hi friends! i know coachella is such a huge event, and i think that everyone needs to go atleast once in their life. although i haven’t been a ton of times, this is the second time i’m going and i thought i’d throw in some tips for those heading to the desert this festival season.
1. what to pack
first and foremost- outfits. of course you want to make sure you pack according to the weather. if you’re going weekend one, often times it’s a bit cooler than it is weekend two, but it’s still the desert so it’s going to be warm.
- wear comfy shoes
- you’re going to be dancing around all day and night and standing and waiting for your favorite artist to go on, so although boot heels are really cute and they might go with your outfit, consider some edgy sneakers that are still comfortable enough to rock.
- another thing to remember is that all the shoes you wear will probably get super dirty since you’ll bring in dirtstorms basically the whole time
- bring a long sleeve
- although it’s going to be in the 90’s and 100’s during the day, the nights can reach the 50’s, so it’s always a good idea to pack a light sweater or cardigan in your backpack
- portable charger
- you know that your phone will most likely die. So bring a portable charger that is capable of more than one charge. My favorite is the Anker one.
- wear a bandana
- since it’s super dusty, you might want to pack a bandana and put it over your nose and mouth so you don’t get sick the upcoming week.
- sunglasses/sunscreen
- it’s obvious but again because there’s dirt everywhere you don’t want that to enter into your eyes and also because it’s sunny out.
- empty water bottle
- there’s refillable water stations throughout the festival grounds, so it’s important to bring something to fill up.
- painkiller
- make sure you bring advil or ibuprofen in case your feet start hurting or you get a headache from the sun.
2. pregame before you get there
depending on what time you want to get there, (i usually choose to go around 4 or 5 because it’s too hot to go earlier) you’ll want to drink a lot before you get in (in the line) so you’ll be on a good level when you get in there. there are a lot of beer gardens throughout the place, but very few places with hard alcohol. they’re not strict on people drinking in line, as long as you toss it at security
3. plan ahead
- so you should always download the app beforehand, and activate your wristband so you don’t have to worry about it when you get there. also the set times come out about a week before, so you can plan out your schedule, and decide who you want to see.
- driving/uber/lyft/walking/shuttle
- if you’re going to use a rideshare app, lyft is more convenient because they utilize the parent pick up area which is much closer. with uber, their pick up center is a lot further.
- walking- if you’re in walking distance, this is the best way to go to avoid traffic and hassle with a car.
4. what to eat and drink
you can find a list of food vendors on the website as well as the app. my favorite thing to get (which i’ll probably have all weekend) is spicy pie! it’s a pizza place that specializes in their spicy pie (jalapeno and pepperoni pizza) and the crazy thing is, they only cater to music festivals. i’ve looked for an actual spicy pie restaurant but it doesn’t exist 😦 food is generally pretty expensive, so if you can eat before you get there, you only have to get one meal a day at coachella. they sell water bottles and refreshments on little carts, but again i recommend saving money and going to a water refilling station.
(pictured: spicy pie)
5. where to stand
personally i’m the type of person who doesn’t really need to be that close to the artist, but i’ve been to performances where i’m super close up, and its a really awesome experience. however music festivals are definitely crowded and i HATE being pushed and shoved. so for me, with artists that you just want to enjoy, stand towards the back so you have room to dance and just hangout with friends. when i went, i wanted to be really close for kehlani, so i went towards the end of the set before and just waited, and the second it ended, i started charging to the front. everyone in the front was super nice, and we bonded by talking about kehlani so it was great.
6. where to stay
i’ve had great experiences with staying in airbnb’s close to the festival, so i feel like i can never stay in a hotel or do car camping from now on. although i have never used the shuttle pass, i’ve heard it’s a nightmare and takes forever to get home after the festival. try to find a place that’s walking distance so you don’t have to worry about parking or ubering since that can be messy too.
7. buy festival apparel
i wear my coachella shirt from two years ago, TO THIS DAY ALL THE TIME. although it’s expensive, it’s a great way to remember the experience, and a keepsake. they have all types of apparel but try to get it the first day since they sell out of popular styles. they also have artist shirts too, which is cool to buy if you’re a diehard fan.
8. make a playlist
before the festival, make a spotify playlist of all the artists you’re excited to see and listen to them nonstop so you’ll know the songs and it’ll be a grat tim when the artist performs. you can also collaborate with people you’re going with to make it a fun thing
9. texting/adding everyone on find my friends
a big thing that is probably obvious is that the signal when you’re at coachella is so trash. imessages almost never send, so you should send it as a text and what i would include is the time you sent the message. (ex: (6:44pm) where are you? or (8:05pm at the bathroom i’ll meet you at the sahara tent after) just because there’s always a delay in sending. also enabling find my friends with people in your group so you know if someones back at the airbnb or if you lose them, find my friends is great to have it turned on for the festival duration.
10. take pictures/videos
this one is super obvious, but coachella is an event where it’s a huge experience. who you’re with, what you’re wearing, the music, along with everything else is something you’ll remember for the rest of your life. so what, you’ll annoy your boyfriend asking him to take all these pictures but WHATEVER. buy that watermelon, get that angle, record the artist while you sing along, get those boomerangs, wait for everyone to get out of the background. it’s worth it!!!
THANK YOU!
thanks for reading my tips for attending the coachella music festival. i hope that this helps and that you stay safe and hydrated in the desert sun. let me know who you’re looking forward to see or if it’s after, who your favorites are!
OCTOURGUIDE 