By Marissa Willman
Festival season is in full swing as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival prepares to bring a star-studded lineup of musicians to Empire Polo for a second weekend.
This year’s festival features Lana Del Ray, Tyler, the Creator, and Doja Cat as headliners, in addition to performances from artists including Deftones, Ice Spice, Peso Pluma, Renee Rapp, J Balvin, and a debut performance by Suki Waterhouse.
While ticket sales were notably slower this year (reports say this year’s festival saw the slowest ticket sales in a decade), the Coachella experience is as solid as ever.
High on the bill this year is nostalgia, especially for the 90s-era ska and alt lovers. This year’s festival sees No Doubt reuniting for their first performance in almost a decade, plus Sublime debuting with Jakob Nowell as he steps into the frontman role originally held by his father, Bradley.
This year also brings a new stage to the Coachella lineup: Quasar. Quasar, designed by Vita Motus, is an ambitious experiential stage designed to host extended, three-to-four-hour DJ sets. The stage includes two LED walls designed to use augmented reality against the iconic Coachella backdrop, creating an immersive experience not seen at Coachella before.
Beyond the stages on the Coachella app, festival goers can play Coachella Quests, which are tasks across physical and virtual Coachella experiences. Whether at the festival or at home, players can earn a chance to win prizes like festival passes, VIP keepsakes, and more.
It isn’t Coachella without Instagram feeds filled with larger-than-life art installations across the festival grounds, and this year is no exception. One of the most anticipated aspects of Coachella is the art installations that dot the festival grounds, turning the Empire Polo Club into a vibrant outdoor gallery. Who could forget the giant metallic astronaut or the gargantuan caterpillar of years past? This year’s art includes “Dancing in the Sky” by Morag Myuerscough, a kaleidoscope of colors across arches, pillars, and kinetic windspinners, and “Babylon” by Nebia, a monotone geometric structure.
In addition to its stellar lineup of musical acts and awe-inspiring art installations, Coachella also offers a wide range of cultural experiences that celebrate diversity and creativity. From pop-up shops featuring local artisans and designers to culinary delights, Coachella remains a melting pot of cultures and tastes that brings people together in celebration of music, art, and community. One could spend the entire three days exploring all that the polo grounds have to offer–and still feel like there was so much left to explore. From creating your own fashion and aromatherapy scent at Coachella Art Studios to riding teeter totters in the energy playground to joining late-night games of musical chairs at the campgrounds, there’s always something more to enjoy. And isn’t that part of the magic of Coachella?
Those who can’t make it down to Empire Polo Club to catch their favorite artists live can enjoy the livestream all weekend long on YouTube. And with Weekend 2 tickets still available, it’s not too late to experience the magic of Coachella in person.
