What is Coachella?
Coachella, officially the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, is one of the world's biggest music festivals, held each April in Indio, California, over two weekends.
The festival began in 1999 and has been held every year since 2001, except during the COVID-19 pandemic. It takes place at the Empire Polo Club in the Coachella Valley desert, about two hours east of Los Angeles. Each weekend typically has the same lineup, featuring rock, pop, hip-hop, electronic and Latin music.
Coachella is also known for large art installations, fashion and celebrity sightings, making it a major social media event. About 125,000 people attend each day. It is organized by Goldenvoice, a company owned by AEG Presents.
Memorable moments
Famous performances include a hologram of Tupac Shakur in 2012 and Beyoncé's 2018 show, nicknamed Beychella, celebrating Black culture and historically Black colleges. In 2023, Bad Bunny became the first Latin artist to headline, and BLACKPINK became the first Asian act to headline.
Did You Know?
The Stagecoach country music festival is held at the same site a week after Coachella.