Every year for the past 15 years, music and art lovers have flocked to the California desert for The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which is now known as one of the most popular music festivals in the world! With varying displays from the world’s best visual artists, as well as some of the hottest names in music that play across five different stages, this festival has music lovers from all over the world, including countless celebrities, clamoring to take part in this unforgettable festival!
What is Coachella?
The festival, simply referred to as Coachella, is an increasingly popular music and arts festival held annually for two weekends in mid April at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Festivalgoers are drawn to the amazing instillations from talented artists, performances from huge headlining bands, various pop-up restaurants with chefs from some of the hottest restaurants on the west coast, dance parties, social events, and so much more!
What’s The History of Coachella?
Fans of Coachella have the iconic band Pearl Jam to thank for the origins of Coachella. Back in 1993, Peal Jam entered into a dispute with the concert ticket giant Ticketmaster, who the band claimed was unfairly gouging concertgoers and artists alike with unreasonable fees. In a pointed move to boycott Ticketmaster, Pearl Jam orchestrated an independent concert to be held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, and drew a crowd of nearly 25,000 people for a sold-out show.
This drew some attention to the polo club, which proved to be a successful venue for large-scale crowds. In 1999, the first Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival took place, and was a huge success! The festival did not take place in the year 2000, but resumed in 2001 and has been going on every year since! Coachella was typically a one weekend-long event, but a separate second weekend was added in 2012, bringing in even more talent and festivalgoers!
Why Is Coachella So Popular?
With an average attendance of around 99,000 people per day, this ever-increasingly popular festival has become more than just a music scene, and has grown into a cultural hotspot, especially with millennials. Festivals in recent years have begun to include great features like free WiFi and mobile charging stations to ensure everyone stays connected!
Coachella has garnered popularity with celebrities throughout the years, with many attending year after year and setting popular festival fashion trends. Coachella fashion has gathered its own following in recent years, with countless online sources highlighting celebrity and everyday festivalgoers’ unique styles, prompting retailers to develop special lines of festival wear, like H&M, who created a line called H&M Loves Coachella.
Who Performs At Coachella?
While lineups usually aren’t announced until around January before Coachella, you can always guarantee that some big-name artists will headline! In past years, modern and classic favorites alike have headlined at Coachella, including Jay-Z, Arcade Fire, Kanye West, Paul McCartney, The Black Keys, Radiohead, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Drake, Prince, Beck, and many more! Coachella can also provide rare opportunities for favorite bands to reunite for performances, like The Pixies in 2004, Rage Against The Machine in 2007, the slightly odd OutKast reunion of 2014, and the amazing Guns N’ Roses reunion of 2016!
How Can I Attend Coachella?
Tickets are available on the official Coachella website, where you can choose which type of passes you’d like to purchase and whether you would like to pay for on-site camping, shuttle services, or VIP privileges. For 2017, general admission passes will cost $399, while VIP passes will be $899.
What About Camping?
Coachella offers on-site camping for festivalgoers, however, only tent and car camping is allowed on festival grounds. There are some great options nearby for RV camping, with several campgrounds offering special Coachella packages with added benefits, and oftentimes shuttle services for an additional fee. Here are some nearby RV-friendly campgrounds! Please note that this information was accurate for 2016 Coachella, and rates and amenities may have changed for future Coachella dates.
Indian Waters RV Resort
A mere three miles from Indio, this great campground features free continental breakfast, salt water pools and spa, showers, a clubhouse, fitness center, and more! A three night minimum stay is required, and shuttles to the festival are available for an additional fee. Reservations for RV camping can be made on their website, but tent camping reservations must be made only over the phone.
Lake Cahuilla Recreation Area
This beautiful recreation area is located only five miles away from the festival! Each site can have up to six occupants, many with hookups. You’ll enjoy other amenities like showers and restrooms, a pool, and plenty of opportunities for recreational fun! You can reserve your site at their website.
Indian Wells Carefree RV Resort
You’ll love this beautiful campground, which features three pools, a laundry facility, and a fitness center! Located in Indio, only six miles away from the festival, a shuttle is available for an additional cost, and a no-cost full menu breakfast is available every morning. A four night minimum stay is required, and reservations can be made on their website.
Emerald Desert RV resort
Perhaps one of the most fun campground stays, this campground offers daily pool parties, awesome provided meals, and featured a live radio broadcast in 2016 of Coachella performances and interviews! Great packages are available, along with shuttle services for an additional fee! Only 11 miles from the festival, it’s a fun RV-friendly option! Book online at their website.
Have Fun!
Now that you have all the insider information about the awesome Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, go check it out! It’ll be an unforgettable experience that will have you going back year after year! Have you been lucky enough to go to Coachella before? Comment with your favorite memories!
