In honor of Coachella coming up this weekend, here are some Coachella pro tips I wish I knew before attending my very first Coachella. Although I might not be dancing in the desert this year, I wanted to put an Industry Plant spin on the Coachella action.
It is a marathon, not a sprint, especially if you are a music fan!
You will be going from set to set with little breaks, sometimes running across the Empire Polo club to make it to the next stage on time. Last year, I ran straight from Ethel Cain’s set to Charli XCX, caught the first 10 minutes of Sofi Tukker, then went from Rosalía to Boygenius all without a break. With overlapping set times, you might not be able to catch the entirety of an artist’s set, but make sure you are aware of where each stage is.
If you are splitting sets or people in your group are going to a different set than you are, designate a meeting spot after the sets are over.
Last year, my group designated our meeting spot as the “X sculpture” (because it looked like an X), and it helped us find each other when we had no service (Coachella does have wifi) or low battery on our phones. For reference, “splitting sets” means to split your time between 2 sets going on at the same time, so catching the first half of one artist at one stage and the second half of another.
Make sure to drink water - hydration is key!
I definitely recommended bringing an empty water bottle into the festival, as they have refill stations, but they also sell aluminum water bottles for $2. The aluminum bottles are a great thing to have - they come ice cold and you can also bring a full Coachella branded aluminum water bottle into the festival without having to empty it before. Nevertheless, it is so important to be drinking water throughout the festival so you can focus on enjoying the music and experiencing Coachella without being dehydrated.
Wear comfortable shoes.
I wore cowboy boots on day 1 last year and it hurt so much to walk after Bad Bunny’s set. Because of that, my feet and shoes did not smell the best after that and my ankle was definitely sore, so sneakers are the move in my opinion. If you are dead set on wearing cute shoes as part of your outfit, take photos wearing them before you go into the festival.
Dress for the heat, not the cold, unless it’s freezing.
Coachella can get very hot during the day, however, because Indio is in a desert, it does get cold at night, dropping into the 50s. Last year, I was warm up until the end of Bad Bunny’s set, however, if I had dressed for the cold during the day, I would’ve overheated.
Merchandise sells out fast - go early or buy it online!
Unless you go to the festival at 12:00 on day 1 (with the exception of day 2 or 3 acts, as their merch is released the day that they perform), it is hard to get the exact merch you want that isn’t sold out. More likely than not, you will have to wait in a line just to even purchase anything. While the Amex priority line might seem faster, it is longer than the general merch line. There is also a booth in the camping hub with limited options for general Coachella branded merchandise.
Make sure to check out all of the brand activations Coachella has to offer!
Coachella is a gold mine when it comes to brand partnerships: because they partner with so many brands, they have a whole array of branded and sponsored experience in conjunction with so many iconic brands. American Express has so many perks for cardholders: they have a separate shaded area where cardholders can make a free tote and charge their devices, alongside a complimentary ferris wheel ride and a separate merch line during certain hours. My other favorite activation last year was from Aperol, as they had an Aperol Spritz pop-up bar serving that drink in a special branded cup. (Note: I was 21 during Coachella last year, and they check ID inside the festival for attendees 21+ to get a wristband for purchasing alcohol and 21+ areas.)
If you are car camping like I did last year, (which I highly recommend for convenience and to save money), here are some pro tips specifically for car camping:
Sleep in light clothes because the tent can get really hot when you wake up.
By hot, I mean that I would wake up feeling overheated early in the morning. Indio heats up fast once the sun rises.
If you love your caffeine, I would absolutely bring coffee/cold brew/energy drinks etc. to put in your cooler, because the coffee there is expensive.
For reference: it cost $12 for an iced coffee last year both in the festival and at the car camping hub. If you are a caffeine fiend, definitely bring your own caffeinated beverages of choice to put in your cooler - you will need it! The most important thing I wish I had last year was a bottle of La Colombe Cold Brew.
Note: There will probably be Red Bull marketing reps with free Red Bull around the gates to the festival handing out Red Bull - please take advantage, trust me I did.
Bring snacks as well for your campsite!
I can attest to the fact that my group was surviving and thriving off of a bag of Tostitos party size tortilla chips.
Hang out in the shaded area in the camping hub in the morning because it can get very hot and sunny at your campsite.
The Coachella sun is no joke - resting up in the shade before a long day of sprinting from set to set is always a good idea.
If you are car camping, be prepared to not get much sleep.
At camp, it is loud most hours of the day, whether people are talking or blasting music on their speakers. You are close to the other tents, so if your neighbors are loud, they can keep you awake at night or wake you up in the morning. The combination of late nights and heat and noise waking me up didn’t allow me to get my best sleep.
The açaí bowls in the camping hub are the superior breakfast option.
The food lines at the camping hub are really long in the morning for food like bagels, waffles, and other traditional breakfast food. Because it’s also hot in the morning, I recommend the açaí bowls as they are refreshing and the line for them is not as long.
Pack comfortable clothes to have on for the morning before you put on your festival outfit for the day.
Having comfortable clothes and loungewear for the morning is a good thing to have before you get ready to go into the festival grounds.
Plan your outfits before you go - packing less is more!
You only can fit so much in the car with all of the camping equipment and necessities, so planning out your outfits before you go saves time, stress, and room.
Whether it’s your first Coachella or you have been going since before I was even born, these pro tips are going to make your Coachella experience even more enjoyable. Coachella weekend is truly like no other, so make sure you live in the moment and have fun dancing in the desert! (I will be living vicariously through everyone at Coachella the next 2 weekends - soak it all in!)
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