What is the music festival in Indio, California?
Quick answer
The famous annual music festival in Indio, California, is Coachella, officially the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. It’s held over two weekends in April at the Empire Polo Club in the desert of the Coachella Valley. First held in 1999, it’s one of the biggest and most influential music festivals in the world.
Key facts
- Full name
- Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
- Location
- Empire Polo Club, Indio, California
- First held
- October 1999
- Organizer
- Goldenvoice (owned by AEG)
How it works
Since 2012, Coachella has run on two consecutive weekends with largely the same lineup, allowing more fans to attend. Each weekend draws about 125,000 people a day. Many camp on site, and the festival is also known for giant art installations across the grounds, often lit up at night.
Memorable performances
| Year | Highlight |
|---|---|
| 2006 | Daft Punk’s pyramid show |
| 2012 | A projected “hologram” of the late rapper Tupac Shakur with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg |
| 2018 | Beyoncé’s set, nicknamed “Beychella,” celebrating Black college culture, the first headline set by a Black woman |
| 2019 | Ariana Grande, with an *NSYNC reunion |
| 2023 | Bad Bunny became the first Latin artist to headline; BLACKPINK became the first K-pop act to headline |
For K-pop’s chart breakthroughs, see the first K-pop act to top the Billboard Hot 100.
Fashion and influencers
Coachella became famous for its festival fashion, flower crowns, fringe and boho styles, and for celebrity and influencer appearances. Brands host invitation-only parties nearby.
Stagecoach
One week after Coachella, the same site hosts Stagecoach, a large country music festival organized by the same company.
Desert heat
Indio sits in the low desert, where April daytime temperatures can top 35 °C (95 °F). Organizers provide free water refill stations, and fans are advised to stay hydrated. The region’s vast deserts are described in the largest desert in North America.
The name
The festival takes its name from the Coachella Valley, which also includes Palm Springs. “Coachella” is thought to come from a misspelling of conchilla, Spanish for the small shells found in the area.
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