In a few weeks, one of the biggest music festivals will kick-off with a weekend that is jam-packed with live entertainment from big and small name artists, great food, and lots of fun. Coachella is a popular music festival visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year. It was founded by Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen, and organized by Goldenvoice. The music festival is held in the deserts of Indio, California, at the Empire Polo Club. This year, the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will be held April 12-14 for weekend number one and April 19-21 for weekend two. The festival features popular artists that will perform throughout each day of weekend one and two. On Friday, artists such as Childish Gambino, Janelle Monáe, DJ Snake, and Ella Mai will play. On Saturday, performers Solange, Billie Eilish, and Wiz Khalifa will take the stage. Lastly, on Sunday, Ariana Grande, Khalid, Zedd and Gucci Gang are just some artists that will perform live. A general admission ticket this year cost $429 compared to $999 for a VIP ticket. The organization made a whooping $105 million last year.

 The history of Coachella dates back to 1993 when a group named Pearl Jam held a concert for fans, but complained when Ticketmaster added high processing fees to every ticket sold. They disliked this aspect and wanted to perform at a venue that was not owned by Ticketmaster. This conflict led to the group finding a new venue at the Empire Polo Club to perform the rest of their concerts without the high fees. What started out as a band looking for a new venue, turned into a movement of artists and groups congregating in Indio, and we know this as Coachella. The Inaugural Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was held on October 9-10, 1999.

 Coachella is a dynamic festival filled with great food, fashion and music. When planning to attend, the question of where to stay can be a concern. Coachella places an emphasis on camping. You can camp out on the festival grounds in tents or cars in the parking lot. If more lavish camping is your style, you can book a tent or teepee at Lake Eldorado. The most expensive style of camping is staying in their furnished tents or yurts. Food is a large component of Coachella. Restaurants from across the country come every year. There are different options like vegan and gluten-free for those with food sensitivities. Food options include Indio Central Market, pop-up restaurants, and food trucks. When you need a break from all the great music and food, there are activities planned throughout the grounds. Ping pong, Twister, Giant Jenga, and the renowned ferris wheel are some features. Coachella also incorporates the fashion scene as visitors usually dress in eclectic, boho pieces that represent the ambiance of being in the desert. At the festival, social media influencers come out in large numbers to take part in all the fun. This music festival is not for everyone though. Junior Lauren Parker said, “Coachella seems like a cool experience, but standing in the heat all day in a crowd of dirty, smelly people sounds awful.” Coachella can be intimidating and hectic to some because of how grand the production is, but for those who like this kind of experience, this festival has so much to offer. Coachella invites people from different backgrounds, races and genders to be a part of their inclusive community offered. Their “everyone” logo is an important part of making sure that music and art can be shared together.