Coachella 2026: Everything you need to know to survive and thrive at the festival — or watch at home

It’s astir clip to marque the yearly pilgrimage to the godforsaken for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The lawsuit volition observe its 25th twelvemonth connected the polo fields successful Indio, this clip with Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G topping the lineup.

Whether you’re heading to the festival oregon watching from home, we’ve compiled a usher for maximizing your Coachella clip from what to battalion and what parties and pop-ups are unfastened to the nationalist to however to ticker from the comfortableness of your couch.

We’ll person unrecorded updates passim Weekend 1 astatine latimes.com/coachella. We’re besides answering your questions and compiling your tips.

When is Coachella? Where is the venue?

Coachella 2026 runs April 10-12 and 17-19 astatine the Empire Polo Club astatine 81-800 Ave. 51 successful Indio.

Who is performing astatine Coachella 2026?

This year’s main signifier headliners are Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G.

There’s besides a large accumulation from Anyma, presenting the satellite premiere of Æden, and different apical artists see the XX, Nine Inch Noize, Disclosure, the Strokes, Turnstile, Addison Rae, David Byrne, Iggy Pop, Katseye, Sombr and Young Thug. Here’s the afloat lineup.

Can I inactive get tickets to Coachella? How overmuch are passes?

Coachella is sold out, but determination are inactive ways to get in. There’s a waiting database via Coachella itself and there’s besides an authoritative resale marketplace and secondary sellers.

On the authoritative Coachella resale site, Weekend 1 wide admittance three-day passes and GA with a shuttle walk are hovering astir $1,000; VIP are starting astatine $1,630 arsenic of April 1.

Weekend 2 starts astatine $815 for wide admittance passes and GA with shuttle connected the authoritative Coachella resale tract portion VIP starts astatine $1,130. Note that the prices fluctuate often.

(For reference, erstwhile tickets went connected merchantability successful September, they started astatine $649 for a three-day GA walk for Weekend 1 and $549 for Weekend 2. For VIP, passes for Weekend 1 started astatine $1,299 and $1,199 for Weekend 2.)

Beware of secondary sites, but you tin find passes determination arsenic well. Typically Weekend 2 is cheaper but prices volition spike aft everyone talks astir Weekend 1.

A fewer things to note: Coachella doesn’t person hard tickets but wristbands. If a woody seems to bully to beryllium true, it astir apt is. Check the policies to spot however your acquisition is guaranteed if you spell the secondary seller route.

Music fans ticker Green Day’s headlining acceptable astatine Coachella successful 2025.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

What’s the quality betwixt wide admittance and VIP passes, and are VIP passes worthy it?

No substance what level of walk you have, you tin roam astir astir of the tract and get up adjacent to stages. Yes, you tin person a GA walk and locomotion close up to the stage. Of course, if you’re a Belieber trying to bash that you’re astir apt camping retired each time Saturday.

If you spot those peculiar viewing pits adjacent the stage, the VIP passes bash not get you to there. Nor bash they get you connected stage.

VIP passes bash get you a dedicated entranceway (closer to what has historically been the yellowish batch and the thrust stock dropoff/pickups) and much exclusive nutrient options successful spots similar the picturesque Rose Garden adjacent to the Mojave Tent. You besides tin presumption the main signifier from the 12 Peaks VIP area. And determination has been a dedicated VIP entranceway for the Yuma Tent successful caller years.

When does Coachella merchandise acceptable times?

The festival acceptable times are usually announced a fewer days earlier Weekend 1, and past the complaints astir conflicts volition ensue. In 2025, the acceptable times dropped connected April 5. When they land, we’ll stock them here.

Recent years person besides had notable astonishment acts revealed successful the acceptable times announcement, including Weezer and Ed Sheeran successful 2025, Blink-182 successful 2023 and Arcade Fire successful 2022.

The acceptable times are beauteous accordant connected astir stages done some weekends, with insignificant tweaks — usually the aboriginal DJs oregon acts opening the stages alteration up betwixt weekends. However, the lineups astatine the Quasar signifier and the Do Lab are antithetic each weekend.

Once acceptable times are released and you’re plotting your ain schedule, don’t program connected easy hopping backmost and distant betwixt the Sahara Tent and astir of the different stages. It moved to the acold southbound extremity of the festival grounds successful 2024 and it’s a considerably longer hike than its erstwhile locations. There was a postulation jam trying to get implicit determination successful 2024 and successful 2025 the festival made immoderate improvements (swapping the Quasar and Do Lab locations) to easiness a assemblage chokepoint, but you’re inactive looking astatine astir apt a 15-minute locomotion from the main stage.

When bash gates unfastened astatine Coachella? How precocious does the euphony go?

The parking tons unfastened astatine 11 a.m. regular and the gates unfastened astir 1. The curfew is 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday and midnight connected Sunday.

Unlike beauteous overmuch immoderate different performance successful Southern California, wide parking is escaped astatine Coachella for the day. If you’re driving in, carpool and get determination early. There person been years wherever radical person had to parkland off-site due to the fact that it’s truthful packed. Just beryllium definite to enactment wherever you parked due to the fact that astatine the extremity of a agelong time of music, you don’t privation to beryllium searching for your car. (Pro tip: Drop a pin successful your telephone arsenic soon arsenic you park.)

You tin instrumentality a rideshare to/from Coachella. That batch is adjacent the yellowish batch but I ever perceive fearfulness stories each year.

Whether you’re driving oregon taking a rideshare, cognize that if you enactment until the extremity of the nighttime you’re apt going to beryllium waiting a while.

Pro tip: If you’re driving, permission yourself immoderate snacks that won’t melt and immoderate waters successful the car truthful you person immoderate sustenance if you bash get stuck.

The shuttles bash necessitate a pass. As of April 1, lone Weekend 2 was disposable to adhd a walk via the Coachella tract and it’s $150. Friends who person stayed connected the eastbound broadside of the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs) curse by it, particularly if they privation to person big beverages passim the day.

The worst postulation is connected the 10 Freeway the Monday aft each weekend. It’s brutal if you’re heading backmost to L.A. You request to beryllium connected the roadworthy by 9 a.m. oregon hold it retired until the evening.

Where bash I enactment my stuff? Are determination lockers?

There are lockers but they are sold retired for some weekends. You are allowed to bring successful a backpack 18” x 13” x 8.5” oregon smaller. If you tin question light, a fanny battalion is the mode to go, but if you’re readying to bring a hoodie oregon a formation towel to beryllium on, your shoulders volition beryllium little aggravated astatine carrying a backpack implicit a messenger bag, spot me.

Is determination a spot to complaint my phone? How tin I support my telephone from getting stolen astatine Coachella?

There are immoderate chargers acceptable up astir the field, including passim the covered Craft Beer Barn, but bring your ain cable. It’s worthy bringing a powerfulness slope with you truthful you don’t person to hold for your telephone to charge.

Everyone knows idiosyncratic who has had their telephone jacked astatine Coachella. Set up and crook connected immoderate benignant of “Find my phone” app your instrumentality has earlier getting to the desert.

I’ve seen radical usage fanny packs with tethers wrong to further unafraid phones and besides telephone lanyards.

A lower-tech enactment I’ve seen is utilizing information pins to support beforehand pockets closed, thing that works peculiarly good with zippered pockets.

I don’t person a spot to enactment for Coachella yet. What are my options?

Most of your options are going to beryllium massively costly since we’re down to the ligament present (I saw an Airbnb listing for a furniture successful a laundry country successful Thermal coming successful astatine conscionable nether $700/night for Weekend 1), but arsenic of April 1, determination were inactive car camping passes disposable for each play for $180, which includes the section transient occupancy tax. Powered car camping, which the Coachella tract says gets you a guaranteed spot with a powerfulness outlet and entree to upgraded showers and bathrooms, runs for $700 with the taxation included.

Coachella attendees get sprayed with h2o astatine the Do Lab successful 2025.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

What’s the upwind going to beryllium similar for Coachella and however tin I hole for it?

My champion advice: Keep refreshing the forecast. We’ve had an unusually lukewarm commencement to the twelvemonth successful Southern California, which typically signals that we’ll beryllium roasting astatine Coachella, but things person thankfully cooled disconnected a little.

If temperatures look mild, see bringing agelong sleeves for the evening due to the fact that it does get cold. As of April 1, the Weather Channel’s 14-day forecast for Weekend 1 has highs successful Indio successful the precocious 80s. Weekend 2 is typically warmer, but past twelvemonth that wasn’t the case.

Handheld fans (paper oregon battery-powered) are allowed. I’m not saying my USB-charged instrumentality kept maine from a travel to the aesculapian structure successful 2025, but I’m not NOT saying it. They’ve had immoderate for merchantability astatine the festival successful erstwhile years, but it’s cheaper to bargain 1 off-site.

Plastic personal-sized h2o misters are allowed in, too, but they person to beryllium bare erstwhile you get there.

If you don’t privation to halt the amusive portion you instrumentality a interruption from the heat, the Do Lab is ever a bully spot to drawback immoderate shade, creation and chill off.

It’s beauteous overmuch a warrant that you’re going to beryllium successful immoderate gnarly upwind astatine immoderate constituent during the festival, truthful a look covering similar a bandanna oregon a PPE disguise (protects from particulate AND COVID) are helpful.

The godforsaken is hot. Are determination h2o stations?

If I’ve learned 1 happening implicit the past 18 years I’ve covered Coachella, it’s that dehydration is superior business. However overmuch h2o you’re drinking, it’s not enough.

Water has been priced astatine $2 since Coachella started backmost successful 1999, and determination are aggregate refill stations on-site. You tin besides bring successful an bare refillable container, but it can’t beryllium metallic oregon solid and it has to beryllium 64 ounces oregon little (even though the Coachella h2o they’ve sold successful caller years is packaged successful an aluminum bottle). Empty hydration backpacks are besides allowed. (Electrolyte packets for hydration are too.)

Also, I’m told that Electrolit volition beryllium backmost connected tract with a hydration presumption adjacent the main signifier and handing retired escaped cups of the electrolyte-filled drink.

What should beryllium connected my Coachella packing list?

I mentioned the bandanna/mask, instrumentality and powerfulness slope and charging cablegram above. I besides don’t spell to Coachella without earplugs, manus sanitizer, immoderate babe wipes, sunscreen (non-aerosol only) and a chapeau due to the fact that the Indio prima is nary joke, sunglasses and a mates of Band-Aids conscionable successful case. I’ll propulsion a hooded sweatshirt successful my backpack, too, particularly if it’s going to beryllium windy.

Even erstwhile I’m not moving and I spell to a festival arsenic a civilian, I’m each astir relation implicit manner and comfy shoes and socks to locomotion thousands of steps each day. For Coachella’s walking, I’ll besides bring retired immoderate gel insoles.

Oh, and permission your currency astatine home. Everything is cashless astatine Coachella now.

Definitely download the app earlier you get there. In summation to being capable to acceptable your schedule, it’s go progressively harder to get the carnal representation and info booklets connected site.

Pro tip: If you privation a poster arsenic a souvenir, thing astute I saw past twelvemonth was idiosyncratic who brought successful their ain cardboard poster conduit and according to the Coachella FAQ, they are allowed.

What’s the woody with nutrient astatine Coachella?

Let’s beryllium real. You’re captive astatine the festival and you can’t bring nutrient successful with you. Food is not cheap, but it’s often precise good. You tin find immoderate reasonably priced options passim the fest (pizza, especially), but program connected spending astir $18-$25 for astir entrees on-site. There are plentifulness of vegetarian and vegan options available, too.

Some of the vendors we sampled past year, including Sandoitchi and Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine, are backmost astatine Indio Central Market. And Gerard’s Paella and Mano Po are among those returning.

You tin besides spell for the ace luxe Nobu pop-up, backmost astatine the Red Bull Mirage again this year, oregon person a fancy family-style repast with Outstanding successful the Field with celebrated chefs.

Here’s a look astatine immoderate different nutrient options astatine Coachella successful 2026.

Reader Stacey from Rancho Santa Margarita, who has lone missed 2 Coachellas since the beginning, besides offered a large tip: Eat your meals disconnected docket to debar agelong nutrient lines.

You tin besides people immoderate escaped snacks and things astatine assorted marque activations, similar past year’s Takis spot.

If you person much clip to dine, Times professional Bill Addison precocious updated his Palm Springs eating guide.

My go-to determination if I’m not stuck successful the parking batch precocious astatine nighttime is In-N-Out (there are present 2 locations successful Indio and different 1 conscionable westbound connected Highway 111 successful La Quinta).

What’s caller astatine Coachella this year?

We’ll cognize much erstwhile we get the acceptable times and representation and volition update present accordingly, but determination is the mysterious enactment connected the bottommost of the lineup poster that reads: “The Bunker debut of Radiohead Kid A Mnesia.”

I ever spot pictures of celebrated radical astatine the Coachella parties. How tin I get into the Coachella parties? Are determination different shows extracurricular of the festival? Can you get maine in?

You cognize however astir the Super Bowl everyone talks astir “the large game” due to the fact that they can’t notation it by sanction but you cognize precisely what they’re referring to? The immense bulk of the events happening successful the godforsaken successful April aren’t technically affiliated with Coachella but they beryllium due to the fact that everyone’s successful municipality for the festival. Coachella = “desert euphony festival.”

Many of the parties you spot with the astir celebrated radical are invite-only, similar Neon Carnival and Camp Poosh and Nylon House, but determination are tons of activations and shows wherever you don’t adjacent request a Coachella wristband to attend.

Goldenvoice Surf Club takes implicit the Palm Springs Surf Club some weekends. Passes commencement astatine $49 for a azygous time and $85 for 2 days. Parking connected tract is an further $20. You request to beryllium astatine slightest 18 to attend. See the lineup and much details astatine gvsurfclub.com.

If you privation to support the euphony going each night, Framework successful the Desert is backmost for a 5th twelvemonth of afterparty performances April 10-12. Notable artists see a DJ acceptable from Disclosure, Boys Noize and Armin Van Buuren. You request to beryllium astatine slightest 21 to attend. Single-day passes commencement astatine $74 and $85 depending connected the time and three-day passes commencement astatine $194. Find much details astatine thisisframework.com.

Check backmost for much updates connected parties and events unfastened to the public.

That each sounds similar a lot. How tin you ticker Coachella from home?

If you privation to observe Couch-ella, the festival has partnered with YouTube for years to watercourse the festival live. There are usually six channels you tin ticker wrong the YouTube channel, each dedicated to a stage. Not each show is streamed live, but the immense bulk are.

The watercourse starts a fewer hours aft things are underway successful Indio and not each acceptable times enactment up with reality, truthful it’s not antithetic to spot radical who are determination posting connected societal astir thing that hasn’t needfully happened connected the watercourse yet.

Set times for the watercourse typically driblet instantly earlier the festival. After the euphony is done for the night, the watercourse repeats until the adjacent day’s broadcast begins.

One happening to enactment is successful erstwhile years the much stone and punk-based Sonora Tent streams Weekend 1 and it’s replaced by the house-centric Yuma Tent for Weekend 2.

There’s besides the enactment of Coachella’s livestream app.

Pro tip: If you’re watching connected YouTube, instrumentality vantage of 1 of the multiview options to flip betwixt stages without having to beryllium done arsenic galore commercials.

Have questions you don’t spot answered here? Ask our experts!