Coachella Festival: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 21:01, 12 April 2026

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
File:Coachella Ferris Wheel.jpg The Empire Polo Club during the 2026 festival.
Genre	Alternative rock, indie, hip hop, EDM, pop
Dates	April 10–12 & 17–19, 2026
Location	Empire Polo Club Indio, California, U.S.
Years active	1999, 2001–present
Founded by	Paul Tollett, Rick Van Santen
Attendance	125,000 per day (2026)
Website	coachella.com

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly known as Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. It was co-founded by Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen in 1999 and is organized by Goldenvoice, a subsidiary of AEG Presents.

History and Founders

The festival's origins trace back to a 1993 concert by Pearl Jam at the Empire Polo Club, held to boycott Ticketmaster-controlled venues. This event validated the site's viability for large-scale festivals.

The Goldenvoice Era

Paul Tollett and the late Rick Van Santen launched the first official Coachella in October 1999. Despite a difficult financial start, the festival returned in 2001 and eventually shifted to April to avoid peak desert heat. After Van Santen's passing in 2003, Tollett continued as the festival's primary visionary. In 2001, Goldenvoice was acquired by AEG Presents, providing the financial infrastructure that allowed Coachella to grow into a global brand.

2026 Edition

The 2026 festival marked the 25th edition of the event. It took place across two weekends: April 10–12 and April 17–19. The headlining acts were:

Sabrina Carpenter
Justin Bieber
Karol G (the first Latina artist to headline)

Additional notable performers included Anyma, The xx, and a special "Nine Inch Noize" set by Nine Inch Nails and Boys Noize.

Venue and Art

The festival is famous for its 78-acre grounds and distinct performance areas:

Coachella Stage: The primary stage for major headliners.
Sahara Tent: A large structure focused on EDM and high-production visuals.
The Quasar: A newer stage dedicated to extended DJ sets.
Art Installations: The festival commissions massive, original sculptures every year, which have become central to the festival's identity and social media presence.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
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-|+ style="font-size: 125%; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.2em;" | Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
+|+ style="font-size: 125%; font-weight: bold; padding: 0.2em 0.4em;" | Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
 |-
-| colspan="2" style="text-align: center; border-bottom: 1px solid #a2a9b1;" | [[File:Coachella_Ferris_Wheel.jpg|280px]]<br /><small>The iconic Ferris wheel at the Empire Polo Club</small>
+| colspan="2" style="text-align: center; border-top: 1px solid #a2a9b1; padding: 0.5em; background: white;" | [[File:Coachella_Ferris_Wheel.jpg|300px]]<br /><div style="padding-top: 0.3em; font-size: 90%;">The Empire Polo Club during the 2026 festival.</div>
 |-
-! style="text-align: left; background: #eaecf0;" | Location
+! scope="row" style="text-align: left; padding: 0.3em 0.5em; border-top: 1px solid #a2a9b1; border-bottom: 1px solid #a2a9b1; background-color: #eaecf0; width: 35%;" | Genre
-| [[Empire Polo Club]], [[Indio, California]], U.S.
+| style="padding: 0.3em 0.5em; border-top: 1px solid #a2a9b1; border-bottom: 1px solid #a2a9b1;" | [[Alternative rock]], [[indie]], [[hip hop]], [[EDM]], [[pop music|pop]]
 |-
-! style="text-align: left; background: #eaecf0;" | Years active
+! scope="row" style="text-align: left; padding: 0.3em 0.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #a2a9b1; background-color: #eaecf0;" | Dates
-| 1999, 2001–present
+| style="padding: 0.3em 0.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #a2a9b1;" | April 10–12 & 17–19, 2026
 |-
-! style="text-align: left; background: #eaecf0;" | Genre
+! scope="row" style="text-align: left; padding: 0.3em 0.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #a2a9b1; background-color: #eaecf0;" | Location
-| [[Alternative rock|Rock]], [[Indie rock|Indie]], [[Hip hop music|Hip hop]], [[EDM]], [[Pop music|Pop]]
+| style="padding: 0.3em 0.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #a2a9b1;" | [[Empire Polo Club]]<br />[[Indio, California]], U.S.
 |-
-! style="text-align: left; background: #eaecf0;" | Attendance
+! scope="row" style="text-align: left; padding: 0.3em 0.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #a2a9b1; background-color: #eaecf0;" | Years active
-| 250,000 (2026 total)
+| style="padding: 0.3em 0.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #a2a9b1;" | 1999, 2001–present
 |-
-! style="text-align: left; background: #eaecf0;" | Website
+! scope="row" style="text-align: left; padding: 0.3em 0.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #a2a9b1; background-color: #eaecf0;" | Founded by
-| [https://www.coachella.com coachella.com]
+| style="padding: 0.3em 0.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #a2a9b1;" | [[Paul Tollett]], Rick Van Santen
+|-
+! scope="row" style="text-align: left; padding: 0.3em 0.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #a2a9b1; background-color: #eaecf0;" | Attendance
+| style="padding: 0.3em 0.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #a2a9b1;" | 125,000 per day (2026)
+|-
+! scope="row" style="text-align: left; padding: 0.3em 0.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #a2a9b1; background-color: #eaecf0;" | Website
+| style="padding: 0.3em 0.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #a2a9b1;" | [https://www.coachella.com coachella.com]
 |}
-The '''Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival''' (commonly known as '''Coachella''') is an annual music and arts festival held at the [[Empire Polo Club]] in [[Indio, California]]. Co-founded by Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen in 1999, it is organized by Goldenvoice, a subsidiary of AEG Presents.
+The '''Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival''' (commonly known as '''Coachella''') is an annual music and arts festival held at the [[Empire Polo Club]] in [[Indio, California]]. It was co-founded by Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen in 1999 and is organized by Goldenvoice, a subsidiary of AEG Presents.
-== History ==
+== History and Founders ==
-The origins of Coachella date back to a 1993 concert that [[Pearl Jam]] performed at the Empire Polo Club while boycotting venues controlled by Ticketmaster. The show's success validated the site's viability for large-scale events.
+The festival's origins trace back to a 1993 concert by [[Pearl Jam]] at the Empire Polo Club, held to boycott Ticketmaster-controlled venues. This event validated the site's viability for large-scale festivals.
-* '''Inaugural Year (1999):''' The first festival was held in October 1999.
+=== The Goldenvoice Era ===
-* '''The Spring Shift (2001):''' After skipping 2000, the festival returned in April 2001 to avoid the extreme desert heat.
+'''Paul Tollett''' and the late '''Rick Van Santen''' launched the first official Coachella in October 1999. Despite a difficult financial start, the festival returned in 2001 and eventually shifted to April to avoid peak desert heat. After Van Santen's passing in 2003, Tollett continued as the festival's primary visionary. In 2001, Goldenvoice was acquired by '''AEG Presents''', providing the financial infrastructure that allowed Coachella to grow into a global brand.
-* '''25th Anniversary (2026):''' In 2026, Coachella celebrated its 25th anniversary with headliners [[Sabrina Carpenter]], [[Justin Bieber]], and [[Karol G]].
-== Venue and Logistics ==
+== 2026 Edition ==
-The festival takes place on the 78-acre main grounds of the Empire Polo Club. Because Indio is in a desert environment, temperatures often exceed 100°F (38°C) during the day.
+The 2026 festival marked the 25th edition of the event. It took place across two weekends: April 10–12 and April 17–19. The headlining acts were:
+* [[Sabrina Carpenter]]
+* [[Justin Bieber]]
+* [[Karol G]] (the first Latina artist to headline)
-=== Stages and Tents ===
+Additional notable performers included [[Anyma]], [[The xx]], and a special "Nine Inch Noize" set by [[Nine Inch Nails]] and [[Boys Noize]].
-* '''Coachella Stage:''' The main stage for the largest headliners.
-* '''Sahara Tent:''' Known for massive LED displays and EDM.
-* '''Sonora:''' An indoor, air-conditioned stage focusing on punk and Latin rock.
-== Art and Culture ==
+== Venue and Art ==
-Beyond music, Coachella is a major showcase for visual arts and large-scale installations. It also remains a significant driver of global fashion trends, popularized by "festival style" aesthetics.
+The festival is famous for its 78-acre grounds and distinct performance areas:
+* '''Coachella Stage:''' The primary stage for major headliners.
+* '''Sahara Tent:''' A large structure focused on EDM and high-production visuals.
+* '''The Quasar:''' A newer stage dedicated to extended DJ sets.
+* '''Art Installations:''' The festival commissions massive, original sculptures every year, which have become central to the festival's identity and social media presence.
-== References ==
+== See also ==
-<references />
+* [[Stagecoach Festival]]
+* [[Goldenvoice]]
+* [[Indio, California]]
 [[Category:Music festivals in California]]
-[[Category:Indio, California]]
+[[Category:Annual events in Riverside County, California]]