What is there to say about Coachella in 2023 that hasn’t been said? You’ve heard about the flower crowns and wild festival fashion. You’ve watched Netflix’s Homecoming, a documentary of Beyonce’s 2018 performance paying tribute to Black college culture, better known as Beychella. You’ve read about the celebrity antics and the USC kids going buck wild. This is the industry-defining music festival. Like Palm Springs before it, Coachella turned the Sonoran Desert sand into status and, in doing so, kicked off the modern U.S. music festival industry. In 1999, when Coachella staged its first festival, it was one of the only music festivals in the country. It attracted 50,000 pop music heads to watch bands like Beck and Rage Against the Machine. In 2022, it drew 750,000 for headliners like Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd. The thousands of attendees this year can expect headliners Frank Ocean, BLACKPINK, and Bad Bunny to grace the Coachella stage — a stage that now shares the calendar with scores of other music festivals that have copied its model. Just check out our events page for proof.
Its reputation as the festival du jour has turned Coachella into a hotbed of social media activations. You will see roughly as many people taking photos for Instagram or making TikToks as you will dancing to the music. Still, there’s a reason it got so big. Reviewers note that the festival feels safe, runs smoothly and always has a thorough lineup of great pop performances from around the world. However, Coachella is pricey and caters to those who can pay. Insider lamented, “There are restricted areas everywhere with luxurious lounges and fountains. … Sponsored pool parties and after-hours ragers take place all weekend, but they’re closed to the general public.” Camping is an option here, and about 125,000 people take it, but even the campgrounds come in tiers. You can camp in your car, a regular tent or reserve one of the exclusive safari tents that come with furniture, AC, showers, snacks and golf cart transportation between stages.
The Specs
- 750,000 people attend.
- Day passes come in two levels: General Admission and VIP. For a price, you can add on perks like a shuttle, festival poster, parking pass and lockers to each. General Admission passes start at $499.
- There are nine camping packages. The cheapest, car camping, costs $150 plus fees. The most expensive, the Safari Tents, cost $9,000.
- Here’s the festival’s app to help guide you through the weekend.
- The 2023 lineup has not yet been released, but you can check out past lineups and highlight videos here.