Coachella 2025: Passes, parties, the livestream and everything you need to know about the festival
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- Here’s how to get tickets for Coachella, how to get there, what to eat, what to pack and general tips for a successful weekend.
- We also have details on how to livestream the festival from home on YouTube and how to access the parties and activations open to the public.
Festival season is upon us. As our team embarks on its annual trek to the desert to cover Lady Gaga, Green Day and Post Malone, the art, the food and more at the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, we have some helpful information and tips.
Want to know what to pack? What to eat? What Coachella-themed parties and events are open to the public? How to watch from the comfort of your couch? We got you.
You can follow all of our live updates from Weekend 1 at latimes.com/coachella. If you tell us what Coachella questions you have, we may answer them during the weekend.
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival brings hundreds of thousands to Indio every year. What have you always wondered about the festival?
When is Coachella? Where is the venue?
Coachella 2025 runs April 11-13 and 18-20 at the Empire Polo Club at 81-800 Ave. 51 in Indio.
If you have time, don’t miss a chance to explore Indio, which has a bunch of new restaurants and shops.
Who is performing at Coachella 2025?
Lady Gaga, Green Day and Post Malone top the Coachella lineup, along with Travis Scott.
Other notable names at the top of the bill include Charli XCX, Missy Elliott, Megan Thee Stallion, Benson Boone, Zedd and solo sets from Blackpink members Lisa and Jennie.
Coachella is right around the corner. This is how these musicians, who were born and raised in the Southern California region, are getting ready.
When does Coachella release set times?
Coachella typically drops the set times a couple of days before Weekend 1. This year, set times were announced on the early side on April 5.
Also, the set times release included a couple of surprises. Weezer (Weekend 1) and Ed Sheeran (Weekend 2) will each perform a Saturday afternoon set.
However, we know that some artists initially announced for the festival have dropped off, including FKA Twigs and Anitta.
The two arena-sized acts will play early afternoon sets in the Mojave Tent. FKA Twigs drops out citing visa problems.
How do I get tickets to Coachella? Is it sold out? How much are tickets?
You can still buy tickets for both weekends of Coachella as of Monday, April 7.
Weekend 1 passes are at a premium, but those available include general admission with a shuttle pass starting at $779. A VIP pass starts at $1,399. Most camping options for Weekend 1 are sold out and only offer a wait list option with the exception of some of the camper pop-up vans that start at $4,900. (Note that the van camping does not include admission to the festival.)
Weekend 2 passes start at $599 for general admission, $679 for general admission with a shuttle pass and $1,199 for VIP. (Yes, they are cheaper than Weekend 1 at this point, but there’s a tiered system so those prices could increase before Weekend 2.) Car camping is still available for Weekend 2 for $160, as well as some air-conditioned tent options, which start at $2,400, and the previously mentioned camper vans.
Those prices include fees but not taxes.
Note that you can find passes on the secondary market, but buyer beware. There aren’t hard tickets but rather wristbands that need to be activated. Stay away from the sketchy posts that seem like scams. If you’re going with an aftermarket site, be sure to check its policies for how it will guarantee your purchase.
Does Coachella sell one-day passes?
Nope, not since 2009. If someone is trying to sell you a one-day pass, beware.
What amenities do you get with VIP passes?
VIP will not get you on stage. A VIP pass will get you an expedited entrance through the back (along what is typically the yellow path) and has offered a shorter line into the Yuma tent in previous years.
VIP tends to have more of the nice, air-conditioned trailer-style portable bathrooms, and there are also exclusive food and beverage spots the hoi polloi can’t access.
One of the most picturesque spots in the entire venue is in VIP and it’s the Rose Garden near the Mojave Tent. There are food and drink spots there, but it’s also just beautiful. If you don’t want to shell out for VIP, you can access the Rose Garden for a day if you purchase the Outstanding in the Field chef dinner.
Coachella is right around the corner. This is how these musicians, who were born and raised in the Southern California region, are getting ready.
Tell us about Coachella’s bathrooms.
Every year, people want to know the real deal on the Coachella bathrooms. I think the nicest ones that are always kept up the best are the permanent bathrooms across from the craft beer barn. There can be a line, especially later in the evening, but it moves quickly.
There’s no shortage of portable toilets around the festival grounds, and most banks of them have the nicer air-conditioned trailers near the back, but in 2024 I ran into those being closed off a few times for servicing or not allowing access for non-staff people.
How do I get a locker at Coachella?
You have to reserve one in advance. Weekend 1 is sold out for general admission lockers, but you can still reserve lockers for Weekend 2 for $89 to $109.
There are also VIP charging lockers available to those with VIP passes. Those are $89 and $99.
What’s new at Coachella this year?
Last year we saw the debut of the Quasar stage. It’s back for 2025, and there’s also a new viewing area near it called the Red Bull Mirage, which has a Nobu omakase pop-up inside. It’s $350 for a 50-minute seating and requires reservations.
The campgrounds have some new amenities, including the new Desert Sky tent structure and a performance each weekend on Day 0 (slang for the Thursday before each Coachella weekend, when campers arrive). Weekend 1 gets Chris Lake and Weekend 2 gets Disco Dom.
There’s also the Coachella x Electrolit Campground 5k. If you haven’t gotten enough exercise roaming around the Empire Polo Club, you can run with others the Saturday of each festival. The meet-up happens at Desert Sky at 8 a.m. and the run starts 30 minutes later. We’re told the run is open to campers only.
There’s a notable change to the stages on the festival grounds. The Do Lab and the Quasar stages have swapped locations for 2025. Quasar will be closer to the Beer Barn on the southern end of the venue. The Do Lab will be between the main entrance and the Sahara Tent.
Famous for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Indio is becoming a hip destination in its own right. Here’s where to do and where to eat in the rapidly evolving desert town.
What’s on the food and drink lineup for the festival? Can I bring food into Coachella?
You name it, Coachella probably has it. We’ve got a list of the most exciting food and drink vendors coming to Coachella this year.
We wrote about the best food at Coachella in 2024, and many of those vendors are returning, including the Goat Mafia.
Sadly, you can’t bring food inside the festival itself. Do I know some people who have smuggled in a peanut butter sandwich? Yes. Do I know others who had a peanut butter sandwich confiscated? Also yes.
And if you’ve got some extra time, The Times’ food team has compiled a list of restaurants to visit around the Coachella Valley.
What’s the deal with water at Coachella? Can I bring in a refillable bottle?
There are multiple refilling stations around the festival and according to Coachella’s list of do’s and don’ts, you can bring in an empty, plastic, 64-ounce or less, refillable container. No metal, including aluminum and steel, or glass allowed. (Funny enough, the last couple of years Coachella’s own water bottles were aluminum.) You can also bring in a hydration backpack but it has to be empty.
Since Coachella began, water has been priced at $2 per bottle.
Previously, you could bring in a sealed plastic water bottle, but that doesn’t appear on the list anymore.
I have a few pro tips re: water because dehydration is serious business. Take a bottle of water with you for the walk to the gates. You can stay hydrated and then you have your refillable bottle. I also bring water or a Gatorade-type drink to leave in the car during the day so then there’s something for the walk back to the car. When I plan ahead, I freeze them and put them in a cooler so they are still cold at the end of the night.
See the full list of what you can and can’t bring into Coachella.
Take a break from sunbathing and vintage shopping to check out the best restaurants in Palm Springs and as far afield as Cathedral City and Yucca Valley, including a secret speakeasy, a Balkan-inspired beer hall and a classic steakhouse.
What should be on a Coachella packing list?
I am a big believer in being practical at a festival. Comfortable shoes and socks are a must, and gel insoles can be a nice treat when you’re logging miles crisscrossing the field.
A good hat is a must because it’s hot and if you want to see anything at the Coachella or Outdoor stages, you’re getting zero shade.
I always have a charging cable and an external battery or two, and while mobile reception is much better than it used to be, it still can get crazy when the field fills up. In the evening/night, I recommend time-stamping texts to friends and also having a prearranged meeting point, such as a numbered and lettered speaker column at the larger stages.
A PPE mask is great because one, COVID is still a thing, and two, there’s a whole lot of dust. I also always bring a bandanna to help evade the dust and I will pour cold water on it on a hot day and wrap it around my neck to cool off.
Oh, and don’t forget your earplugs. You can go fancy or pick up a pack at the drugstore.
What’s the weather at Coachella?
The weather can vary. It looks like we’re headed into a hot Weekend 1, and temps could hit triple digits before cooling off a little bit before temperatures rise again for Weekend 2.
Even on hot days it can still get cool at night, so I usually throw a sweatshirt in my backpack just in case.
Do you have to pay to park at Coachella? Is there traffic?
General parking at Coachella is free and parking lots open at 11 a.m. daily (gates open around 1 p.m.).
Traffic into the venue typically picks up around 3. Getting out of the parking lot takes longer if you stay until the end of the night.
If you’re departing Indio on Monday and are westbound, you need to leave early in the morning (by 9 a.m.) or after 5 p.m. because that post-Coachella traffic is no joke.
Rideshare options are available at Coachella, but I always hear horror stories about the waits.
You can also purchase a shuttle pass if you don’t want to drive.
Tell me about the parties and other shows outside of Coachella proper. How can I get into them? Who will be there?
There are a lot of events happening in the Coachella Valley both weekends that are sponsored by various brands and require an invite that try to say they’re not affiliated with Coachella, but let’s be honest, the reason they’re happening is because everyone’s in the desert for Coachella. (Cough, Neon Carnival, cough.)
There are some official ticketed events with Coachella artists you can see without paying Coachella prices.
The Goldenvoice Surf Club daytime events return to the Palm Springs Surf Club April 12-13 and 19-20 with music and a surf competition. Weekend 1 performers include Sammy Virji, Chris Lorenzo, Fcukers (DJ Set), ATRIP, Sara Landry, Rico Nasty, VTSS and Kitty Ca$h. The Weekend 2 musical lineup includes Polo & Pan (DJ Set), Ben Böhmer, Maribou State (DJ Set), Josh Conway (The Marías), Eli Brown, Max Styler and Massano. Passes start at $49 and it’s limited to guests 21 and older. Visit gvsurfclub.com for information.
Framework in the Desert is back at the Atlantic Aviation airport hangar in Thermal April 11-13 for a big house and techno afterparty. The lineup includes Chris Lake, Deadmau5 and Hills on Friday; Mau P, Max Styler, Interplanetary Criminal and Erez on Saturday and Alesso under his Body Hi moniker with Francis Mercier, Layton Giordani and Miluhska on Sunday. Passes are $84.46 per day or $213.21 for a three-day pass, and it’s limited to those 21 and older. Visit thisisframework.com for more information.
The Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs isn’t hosting its usual slate of events after a months-long renovation, but there are a couple of things on the books there, including poolside DJs each day and an exhibition from multimedia artist Latashá, as part of Ace’s Artist in Residence program. There’s also the “MuSick: Live from Reggie Watts’ Couch,” activation that’s part of an Amazon Pharmacy and Amazon One Medical promotion and will include a set from Neil Frances. It runs from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday and is free for those who register.
There’s a free show from De’Wayne, Julia Wolf and The 27’s from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 10, at Big Rock Pub in Indio that’s part of Alt 101.5 FM’s Coachella pre-party, and they’re apparently giving away some Coachella wristbands, too.
I don’t want to deal with any of this. Where’s the Coachella livestream?
If you aren’t headed to Indio, you can watch Coachella from your couch. Performances from both weekends will be streamed on YouTube.
Typically there’s a feed for each stage (but usually Sonora is Weekend 1 and Yuma is Weekend 2) and you can switch between them.
Which artists will be streamed each weekend will be announced closer to the show.
And if you’re not going, follow along with complete Coachella coverage from The Times and on the latimes_entertainment Instagram.
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