Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, commonly known as Coachella, is an annual music festival held in the spring at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Spanning over two consecutive weekends, the festival features a diverse lineup of musical artists across multiple stages, alongside impressive art installations and unique pavilions. Initially launched in 1999, Coachella has grown dramatically from its first attendance of approximately 35,000 to a maximum capacity of 125,000 by 2017, reflecting its increasing popularity and cultural significance.
Coachella showcases a mix of established acts and emerging talent, encompassing various genres, including rock, hip-hop, and electronic music. In addition to its musical offerings, the festival has become renowned for a vibrant fashion scene, attracting celebrities and influencers who showcase their distinctive styles. Attendees also enjoy a variety of gourmet food options, highlighting the festival's evolution beyond traditional festival fare. Over the years, Coachella has hosted iconic performances, such as a holographic appearance by Tupac Shakur and the reunion of the band Outkast, solidifying its reputation as a premier event in the music industry.
On this Page
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, or simply Coachella, is held each spring at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Coachella takes place over two consecutive three-day weekends and features an eclectic mix of musical artists. It features, in addition to the main Coachella stage, an outdoor theater, a number of smaller stages, art installations, and stylized pavilions. Festivalgoers may purchase a camping spot with their festival passes so they can camp in designated lots adjacent to the festival grounds. The very first Coachella in 1999 drew approximately 35,000 people, but the festival has grown so much that by 2017, its maximum capacity had been expanded to 125,000.
Background
In 1993, Seattle-based grunge band Pearl Jam got into a dispute with ticket-sales giant Ticketmaster. Pearl Jam's members were angry about the exorbitant service fees that Ticketmaster charged concertgoers on top of ticket prices. In protest, the band refused to play at Ticketmaster venues. Among Pearl Jam's many performances in lesser-known venues was a concert at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Surrounded by stunning mountain views, the Empire Polo Club's grounds were nestled in the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. About 25,000 people attended the Pearl Jam concert. The show proved to Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen, owners of Goldenvoice, the company that staged the concert, that the grounds were the perfect place for a large outdoor concert.
Six years later, in August of 1999, Goldenvoice announced that it would host the very first Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival that October on the grounds of the Empire Polo Club. The announcement came shortly after Woodstock '99, a music festival held in Rome, New York, thirty years after the first Woodstock festival in 1969. Woodstock '99 drew hundreds of thousands of people but encountered some major obstacles, such as rain, mud, riots, fire, and drug use.
Despite the negative attention Woodstock '99 received, Goldenvoice persisted with plans for the first Coachella festival. Tickets for the two-day festival, which featured four stages, cost $50. Acts included Beck, Morrissey, Rage Against the Machine, Tool, and the Chemical Brothers. Instead of rain and mud, concertgoers had to endure oppressive desert heat—temperatures during the 1999 event topped out at 124 degrees Fahrenheit (51 degrees Celsius). Despite attracting about 35,000 people, the festival ultimately lost between $850,000 and $1 million.
Plans for a second festival in October of 2000 were scrapped in favor of turning the festival into a springtime event. Coachella returned in April of 2001 as a one-day event. The festival has been staged in the spring every year since then. Headliners for the 2001 event included rock acts such as Weezer and Jane's Addiction and DJs such as Fatboy Slim and Paul Oakenfold.
In subsequent years, Coachella underwent a number of changes. In 2002, the festival returned to its original two-day format. In 2006, rapper Kanye West became the first hip-hop artist to appear on the main stage. Coachella expanded to three days in 2007. That same year, the festival's very first country counterpart, called Stagecoach, took place the week after Coachella at the same venue. Stagecoach featured fifty acts, including headliners George Strait, Alan Jackson, and Kenny Chesney, and pulled in 55,000 country music fans. In 2012, Coachella organizers changed the festival's format again, this time staging identical concerts over two consecutive three-day weekends. Coachella continued with this format through 2017.
Several notable events have occurred throughout Coachella's history. During a performance by Pink Floyd's Roger Waters in 2008, a two-story-high inflatable pig used as a stage prop escaped into the air and floated away. It landed nearly 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away. The people who found it received Coachella passes for life. The 2012 festival featured a holographic performance by rap legend Tupac Shakur. The event also experienced weather extremes that year. On its first weekend, the festival endured rain, wind, and nighttime temperatures that dipped as low as 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius). On the second weekend, attendants roasted in the heat.
Coachella has continued to expand over time. While the 2003 event drew about 70,000 people, the 2016 festival had nearly 200,000 attendees. By 2017, the venue's maximum capacity had been expanded from 99,000 to 125,000 people. Ticket prices have climbed along with attendance. In 2005, people could purchase a one-day ticket for $80 and a two-day ticket for $150. In 2016, a three-day general admission ticket cost $400, while VIP tickets cost $900. In 2014, Coachella earned $78.3 million; just two years later, that number jumped to $94 million. Coachella's organizers have purchased land adjacent to the venue and use it for parking and to accommodate the thousands of people who camp in cars or tents during their stay at the festival. In addition, 324 permanent indoor bathrooms were added.
Throughout its history, Coachella has featured an eclectic mix of established acts, rising stars, and reunited groups. Among the many performers who have taken the stage at Coachella are the Beastie Boys, the White Stripes, the Blue Man Group, Coldplay, Nine Inch Nails, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Paul McCartney, Prince, Björk, Jack Johnson, Madonna, Jay Z, and Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. Artists who play Coachella may earn anywhere from $15,000 to more than $1 million.
Coachella Today
In the 2010s, Coachella has continued to bring together a unique blend of musical acts. For example, in 2014 Outkast reunited on the Coachella stage, while in 2015 AC/DC, Steely Dan, and Florence & the Machine played the festival. The 2017 event featured Radiohead, Lady Gaga, and Kendrick Lamar as headliners. In addition to the music, Coachella features large art installations and sculptures, stylized pavilions, and interesting architecture.
Coachella has become a must-go event for many stars and celebrities. Corporate sponsors including clothing retailers, beauty brands, and others host private events, such as fashion shows and pool parties. Some set up air-conditioned VIP lounges. In 2015, clothing retailer H&M actually erected a retail store on festival grounds from which it sold festival attire, such as cropped blouses and fringe-lined vests. In the mid-2010s, the Coachella fashion scene has, at times, received more attention than the musical acts. Style stars have flocked to the event to show off their eye-catching festival looks.
Coachella attendees can forgo traditional festival foods in favor of gourmet meals, too. The 2017 event, for example, featured a ticket-only outdoor dinner party that cost $225 per person. In addition, a number of Los Angeles–based restaurants set up shop on festival grounds. Festivalgoers can find everything from craft beer to four-course dinners. In 2023 a short film about six South Asian artists who performed at Coachella was released on YouTube called "A 2023 Coachella Documentary."
Bibliography
Brown, August. "Coachella 2017: Your Survival Guide." Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2017, www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-coachella-survival-guide-snap-htmlstory.html. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Cheney, Alexandra. "How Fashion Co-Opted Coachella." Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2015, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/04/how-the-fashion-industry-co-opted-coachella/390843/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
"Coachella & Stagecoach Music Festivals." Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2015, timelines.latimes.com/coachella-valley-music-arts-festival-stagecoach/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
"FAQ." Coachella, www.coachella.com/faq/. Accessed 27 Sept. 2024.
Gensler, Andy, and Dave Brooks. "Beyonce Cancels Coachella, Ticket Prices Drop 12 Percent." Billboard, 23 Feb. 2017, www.billboard.com/articles/business/7701917/beyonce-cancels-coachella-ticket-price-secondary-market. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Pareles, Jon, et al. "Why We're Not Making Plans for Coachella and Bonnaroo." New York Times, 18 Mar. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/03/19/arts/music/summer-music-festivals.html. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Seabrook, John. "The Mastermind behind Coachella." New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2017, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/17/the-mastermind-behind-coachella. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.