The polar vortex has finally passed, and as the country thaws in the warm embrace of spring, music lovers from around the world will emerge from hibernation and prepare for their annual migration to Palm Springs. Their ultimate destination? Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, set to overtake the Empire Polo Club for two weekends this April.
The fun scene at Coachella Music and Arts Festival — Photo courtesy of Coachella Music and Arts Festival
Since its debut in 1999, Coachella has risen through the ranks to become one of the world's most well-known outdoor music festivals. It’s now an institution in itself, thanks to the one-of-a-kind music experience it offers under the desert sun.
Gargantuan roaming art sculptures claim the grass between Coachella’s music tents, as headliners the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dr. Dre, Paul McCartney and Daft Punk play late into the night. Meanwhile, the sun sets behind the giant Ferris wheel, with the red peaks of the San Jacinto mountains in the distance. Yes, there is no other concert experience quite like Coachella.
The 2014 festival will be held over two weekends: April 11-13 and 18-20, with both weekends featuring the exact same lineup. Known for spanning genres like alternative, rock, indie, hip hop, pop and electronica, Coachella manages to find a way to please all sorts of concert goers, whether they’re more likely to listen to Radiohead or Lady Gaga.
Coachella Music and Arts Festival brings out excited music fans each year. — Photo courtesy of Coachella Music and Arts Festival
This year’s lineup was announced in January and will include headliners OutKast, Muse, Arcade Fire, Queens of the Stone Age and Beck. Each day of the three-day weekends includes dozens of performers, though; ther acts scheduled for this year include Ellie Goulding, The Cult, Lorde, Foster the People, Skrillex, Pharrell Williams and Lana Del Ray, as well as a healthy dose of handpicked industry up-and-comers.
Coachella has proven year after year that it can deliver a solid musical lineup, but there is another onsite experience that rivals those you’ll find under the concert tents, and that’s the onsite campground known as “Campchella.” Here, the Coachella experience takes on new life for 72 hours, as concert goers create their own community in the desert, where the party goes all night long.
Coachella has also built quite the party scene around itself, with many celebrities and music lovers alike coming to the desert in April just to hit the Coachella party circuit. While some of the most coveted parties (like Neon Carnival, a celebrity-studded bash held in an airport hangar in Thermal) are by invitation only, there are countless pool parties around Palm Springs that are open to the public. Some of the most popular poolside shindigs are at hotels like Ace Hotel & Swim Club, Hard Rock Hotel and The Saguaro.
Check out more info about Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on the official website.
