On November 5, 1993, during their
Vs. Tour, American rock band
Pearl Jam performed for almost 25,000 fans at the
Empire Polo Club in
Indio, California. The site was selected because the band refused to play in Los Angeles as a result of a dispute with
Ticketmaster over service charges applied to ticket purchases. The show established the polo club's suitability for large-scale events;
Paul Tollett, whose concert promotion company Goldenvoice booked the venue for Pearl Jam, said the concert sowed the seeds for an eventual
music festival there. Around 1997, Goldenvoice was struggling to book concerts against larger companies, and they were unable to offer guarantees as high as their competitors, such as
SFX Entertainment. Tollett said, "We were getting our ass kicked financially. We were losing a lot of bands. And we couldn't compete with the money." As a result, the idea of a music festival was conceived, and Tollett began to brainstorm ideas for one with multiple venues. His intent was to book trendy artists who were not necessarily chart successes: "Maybe if you put a bunch of them together, that might be a magnet for a lot of people." The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was officially announced on July 28 with a preliminary lineup of 40 acts; tickets went on sale on August 7. Coachella's announcement came just one week after the conclusion of
Woodstock '99, a festival in July 1999 that was marred by looting, arson, violence, and rapes. Goldenvoice's insurance costs increased 40% as a result and the company faced uncertainty regarding Coachella's tickets. Organizers were already aiming to provide a "high-comfort festival experience" for Coachella but rededicated themselves to those efforts after Woodstock '99. Advertisements boasted free water fountains, ample restrooms, and misting tents. The organizers strove to recreate European music festivals with small crowds in a great setting with plenty of turntables. By booking acts based on artistry rather than radio popularity, Coachella earned the title of "the anti-Woodstock". Tickets sold for $50 for each day; about 17,000 tickets sold for the first day, and 20,000 for the second, Attendees were offered free parking and a free bottle of water upon entrance. The festival was well regarded among attendees and critics;
Pollstar named it festival of the year, and
Robert Hilburn of the
Los Angeles Times said that it "laid the foundation for what someday may be a legacy of its own". However, Goldenvoice lost $850,000 on the undertaking, forcing the promoter, in Tollett's words, to "struggle for almost two years to survive as a company". Prominent acts, including the headliners, agreed to receive
deferred compensation. Goldenvoice reserved tentative dates for October 2000 to reprise the festival, but ultimately canceled for that year; Tollett blamed it on the oversaturation of music festivals in Southern California. Goldenvoice opted to bring Coachella back in April 2001 in an attempt to beat the heat. Ticket prices were raised to $65. Organizers encountered difficulty booking acts for the festival and due to "available talent", were forced to shorten the festival to a single day. Issues with securing a headliner threatened to doom the event until
Perry Farrell agreed to bring his reunited group
Jane's Addiction to the proceedings. AEG, which had opened
Staples Center in Los Angeles two years prior, purchased the promoter to help them find shows to book. The corporation wanted Tollett to continue staging Coachella, understanding that it initially would lose money; Like its predecessor, the 2001 festival went smoothly; With around 60 artists performing, the festival featured headliners
Björk and
Oasis, along with a reunion of
Siouxsie and the Banshees. Palm Desert natives
Queens of the Stone Age became the first local band to play the festival. reducing the number of stages from five to four, Ticket prices remained $75 per day, but were increased to $140 for a two-day pass. the Indio City Council approved overnight camping at the site, permitting up to four people on each of the 2,252 camping spots. The festival drew 60,000 people, the largest Coachella crowd to that point. 's appearance at the 2004 festival
(pictured) with elevating the festival's stature. In late December 2003, Van Santen died at the age of 41 from flu-related complications. with
Radiohead and
the Cure as headliners, along with a reunion of the
Pixies. It was Coachella's first sellout, drawing a two-day total of 110,000 people. For the first time, the festival attracted attendees from all 50 US states. Approximately 50,000 people attended each day of the festival.
2006–2008 's performance at Coachella 2006 is frequently cited as one of the most memorable in the festival's history. The 2006 event featured headliners
Depeche Mode and
Tool. Two of the most popular performances were
Madonna, who played in an overflowing dance tent, and
Daft Punk, whose show featuring a pyramid-shaped stage is cited as one of the most memorable performances in Coachella history. , the festival's first female headliner, performing at Coachella on April 27, 2007 In 2007, Goldenvoice inaugurated the
Stagecoach Festival, an annual
country music festival that also takes place at the Empire Polo Club the weekend following Coachella. The new event helped avert complications with organizing Coachella; the polo club's owner Alex Haagen III had been planning to redevelop the land unless a new profitable event could be created to make a long-term lease with Goldenvoice financially feasible. In 2008, Coachella did not sell out for the first time since 2003. It featured headliners
Prince,
Roger Waters, and
Jack Johnson. Waters'
inflatable prop pig flew away during his set. Notable performances included
Franz Ferdinand, M.I.A. (whose 2005 encore set in a tent was a first at the fest),
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and rare appearances from artists
Leonard Cohen,
Dr. Dog and
Throbbing Gristle. The festival drew an aggregate attendance of 152,962 and grossed $15,328,863. Organizers eliminated single-day ticket sales for 2010, and instead instituted a new policy offering three-day tickets only, which drew mixed reactions. Headliners included
Jay-Z,
Muse and
Gorillaz, and reunions of
Faith No More and
Pavement. Despite Tollett's reservations about holding a festival in 2010 due to the economy, Coachella drew 75,000 spectators each day that year, for an estimated aggregate attendance of 225,000, surpassing previous records. Thousands of fans broke through fences, leading to concerns about overcrowding. International travel was
disrupted by the
eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in
Iceland, resulting in some European acts, such as
Frightened Rabbit,
Gary Numan and
Delphic, canceling their appearances at the festival. Prior to the 2011 festival, Goldenvoice made several investments and improvements locally to help support Coachella. In addition to funding an additional lane for Avenue 50, which borders the festival, the promoter cleared additional space on the polo grounds by leveling a 250,000-square-foot area and moving horse stables. Lighting and security were also enhanced to help the festival run more smoothly. The 2011 festival grossed $24,993,698 from 75,000 paid attendees, for an aggregate attendance of 225,000 across the entire three-day weekend.
2012–2014 On May 31, 2011, Goldenvoice announced that beginning with the 2012 festival, Coachella would be expanded to a second, separately-ticketed weekend, with identical lineups for each. Explaining the decision, Tollett said that demand for tickets was up in 2011 even after "operations weren't the best [they've] ever had" in 2010 and that he did not want to satisfy that demand by allowing additional attendees to overcrowd the venue.
Rolling Stone called it a "very risky move" and said there was "no guarantee that demand [would be] high enough to sell out the same bill over two consecutive weekends". The 2012 festival featured headliners
the Black Keys, Radiohead, and a twin billing of
Dr. Dre and
Snoop Dogg. (a voice actor performed his introduction lines) and began performing "
Hail Mary" and "
2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted". Although the media referred to the technology as a "
hologram", the projection was in fact created using the
Musion Eyeliner system, which employs a version of
Pepper's ghost. Following the performance, the projection disappeared. Dr. Dre had asked permission from Shakur's mother Afeni, who said the next day that she was thrilled with the performance. A projection of deceased singer
Nate Dogg was also planned, but Dr. Dre decided against it. The 2012 festival grossed $47,313,403 from 158,387 paid attendees across the two weekends; 80,726 tickets were sold for the first weekend, and 77,661 for the second. Prior to the 2013 festival, it was announced that Goldenvoice had reached a deal with the city of Indio to keep the Coachella and Stagecoach Festivals there through 2030. As part of the agreement, Indio's per-ticket share of revenue would increase from $2.33 per ticket to $5.01. Headlining the 2013 festival were
Blur,
The Stone Roses,
Phoenix, and
Red Hot Chili Peppers. General admission tickets sold for $349, a $34 increase from the previous year. The festival grossed $67.2 million in ticket sales and was attended by 180,000 people, making it the top music festival in the world. In July 2013, Goldenvoice finalized a $30 million purchase of 280 acres of land surrounding the Empire Polo Club, including the 200-acre Eldorado Polo Club. The land, previously leased from Eldorado, will be used to provide more space for parking and general use for the festival. Tollett said the purchase was intended to "help [Goldenvoice] put in some infrastructure so [they] don't have to keep coming back and do the same things each year". The 2014 festival, held on April 11–13 and April 18–20, featured 184 artists. A reunited
Outkast headlined on Friday,
Muse on Saturday, and
Arcade Fire on Sunday. General admission tickets sold out in less than 20 minutes, while all other tickets (including VIP tickets in excess of $5,000) sold out in less than 3 hours. That year's festival featured 96,500 daily attendees and grossed a record-breaking $78.332 million. For the fourth consecutive year, Coachella was named the Top Festival at the
Billboard Touring Awards. featured headliners
AC/DC,
Jack White, and
Drake, with a surprise appearance by
Madonna during the latter's weekend one performance. General admission tickets again sold out in less than 20 minutes. The event established new records for tickets sold (198,000) and total gross ($84,264,264) for a festival. marking the 10th time in 11 years that Coachella had won the award. In March 2016, the Indio City Council passed a measure to raise the attendance cap for Coachella from 99,000 to 125,000, stipulating that the capacity would gradually be increased, giving the city time to accommodate the crowds. Goldenvoice increased the venue size by about 50 acres along Monroe Street, Avenue 50, Avenue 52, and Polo Road. The 2016 festival was held on April 15–17 and 22–24, and was headlined by a reunited
LCD Soundsystem, a reunited
Guns N' Roses (with original members
Axl Rose,
Slash, and
Duff McKagan), and
Calvin Harris.
Ice Cube's appearance featured a reunion of
N.W.A., while Guns N' Roses' first weekend performance featured a guest appearance from
Angus Young of AC/DC, who headlined the previous year; the cameo occurred the same day that Rose was announced as the new singer for AC/DC. Weekend two was marked by several tributes to Prince, the 2008 headliner who died just prior to the weekend's shows. The festival sold 198,000 tickets and grossed $94.2 million. In January 2017, reports circulated that AEG owner
Philip Anschutz had donated to many right-wing causes, including organizations promoting
LGBTQ discrimination and
climate change denial. The news led to calls for fans to boycott the festival. Anschutz decried the controversy as "fake news", saying he would never knowingly contribute to an anti-LGBTQ organization and would cease donations to any such group of which he became aware. The 2017 edition of Coachella took place from April 14–16 and April 21–23, and featured Radiohead,
Lady Gaga, and
Kendrick Lamar as headlining artists. Beyoncé was originally announced as a headliner but was forced to withdraw at the advice of her doctors after she became pregnant; she announced that she would instead headline the 2018 festival. Tickets sold out within a few hours of going on sale. The event saw the debut of the new daytime-only Sonora tent. The 2017 festival drew 250,000 attendees and grossed $114.6 million, marking the first time a recurring festival grossed over $100 million. Between the two weekends of Coachella, scenes for the film
A Star Is Born, starring Lady Gaga and
Bradley Cooper, were filmed on the festival grounds.
2018–2019 The 2018 festival featured headlining performances from
the Weeknd,
Beyoncé, and
Eminem. Making up for her cancellation the previous year, Beyoncé became the first African-American woman to headline the festival. Her performances paid tribute to the culture of
historically Black colleges and universities, featuring a full marching band and
majorette dancers, while incorporating various aspects of
Black Greek life, such as a
step show along with strolling by pledges. The performance featured on-stage appearances by fellow
Destiny's Child members
Kelly Rowland and
Michelle Williams as well as Beyonce's sister
Solange Knowles. The performances received immediate, widespread praise, and were described by many media outlets as historic.
The New York Times music critic
Jon Caramanica wrote, "There's not likely to be a more meaningful, absorbing, forceful and radical performance by an American musician this year, or any year soon, than Beyoncé's headlining set". A report in
Teen Vogue described "rampant" sexual harassment and assault at the 2018 festival, and the author said she was groped 22 times in 10 hours. In response, Goldenvoice announced a new initiative in January 2019 called "Every One", which comprises "fan resources and policies" to combat sexual misconduct and improve the festival's responses to such behavior. "Safety ambassadors" were made available to direct attendees to professional counselors, and specially marked locations were added for attendees to seek services or report incidents of sexual misconduct. One of the program's goals stated, "We are taking deliberate steps to develop a festival culture that is safe and inclusive for everyone". Coachella celebrated its 20th anniversary in
2019. Taking place from April 12–14 and 19–21, the festival was headlined by
Childish Gambino,
Tame Impala, and
Ariana Grande. At 25 years old, Grande became the youngest artist to headline the festival and just its fourth female headliner. The festival was beset with several challenges.
Justin Timberlake was reportedly slated to headline but had to cancel after bruising his vocal cords. Goldenvoice was also forced to abandon plans for
Kanye West to headline, as they could not accommodate his request to build a giant dome for his performance in the middle of the festival grounds. West was instead allowed to hold the first public "
Sunday Service" performance on Easter on April 21 at the venue's campgrounds. West and a gospel choir performed an approximately 33-song set list of his songs as well as classic R&B and gospel covers. The first weekend of the festival suffered audio technical difficulties with several high-profile performances. The following weekend,
The Daily Beast published a report of the alleged "inhumane treatment" of the festival's security guards. The workers cited poor tent conditions, insufficient food and water, long hours in the harsh sun, minimum wages, and poor communication and coordination between the organizers and the subcontracting security firms.
2020–present The 2020 festival was originally scheduled to take place on April 10–12 and April 17–19 with
Rage Against the Machine,
Travis Scott, and
Frank Ocean as the headlining acts.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival was initially postponed until October 9–11 and October 16–18, On April 10, a documentary profiling the festival's 20-year history,
Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert, was released on
YouTube to coincide with the original start date of the 2020 event. The 2021 festival was also cancelled as a result of
pandemic restrictions in California and the threats of the
COVID-19 variants. Coachella returned in
2022 on April 15–17 and April 22–24. The headlining lineup initially comprised
Harry Styles,
Billie Eilish,
Kanye West, and
Swedish House Mafia. Less than two weeks before the festival, West withdrew. The vacancy in the Sunday night headliner slot was filled by Swedish House Mafia – who previously had not been scheduled for a specific day – for a joint performance with
the Weeknd. While not advertised as a headlining act,
Arcade Fire was added to the official 2022 schedule on April 14, a day before the festival's first weekend. became the first Asian act to headline Coachella in 2023.|alt= The
2023 edition of Coachella, which took place from April 14–16 and April 21–23, was also beset with last-minute lineup changes. The originally announced headliners were
Bad Bunny,
Blackpink, and
Frank Ocean; the former two were Coachella's first Latin and Asian headliners, respectively. In the days leading up to the first weekend, Ocean suffered leg injuries from an alleged bicycle accident on the festival grounds. The production for his performance was then scaled down extensively; plans to utilize an ice rink with over 100 skaters were scrapped at the last minute, forcing festival crew to hurriedly melt the ice surface. Ocean began his performance an hour late, and after exceeding the festival curfew by 25 minutes, he abruptly ended his show. He subsequently withdrew from the second weekend, citing recommendations from his doctor.
Blink-182, which reunited its classic lineup and had been added to the festival two days before it began, was promoted to fill the second weekend's headlining vacancy on Sunday night. After they performed, the trio of DJs
Skrillex,
Four Tet, and
Fred Again – all of whom were added to the lineup the day before the second weekend began – concluded the festival. According to reports, Goldenvoice will incur more than $4 million in losses from the production costs associated with Ocean's unused ice rink, more than his booking fee for the performance. The promoters were also fined $133,000 for curfew violations from the opening weekend. The
2024 edition of the festival featured headliners
Lana Del Rey,
Tyler, the Creator, and
Doja Cat plus a reunion by
No Doubt, their first shows together since 2015. It took nearly a month for the first weekend of Coachella to sell out, whereas it normally sells out within a week. The movie
The Idea of You released in spring of 2024 prominently features Coachella.
Coachella 2025 featured headline performances from
Lady Gaga, who previously headlined in 2017,
Green Day, and
Post Malone.
Travis Scott, who was not initially attached to a specific day, is also given headline billing and performed after Green Day on the Saturday shows. Gaga became just the second woman to headline Coachella twice, following
Björk.
Her show received critical acclaim and was described by several media outlets as "an all-timer experience" and one "for the history books", with the singer being called a "once-in-a-generation" performer. Green Day and Post Malone made their Coachella headlining debuts, while Scott headlined after previously being scheduled at the cancelled 2020 edition of the festival. On April 12, 2025,
Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by
Gustavo Dudamel, became the first major orchestra to perform at Coachella.
Coachella 2026 took place between April 10-19th. It featured headlines of
Sabrina Carpenter,
Justin Bieber,
Karol G (noted as the first Latina artist to headline the festival), and
Anyma. First time performers included the girl group
Katseye,
Bini,
Noga Erez, and
Joost Klein. ==Location and festival grounds==