candy. The vibrations purr through the entire grounds, there is no escape. Not for you, not for anybody. And why should you? Damn you and your mother for even thinking it. The only way through this mess is to go into it full on. With a pint of whiskey close at hand and maybe some grass and crab fries that sell at local concessions everywhere you look for the price of a small child. Everything is sold at sky rocket prices like the end of the world, sponsored by Heineken, and all we have left is corn dogs and twisty pretzels for ten dollars a piece. The food court sells more than just that. Food from around the world, the sign boasts. But I kept my distance. I've never had the stomach for waiting in line for a bite to eat. Not when there's music at hand. The day's never stop, and neither does the sun, whose oppression only adds to the general malaise of extreme, un-policed human expression and drug experimentation. Bands fold into one another at such a rate that it's hard to notice how tired you really are, walking from one end of the field to another. A stage is never naked. Everybody has a crowd. Each band can seem better than the next, as long as you keep your wits about you, and your guard up. Men and women in their twenties and thirties run through the hangars, half naked, with heads full of mushrooms and Mali and Ecstasy, anything they can get their hands on for three straight days. Testing the limits of psychosis in the most extreme of sensory conditions. What better carnival for the eyes and mind, a better type of utopia, a greco roman anarchy reborn. Timothy Leary would have teared up. read more

Best. Weekend. Ever. Before attending Coachella for the first time, I prepared by gathering information through friends and word of mouth. In the spirit of Coachella, I am returning the favor. BIGGEST MYTHS: "You HAVE to camp" I'm not the camping type. But I believe this myth started because of past traffic and parking #fails. Sure, camping is a great time (says my guy friends who took on elements). Campsites are always a party and you can't beat their location. If you are the camping type, I do think it's an experience worth trying. There are showers, restrooms, and food trucks for everyone's convenience. But if you're more like me and my 12 housemates, getting to the Empire Polo Club was a breeze even from Palm Springs. BIGGEST TRUTHS: "It is hotter than you can imagine" I am an avid music fan, however, Coachella is pretty unbearable if you get there before 4pm. There is plenty of shade and surprisingly enough picnic tables, but does that matter when you're sun burnt? Everyone always talks about Coachella fashion, as the festival is known for 1 Music 2 Parties 3 Who Wore What. That being said, girls, leave the heels and pants at home. You WILL end up in your bathing suit and with blisters on your feet. Don't try to outsmart Indio, because they will have the last laugh. BIGGEST SURPRISES: "$2 waters" and "back packs are OK" This was the first festival I have ever been to that doesn't try and make money at the attendees' expense or limit the size of your carry-in item. All the concessions were fairly priced, especially considering its Southern California. Best idea we had was to bring a back pack (stocked with picnic blanket, sweater, and SPF), buy 10 waters and stash your pack for the day. BIGGEST FAIL #1: "Coachella iPhone App" In theory, this was a great idea. The application for iPhones was meant to help users "find friends" and check when and where their favorite acts were performing. While cell phone service was MUCH better than expected, even Katy Perry and Rihanna were tweeting while watching their favorites, the one app not working was my "Official Coachella" application. Buzzkill. BIGGEST FAIL #2: "Coachella withdrawals" OK OK, so this isn't really a fail, but it is a known condition! The ever present feeling of community through a shared experience of music, fun, and friendship continues even after Coachella closes. The festival creates a care-free and peaceful energy and lifestyle that doesn't exist outside of Indio, CA. Until next year... read more

Coachizzle!! gotta say it was good except the first Friday i was here we got bad weather, but thats not the venues fault.. of course. It was well organized, kept everything in line, plan to go next year but not to camp everrr. The idea of showering in 5 minutes, and being a girl with complicated hair, nahh , that aint ganna happen. A damn sprinkle is not ganna do the job. read more

Well I still go to concerts, but even though I love Red Hot Chilli Peppers I wont be EVER going to Coachella. I passed by an employee one day who'd claimed she'd worked for him (the land owner) for 10 years. She then went on to say his annual gift is 400. I showed her mine it was for 5000-. Yah he has a lot of money. But he wont sell my family or myselt tickets anymore. read more

I popped a Molly, and I was sweatin' Whoooo. So much fun and can't wait till next weekend. Very memorable and great experience...

This is my first year attending Coachella and I am soooooo excited!!! This will be totally worth it!!!

I've seen Coachella described by fellow Yelpers as a: "modern day hippie movement" and "not weirdo hippie, but hippie in the best way possible" and "a hippie fest." I could not agree less. Mind you, I have no idea what "weirdo hippie" means, but I do know that I might be one of them (and proud). Coachella is not a festival in which the so-called Hippie Movement is correlated, as it may have been (or, so I'm told). I'm not knocking this festival in any way, but do not want other Yelpers to get the wrong idea when attending this particular festival. + Car Camping: We went Weekend One and did car camping. Our "caravan leader" left Los Angeles at 08:30-09:00 and arrived at the camp site around 11:30-12:00. Not bad given the drive to Indio and then going through the security process. They got a killer spot and our car camping experience was awesome. We had great neighbors and most of the surrounding campers all intermingled (some all through the festival). We ended up mobbing home on Sunday right before they closed the gates (they will close the In/Out gate on Sunday from 10:00PM-02:00AM due to high traffic and pedestrians, or so we were told) and were out in no time. The only psuedo-issue was that my car was in the Car Companion Lot and it was a motherbitch to get to the lot due to all the closed roads. Security/Police were not the most helpful, but it was also Sunday night and I'm sure they were over it. + GA: We decided to do General Admission - I've never gone VIP to a festival (just because I like being immersed in the environment and don't really care about the VIP additions like booze, etc.), but I might for next year. The line was totally manageable. We entered the festival multiple and various times and never had to wait longer than 15-20 min. for security and entrance. + Musica: Excellent vibrations. Coachella definitely has a great array of musicians. I was not disappointed by any artist that I saw and enjoyed all of the sets. There will be artists that everyone will know and artists that you have never heard of -- go to as many shows as you are able to and you will discover amazing new music. I was at The Do Lab for a lot of the weekend, but saw a show at every stage. I noticed that a lot of people were parked on the dance floor, but to each their own. Silent Disco was always fun, too. + Art: Stellar. You walk into the festival grounds and are immediately taken aback by the visuals and art installations. Very cool Coachella Astronaut that moseyed around the grounds. Each stage set had it's own flair. + Food: YUM. Honestly did not have anything that was not worth eating. + Atmosphere: Okay, so I have been to quite a few concerts and many festivals and I will say that the energy at this festival was different. I came into contact with a lot of rude go-ers and it was pretty humbling. As I said above, this festival has been described as a "hippie movement," but where was the love? There was this horrific outpouring of people after the FBS set where people were literally herded out of the area like human cattle. It was probably one of the most disturbing things, ever. During this time I was purposely elbowed by a "Bro" (yeah, I said it) multiple times and when I asked him to please stop (I'm 5'0" and his elbow was hitting my throat and collarbone), he said: "Then stop pushing me, bitch." Hmm, sir... if you could take a moment to reflect and set your gaze behind you, you would find the mass of thousands of people -- all pushing forward in the same direction -- which happens to be towards your back. Just unnecessary. I've never seen so many selfies and videos being taken at a show, versus putting the electronics away and enjoying the moment. (Hint: there's always going to be someone who recorded the entire set, just Youtube it later and save yourself the hassle, for real.) As a side note: Most of the people I attended Coachella with have gone for 5+ years and all said that this festival is changing. A quote from a friend: "Coachella, meet Vanity and Capitalism, you're about to be its bitch until the contract you signed with Indio is finished." True? Maybe. + TIPS: Sunblock/sunscreen, Scarf!, H2O, hand sanitizer, cash (I only spent about $50-75 all weekend) and HANDLE YO SELF! No, but seriously, handle it. People go buck wild right when they get onto the festival grounds. Coachella is a marathon and if you're racing to reach fucked up, you're going to end up exhausted and worn down before the end. Enjoy yourself and be safe. All that aside, if you haven't been to Coachella, I say GO. It is an experience in itself and you will cherish the memories made. It may not be for everyone, but it is a great time. I will be attending 2015, it's just too close to home for me not to go. read more

Coachella is truly something one must experience at least once in their lifetime... especially the car camping part. Lots of fun, lots of sun, lots of unforgettable moments. Pace yourself, drink lots of water, apply lots of sunscreen, and leave the drama at home. Check out and chill out :) read more

This review is about the online ticket sales that you can order 11 months before the festival. I've never attended before so I made it a point to order online for the April 2015 event which went on sale on 5/16/14 starting at 10:00 AM. I read all the instructions for online pre-sales and open an account to streamline the process. I got on their system about five minutes early and was able to get in and then they put me on standby where I waited and waited for over an hour. By the time I got to the purchase screen all the tickets were sold out. WTF! I did everything according to rules and they sold out! Turns out that the LA Times reported that Reddit users found a back door to the flawed website which bypassed the standby process and allows you to purchase the tickets directly. As word leaked out about the back door website during the sales literally thousands bypassed the system and bought tickets directly. People virtually cut in line so poor schmucks like me got screwed. Thank you Front Gate Tickets for having such a secure fool proof system. http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-coachella-reddit-presale-tickets-cut-line-20140516-story.html read more

Awesome stuff! Once you're actually on the grounds you can understand why the ticket prices are so high. They have a lot of convenient stuff like several portable toilets throughout the whole venue. Several (overpriced) food stands and general stores. Overall great experience. read more

One of the best weekends of my life. I highly recommend this festival for anyone who loves music and/or life.

always have good line ups. I look forward to this festival each year.

Dear Coachella, I love you so, so, so much, but you let me down just a bit this year. As you know, I've come to see you in the desert every April for four years now. Yes, I may have missed 2007, but I was broke and wasn't willing to make the trek by myself - I wasn't totally enamored by that point. I knew you'd understand. Every year I have gone has been absolutely fantastic, beyond my wildest dreams of what you could be. However, this April, your organizers booked some questionable headliners and sold way too many tickets to people who should never had been let into your amazing world. I was actually pushed this year when I (god forbid) got into someones way while walking from one tent to another. And those irritating kids who push their way to the front, only to stand there and barely nod their head? WHY OH WHY were there so many of those this year? Coachella, I love you, but you need to do something about the douchy crowd you've begun to attract. I miss all the friendly people who are just happy to be surrounded by so much good music and art (speaking of art, what happened to it this year? And the TESLA COILS! From two in 2009 to zero in 2010?? What the fuck were you thinking??), people who are there to see more than the headliners. The people who know that the real gems are the smaller, lesser known bands because they'll probably blow up in the next year. Coachella, you've always had a talent for picking the next big things. Which brings me to another point - while this was not my favorite year, you definitely brought it in terms of musical performances. Every single performance I saw this year was stellar. There were no bad, or even mediocre, performances. And this, Coachella, is part of the reason I love you. You pick such good artists to come showcase their talent on the polo fields. La Roux was amazing. Yes, you could have put her in a bigger tent (I think she was in the Gobi), but even though I couldn't get inside the tent much less see the stage, it was out of this world. The crowd was fantastic. The two bro-y looking guys in front of me actually knew the words to some of the songs, and although they were singing along to "I'm Not Your Toy" in super high, slightly irritating voices, they were having a blast. And that girl, slightly to my right who belted out the first verse in "Bulletproof" before realizing that Elly hadn't actually started to sing yet - her enthusiasm was infectious. Fever Ray was like nothing I've ever seen. The atmosphere Karin created for the show was fantastic. The masks, the fog, the lasers - all amazing. I felt special for being let into the little club that has been able to see her live - she doesn't tour much in the States, or at all for that matter. Coachella, I've always been in awe of how well you coordinate artists with the sunset. The XX was sublime sunset music. I was lying in the grass, friends all around me, watching the sky turn color as they played. It was phenomenal. Lucy probably (who am I kidding, definitely) had something to do with the amazingness, but I'm sure if I was stone cold sober it would have still been fantastic. Bassnectar brought it. He brought it so hard that I had to see him again when he came to San Francisco (and yes, if you really want to know, he killed it at the Mezzanine). Coachella, I absolutely love the Sahara tent. If there weren't other artists I wanted to see in other tents/stages, I would spend all of my time in the Sahara. It's my default spot when I have free time in my schedule (it does happen - albeit rarely). I don't mind all the candy ravers, in fact sometimes they provide a little bit of entertainment on the side. However, those little kids (okay, teenagers, but they look so little to me!) who are all twacked out on who knows what (probably ecstasy, it is the Sahara) bother me. A lot. Where the fuck are your parents, children?? If they knew that you were spending your night grinding your teeth into oblivion while ogling at the Cubatron what would they say? I do enjoy my recreational drugs, don't get me wrong, but I like to think I'm responsible about it (aka when there's excellent music to be seen, any substance that will distract me or take away from the experience in any way is out of the question). Okay, Coachella, this love letter is getting quite long, and I like to keep things short and sweet. So in summation: I love you so much, and I will be back in 2011, but please, please, for the love of all great music festivals, think long and hard about what kind of crowd your headliners will bring. And if said crowd are the type to only listen to top 40, use your better judgment and DO NOT book that mainstream headliner. If I may, here's one suggestion: DAFT PUNK FOR 2011!!!!! Love, Sara read more

I'll say it right now. Personally, I hated every minute of being at this hot, dusty, noisy hell hole. I don't like outdoor music festivals. I have sensitive ears and can barely handle volume 5 in the car. I hate crowds. Sorry, but standing in a huge sea of people staring at a light show 100 yards away while giant speakers blare glitchy music at your face really isn't my idea of a fun time. But I digress, and this review is moreso based on my husband's opinion, who was super excited to go and really tried to have a good time despite my grumpy attitude at being towed along. 1. The music Maybe I don't know how things work at a music festival. I've never been to a concert, but I assumed when a band was going to play, they'd actually play songs they wrote, not 5 second intros and then random ass techno babble for the next 20 minutes. I like Glitch Mob a lot, but what the fuck? I didn't recognize any of their songs save for the few intros, and then it turned into some crappy club remix. If I wanted to hear that I would go to a club. I sat against the beer garden fence for an hour completely bored out of my mind because of that. And, of course, every band will save their most popular song for last. Maybe they think it'll make people stay for the whole performance instead of leaving after the good songs, but it didn't work on us. At midnight, after we'd waited all day for Outkast to play, we just said screw it and left before they played Heya. Not worth dealing with the sea of idiots, which brings me to my next point. 2. The people I've never met so many rude, inconsiderate, and nasty people in my entire life. Though I lived in Wisconsin all my life and I've heard that Californians are in nature more brusque than us northerners, but come on. I could be staring directly into someone's eyes and they'll just walk right into me without batting an eye and shove me out of the way. I have bruises from trying to walk around the festival grounds. It'll take you at LEAST 20 minutes to get across the food terrace because people are elbowing, shoving, and generally stumbling all over the place because of weed and alcohol. Oh yeah, you might want to bring a bandana or something if you don't want to breathe in secondhand smoke for the entire night. Drugs aren't allowed inside the festival but security is so inconsistent I could probably have a joint in my mouth and they'd let me through. Not kidding. 3. Security/Parking GET A CAR PARK APP. Get it right now so you don't forget before the festival. If you want to avoid walking from one end of the park to the other, turn around and do it again, then turn around and walk from a different end, then wander aimlessly around 12 different parking lots at 3 in the morning, you will get a car park app. I've never been so miserable in my life. And don't think we just forgot where we parked. We happened to be directed into the only parking lot without a number assigned to it, and the path from the parking lot to the fair grounds was at least a 30 minute walk around other lots, zigzagging between the camp grounds and doubling back on itself. At night we couldn't see a thing, and we asked a security guard how to get to parking lot 14 (which we knew was nearby) and they sent us on path yellow. A 25 minute walk later we arrive at lots 1-3, no 14. Ask another guard where 14 is and she says we need to go all the way back to the festival and take the green path. A 40 minute walk later (you try walking against a sea of people only going one direction) with my blistered feet and aching legs, a guard stops us to ask where we're going, then tells us we need to take the green path to the red path and it'll take us to lot 14. Halfway down the green path I say "Stop. We're going to doublecheck right now and make sure this is the right way." You guessed it, WE NEEDED TO BE ON THE BLUE PATH. :) Oh, and this whole time that we'd been switching paths, we had to go back into the festival which meant waiting in line to get TSA'd, and one lady was seriously high on LSD or something because she leaned into me and cackled for a good 10 minutes, didn't pat me down, and just shoved me past her into the festival. Wtf. So after finally getting on the right path after an hour and a half of walking in the wrong direction, we then spend 45 minutes going from parking lot to parking lot looking for our car like the rest of the crowd, because quite frankly the map sucks D at showing you where anything is. Finally found our car in the last parking lot we'd check because of course it doesn't have a huge sign like the rest. On Day 2 security got the right idea and was calling out to the crowd with megaphones and telling us what color path we came from. tl;dr We didn't go back on Sunday after spending $1,000 on tickets, if that says anything. Sigh. read more

The heat was unbearable this year...but well worth getting sweat on myself (by other people and myself), stench of stinky ass bare-footed feet (lots of people were barefoot *shivers*), having by far the worst Chinese and Mexican food ever, and having a girl elbow me in the eye. Hooray! Paul McCartney was theeeee BEST! Hands down, the best performer out of the 3 days. I wish they would've saved him for last. And...why did Saturday have soooo much damn traffic? I went all 3 days, but I must say the first day was the best because of Paul. Yeah Yeah Yeahs were outrageous! So was Bloody Beetroots, TRV$DJ-AM, Franz Ferdinand and etc...well worth the money :) Jesus...I've never seen so many gladiator inspired sandals in my entire life. read more

The music and all of the activities were amazing. I loved how they had fresh fruit and ice cream! The best bathrooms are the girls only bathrooms. The port o pottys were usually very hard to use. The girls only bathrooms are very close to the beer garden and lit in purple and blue lights. Make sure you wear tennis shoes (or your feet will hurt and might slip on pee in port o pottys) and bring sunglasses and something to cover your face. The dust WILL get into your eyes and mouth. Do yourself a favor and buy a shuttle pass. The walk to uber was about 1-1.5 miles away from the festival. The uber station was so packed 2 drivers canceled on us and there were also creepy people asking you to sell you your wristbands along the way. bring empty water bottles! Some security people are nice and will let you bring in a sealed water bottle but some just throw it away. If you stay at a hotel stay at the Marriott desert springs villas II. I give them 5 stars for cleanliness and beautiful landscaping with golf courses. It is about 20 minutes away from coachella (goes by fast with fun people on the shuttle) :) read more

coachella, oh how i love thee. why dont u have it during spring break?!! dammit why?! read more

Had my first Coachella experience this year. Weekend 1, represent!! :D Since my group was rather large, we decided to rent a house, about 5 minutes away from the parking grounds. It was nice to go back to a bed, a shower, a fridge and AC. I don't think I'll ever camp. I've heard some crazy stories, and I'll seriously end up fighting someone if they tried to fornicate in my tent. Yeahhhhhhh, NO. I'm so glad we rented a house. The only downfall is the traffic you get stuck in when you leave each night. Things I loved about Coachella: -the green grass, that was ALWAYS the perfect temperature (cold) and somehow it always felt slightly damp. That kind of damp that feels good when you're melting in the desert heat, but the same kind of damp that doesn't get your clothes wet stains. It was sensational. (I hear by weekend 2 the grass is brown and rough) -the food! For the most part, everything we had tasted UH-MAY-ZING. We kept returning to the Afters Ice Cream tent (seriously, ice cream gods over there) and the FRESH FRUIT tent for their agua fresca, which is pretty much watermelon or pineapple juice. After walking around for hours on end in the blistering sun, ice cream and fruit juices sort of stay in the back of your mind -the art. Sometimes I would forget that Coachella is also an ART festival. And then I would see the 'gazebo' looking tower, with the beautiful bells dangling, or the weird hippos at Corporate. Or, let us not forget the caterpillar that turned into that flawless butterfly!! I seriously thought the caterpillar was going to sprout tiny little wings or something, like the guy from A Bug's Life. I don't know. -the ferris wheel. It's like a staple of Coachella. But then we talked to the people running the tickets for it, and found out it's the same ferris wheel Houston has during the Rodeo, so technically I've been on this exact ferris wheel, BUT THIS ONE WAS AT COACHELLA! And it was beautiful at night. I kind of wish I had gone during the day so I could see everything better, like the stages and the vast herds of people everywhere. O'whale. Next year ;) -The REAL restrooms they installed. I heard that was a new feature, I think I lucked out. -there are many places to sit that are shaded. They had tents, and giant lamps, and trees, all providing shade to people resting or eating. It was convenient. Things I hated about Coachella: -Coachella gods, please find some way to fix the damn reception. BECAUSE SERIOUSLY, WITHOUT WIFI, I CANT EVEN WITHDRAW MONEY FROM AN ATM TO BUY FOOD FROM VENDORS WHO AREN'T ACCEPTING CARDS BECAUSE THE WIFI IS DOWN IN THE FIRST PLACE. It was a vicious cycle. :( I learned a valuable lesson. Bring lots of cash, people. But take good care of it, be safe -there was literally only ONE water filling station. And it was self serve. Every time we passed it, it was a cluster fxck, and the wait was horrendous. ACL (Austin City Limits) had multiple water stations, with volunteers holding a water gun (like a bartenders soda gun, not a child's water gun) that would personally refill your camelpack/water bottle. Coachella needs to drastically step their water station game up. They think they're doing us a service by lowering water bottle prices at vendors to TWO DOLLARS a bottle? Sure, that sounds low, compared to other places, but seriously, 2 dollars for a bottle of water. I don't think they know how fast we down water due to the heat. It's pretty ridiculous. -by the end of every day, my throat was sore from the amount of smoke inhalation. I am not a smoker, nor will I ever be one, and I don't knock you if you do smoke, but holy crap, there is so much smoking (of both kinds) going on. During the headlining acts I had to start taking my bandana out because I couldn't get any fresh air. Every other breath was someone else's exhale. That got old real quick. Anyway, there are many different reasons to love and hate Coachella, and they all vary from person to person. It is definitely an experience you do not want to pass up. It's worth going for, AT LEAST once. All I know is... Coachellorie will be back!! read more

There is a reason why this festival won the "Best Festival" by the "I forgot the name of the awards show" a few months back. This past weekend, Coachella...ella...ella..eehh ehhh. Sorry...anyway topped 75,000 + and was officially sold out. The lineup this year was very impressive and the crowds turned out for it. Pros: 1. You can see every type of music possible from Rap, Rock, Alternative, Indie, DJ, Electronic, Experimental, etc. 2. The overall experience is numbing. Huge open area, stages, people, and good times. People are super cool here. With so many people...You'd expect an asshole here...no way. There are more d*ickheads in my office than the 75,000 people here. Seriously, if someone bumps into you, they say "sorry". I saw people drop phones, glasses, bags and someone always stopped and flagged down the owner. Only the pretentious "GoldenVoice" asses running the show and those involved the the venue seem to be the only people who don't get it. 3. Let me stress this again....People....who attend are very nice. You will run into as asshole at the staples center or dodger stadium every 30 feet or so(yes...I measured it). It is the sun, drugs or music that makes people act this way at Coachella, then we need to prescribe some 'Coachella" for you. (ATTENTION: Medical Marijuana Dispensaries)...Please create a new strain that makes people come together for music and fun, makes them friendly and respectful...and call it "Chella" Kush. Perfect for 420! 4. Stage setups, sound, lighting and the other venue items are top notch. I see that some have complained ,but for what Chella does, its pretty amazing that only a year of planning goes into this every time. 5. VIP experience is a Plus! Spend the cash and get VIP access. The food it better, shorter lines, better facilities, and less crowded areas. . 6. Weed. If you partake or not, you will fail your next drug test after this festival. You don't even have to bring you own. Someone will offer you a hit or you'll just get a contact high from your Chella neighbors. 7. Just like Jay-Z says....Girls...Girls...Girls.... The daybreak brings a cornucopia of beauties from all walks of life. The warm sun moistens the skin and light mist of sweat glistens off of the bikini clad women at Coachella! Its not a mirage, boys.....it could be the next Ms. Right or Ms. Right Now. They are everywhere....more than you can shake a stick at. After the first day, it sort of wears off...I mean the sun tan lotion. Tan lines are born and sunburns sear the skins of those gorgeous honeys. To the Boys....Spend it...and she will come! 7. Im sure there are Hot Guys there too. , but I didn't fucken notice! Ima sure my wife did...hahahahah Cons 1. I hate anyone who charges for fucken water. Here you are in the desert for over 10 hours and they charge you for water. They do have a free water station but I spent at least 45 minutes minimum each day to get "FREE" water. God is disappointed in you Coachella! 2. I know its supposed to be a carefree summer festival, but the stink of BO annoys the fuck out of me. The males walking around get very primal begin to walk around like Cats spraying their territory. It was pretty warm(but not as hot last year) and that big whiff of sweaty ass always disrupts my flow. Please shower guys....no wonder women hate going down. 3. Beer stays in the Beer Gardens, so if you need to drink, you will be drinking with the other beer cows in the corrals. 4. Potable Restrooms aka Port-a-Pottys. I had to time my restroom breaks so that I would not have to use these at the festival. Use the bathroom at your hotel or restaurant before you get here. Nothing is worst that trying to lay some wood in a porta poo poo at night with no lights and music blaring all around you. Get the VIP..you won't regret it. 5. Cost. Everything is expensive here. Although parking is free, they sure do fuck you when you get inside...kinda like prison. $6 for a slice of pizza, $2 for a 8 oz bottle water, $30 for a Tshirt....you get the picture. Load up on the booze and food before. Otherwise, don't get too attached to your hard earned money. 6. Parking-although it has improved, it will always suck. The alternative bus shuttle from local hotels was supposed to be a time saver, but at $90 for the weekend( or $30 a day to get bused in and out) the time saved is money lost. Come on AEG....spring for free shuttles and reduce traffic. 7. Lots of standing. Recommendations: 1. Don't drive in and out every day. It is to much if you don't live locally. Be safe to other drivers and get a hotel. You can relax, eat, take a dump, and rest. You are gonna need it. 2. Take the following: Hat, sunblock, water container, water, lots of money, hand sanitizer, mini flashlight, small backpack, sunglassess, condoms(just in case), flipflops& shoes, Camera(lots of chicks and celebrities). 3. See u next year!!!! read more

8 days! The Countdown has Begun! There is absolutely nothing better than the giddyness I get waiting. April is Birthday Extravaganza month and I couldn't imagine anything better! read more

This is my review for 2011 (2010 is below) This year they got the crowds under control. They had a new RF transmitter in the wristbands and there were about 40,000 less people there this year, still crowded though. It was well organized for the most part this year. The workers in the camp ground didn't seem to know where anything was and I never found the VIP showers but oh well. In the venue this year they made the main bear garden pretty much the same as VIP which really made me happy I didn't get VIP this year. It had the nice bathrooms that flush in the back, a air conditioned bar with djs and plenty of shade where you could see the main stage. As always I ate a lot of spicy pizza and new to this year some pinks hot dogs. They also added a big food court area this year where you had a wide variety of food. As like last year I met a lot of cool people, some I plan on hanging out with back in LA. Some that were just funny to talk to ( think Irish guy in green speedo and a girl in a Gumby suit). As far as the music this year the standouts for me were: Arcade Fire, The National, Mumford & Son, The Black Keys, The Strokes, The Twelves, Sleigh Bells, Flogging Molly, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Gogol Bordello, and Nas & Damian Marley. I saw a lot of other bands I can't really remember and missed a lot that I wanted to see. Kanye Sucked BTW. One interesting point was seeing Duran Duran perform Lady Gaga's Poker Face, it was just weird. Overall it was a great time as always, probably the last year I am going to camp now that they have the great shuttle service to all the hotels. So this review is for the 2010 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. First part is about the camping: I read some reviews here where people were complaining about the line to get into camping. If you don't want to wait for hours to get in don't show up later then 10pm on thursday. We got there at 6pm and waited about 20 minutes to get through security and into our campsite. Having said that the camping experience is not for everyone regardless of when you get there. You are going to be in the middle of a sea of 50,000+ people tightly packed together. It's gonna be loud all day and all night. It is almost guaranteed someone out of their minds on drugs will wander into your space lost or looking for someone to talk to more then once. Oh yeah and it's gonna be hotter then hell (mojave desert) and the lines for the showers could take hours in the morning (not at night). If your cool with all that here are the upsides. Your gonna meet a lot of cool, friendly, interesting people from all around the world. You can go back and take a rest in your tent with a cool beer any time during the day. You don't have to deal with the lines getting your car in and out every day and you don't need to have a designated driver with you. There was a lot of fun stuff to do as well, a roller disco, a dj party till 3am, movies playing outdoors, a internet cafe, and a big art center. Ok, so as for the concert this year. The line up was incredible. You can't see everything you want unfortunately, because there is just too much going on. Out of what I caught, I thought these were the best: Atoms For Peace(Thom York), Them Crooked Vultures, Muse, The Dead Weather, Pheonix, Vampire Weekend, The Specials and Hot Chip. That's not to say that Jay-Z, The Gorillaz, Edward Sharp, Fever Ray or the 40 other bands I can't think of right now were bad. They were just the shows that stand out in my mind. As for the experience aside from the music, I probably had 80 conversations with random friendly people over the 3 days. All of them friendly, and a few of them surprisingly interesting. Overall an AMAZING TIME! read more

Great festival, But, i think you should go after the sun goes down, way too hot to come from the beginning, its all about the Heineken tent if you do go in the day ( FULL BLOWN AC IN THE TENT), ummm lately its been getting way way way too crowded, so they need to def. limit the tickets, other then that PORTISHEAD + RADIOHEAD, best talent on earthh read more

Talk about a music festival. Coachella is the ultimate music lover's dream!! The place is huge and they provide you with a handy dandy map. You can tell that the people who set up Coachella are seasoned and wise. There are a lot of very artsy creations at Coachella. The only thing that I wish they had more of were faucets for water. You can bring your own empty containers in. But the wait to put water in them Is horrendous. Tips from a Coachellar: 1) Wear a bandana, mask, or something to cover your face. It wasn't windy while we were there and we were coughing up nasty stuff by the end of the concert...and we wore our bandanas when we thought we needed to (entering and leaving the concert when there was heavy foot traffic). Wear it and wear it often. 2) Get to your favorite artists show the show before they are on. This will allow you to move your way to the front when everyone is leaving from the show before. Arrive even earlier if they are mainstream. 3) have fun!!! Enjoy every minute! 4) try the food. Trust me. Just try it. read more

Went to Coachella for the first time this year and it was a good experience. Lots of people, lots of artists and just a great festive atmosphere. The main issues were the dangerously huge crowds, seemed like they sold too many tickets. To my surprise I didn't see any fights especially in a place where you're constantly getting bumped, drinks spilled on you, drunk ppl roaming around and barely any security. The crowd took the chill vibe out of it. Although I had a good time, I think it was mainly because I went with good people, don't know if I'd go back if they keeping selling more tickets and don't increase the venue size. read more

I hate to piggyback off of my good friend Bong E., but I am totally that person that keeps talking about Coachella and it's been over a week. I just keep playing my Benny Benassi and Franz Ferdinand on repeat just so I can remotely relive the experiences again. In fact, I want to name my first born Franz Benassi B. Even if you are not at a particular stage, you are always hearing great music while walking around the entire Empire Polo Club! They also have free re-fill stations for your Camelbak (Love that thing!) But don't get any ideas about trying to fill it in with anything because they make you dump everything out. I only had water ;) I have not camped there, but I would like to try it one year. I stayed at the Fairfield Inn Marriott and we just drove. It was very convenient and parking was great (I thought it was going to be really crowded but I was surprised at how smooth it was). The best part, was meeting people from all over the entire world! I met people from Canada, Mexico City, BRAZIL, and the list goes on. I don't understand how I have gone through my entire life without going to this festival. I can't wait to go back!! :):):) The best part is actually not the headliners, but the bands in between where you discover such great music! read more

This will be my fourth year going. The music is great, such a wide variety, huge stages, great performers. Camping is the way to do it, but it does get extremely hot. It is cool at night, but you will wake up at 7 am from the sun/heat. Definitely bring sunscreen and look at google for a packing list! Map out which artists you want to see beforehand so you don't miss anyone you were really looking forward too. Sahara tent has gotten too crowded and needs to be bigger! People aren't as nice as they are at other festivals, which is a downer. read more

everyone should try this at least once, so hurry up before you get too old and can't handle the heat. book a hotel right when you buy tickets (i recommend the ace in palm springs). i think two nights instead of three is probably fine, and dont feel like you need to be there all day or you will probably drink too much heineken in the 100 degree weather, get severely dehydrated, pass out in a dirty field using a deflated beach ball for a pillow, and subsequently miss the red hot chili peppers. hypothetically. as soon as the sun goes down the weather gets way more pleasant. being sober at coachella actually isnt so bad either. but get ready to see a lot of people on god knows what drugs, especially when the techno comes on. for the most part, i love the bands that are booked here. i've gotten into a lot of new music by looking at the coachella line-up alone. read more

This is a great venue to see your favorite artist up close and personal. As a first time attendee, I enjoyed this past Sunday's performances. It is well organized and the crowd was mellow and laid back, unlike some other concerts which I have attended in the past. I took my son who seemed to have a good time as well. The food is reasonably priced and there is a wide variety of items. There are many art pieces which attendees can check out and play with hands on. The security presence is non-intrusive but they are quick to warn people to discard their weed when they light up. There is a huge range of music groups and if you get bored of one, you can roam around the tents to check out someone new. The crowd this past Sunday was large, but not so large that it was impossible to get around. From San Diego, it took me just over 2 hours to drive there, and there was no traffic at all for a Sunday morning. It was cool to mingle with the rich and famous, celebrity sightings are common at Coachella, and this seems to be the case. I stood next to Melanie Griffith while checking out a band from LA.. I got a close up view of her "Antonio" tat on her left shoulder. The only drawback is the heat. It is not unusual for the temp to get over 100F. Wear lots of sunscreen and loose clothing, or next to nothing like many attendees :-) I will be back in 09 for sure and I'm glad I attended this year and took my son along. I wouldn't recommend Coachella for smaller kids, although I did see a couple there. read more

Coachella had been on my bucket list for several years and I didn't really think I would go any time soon but it only takes a few other crazy friends to just suddenly decide to go. We got our tickets (400$ with shipping fee for 3 days) in June last year (be ready to fight for them!) and kind of forgot about it but times flies and one day it was there. I was so excited on our way to it, just getting there was fun. As most people do, we booked a hotel in Palm Springs which is approximately 45 minutes driving to the festival. For me Belgian, it sounds crazy to drive so long but here it is something normal I guess. One day parking is free and very well organised. From there it takes something like 10-15minutes to reach the field if you have a general admission (GA) ticket. There are several checks but everything runs quite smoothly. The site of Coachella is very nice thanks to its surroundings, hills, sun, desert, palm threes but especially thanks to the artworks everywhere (changes every year). However, I won't say I was disappointed (I have told you already how excited I was to be there) but we have great festivals in Europe that look just as good or even better. The field wasn't so big either and it is easy to reach every stage quickly. I was expecting something much bigger. But good for my legs right? What really awesome is about this festival - and this is why everyone should have it on its bucket list - is the vibe. You can tell this is happening close from LA. Everyone comes down for the weekend, so many things are going on everywhere (pool parties in the afternoon are the best). The line up is incredible and since all the celebrities are there, there are surprise guests all the time. I had so much fun just listening to the different concerts. I really wanted to see some of them and I discovered nice other artists too. I was in a bubble. Everyone looks like they are dressed up, there is definitely a specific style to adopt when attending the festival. Here again this is really specific to Coachella I think. I have attended many many festivals in Europe and I have never experienced that. People care so much about their look. Awesome to watch! Another thing that was new for me is the drinking zone. They do control whether you are old enough to legally drink and give you access to restricted area that you cannot leave with alcohol. It amazed me how well organised it was and that they actually do care about it. Definitely not something you would see in Europe but it didn't really annoy me, I could see most stages from these zones. Of course there are a lot of choices regarding food, anything is possible. Prices are high but like everywhere in festivals. Actually I had expected them to be worse. To sum up Coachella is a unique experience that I would recommend to everyone. I hope to be back soon! read more

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Went last year. Most amazing experience of my life! Didn't go this year, but heard last year's was better. Just wanted to review the festival, but didn't get the time to until now. Leave it to the Coachella to committee to get a killer lineup of artists. Only complaint: It's so goddamn expensive! But, it's to be expected; everyone around the nation, even the globe attends. read more