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The 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is about to kick off Friday with Lana Del Rey as headliner and rumors are running rampant of a possible guest appearance by her collaborator-friend Taylor Swift. On Saturday, Vampire Weekend is playing a “surprise” set before Tyler, the Creator takes the main stage and Doja Cat will wrap the festival as headliner on Sunday. Who’s to say what might happen between now and then?
Follow The Desert Sun’s live team coverage all weekend long for the latest on celebrity sightings, special guest performances, weather, traffic, music reviews and more.
Chlöe starts Coachella set with a bang but ends early
Those hoping to see catch Chlöe singing her biggest hit better have gotten to the Gobi tent on time Friday night.
The singer broke with convention by opening her set with a heart-dropping rendition of her hit “Have Mercy” that surely roused anyone who was starting to drag after a long day at the festival.
Unfortunately, that choice was also perhaps an early sign that Chlöe would be treating things a bit too expediently: despite repeatedly mentioning how bummed she was about how fast the set was going by, she ended her performance about 10 minutes early.
But the set generally made up for what lacked in length with sheer power as Chlöe spent much of it tearing through several songs that were clearly written as a response to a man who wronged her.
At one point, she asked how many people in the audience could relate and then denounced those who cheat with an epithet that can’t be printed in this publication. That charged sequence of songs seemed to reach a thematic peak when she performed “Boy Bye,” a powerful song of liberation that she said was released earlier today. And while Chlöe surely left some feeling a little, well, cheated themselves, she did at least leave the crowd with her other hit “Treat Me,” which closed out her show.
— Paul Albani-Burgio
Peso Pluma brings out Becky G in a fun throwback to Coachella 2023
Peso Pluma’s much-anticipated Coachella set got even better Friday night when friend and collaborator Becky G popped up onstage to sing their song “Chanel,” which Becky G brought out Peso Pluma to sing during her set on the main stage at Coachella last year.
— Tom Coulter
Sabrina Carpenter doesn’t bring out Taylor Swift, but shines all by herself
Pop singer — and Taylor Swift pal — Sabrina Carpenter made a stunning Coachella debut Friday night, and even though she didn’t bring out her famous friend, she did reward fans with her latest groovy single “Espresso,” as well as an hourlong set featuring all her biggest hits.
Perhaps the highlight of the set was Carpenter’s beloved “Nonsense,” which she’s known for changing the outro of during each live performance. On Friday, the outro was, naturally, Coachella-focused:
“”All about the balls I’m Cinderella. Only use my mouth that’s acapella. I’m so glad you came for me Coachella,” she sang.
Read my full review here.
— Ema Sasic
Bizarrap brings out Shakira during electric Coachella set
Global superstar Shakira made a guest appearance at Argentine producer Bizarrap’s set at the Sahara tent Friday night, bringing her signature dance moves and her world-famous diss song to the Empire Polo Club.The crowd, already excited throughout Bizarrap’s DJ set, became fully rapturous when the Colombian star emerged to first perform “La Fuerte,” a collaboration with the producer. She followed it with her “Vol. 53” of the Bzrp sessions, a scathing diss song aimed at her ex-husband Gerard Piqué, about halfway through the hour-long set. She also announced her upcoming world tour for her latest album, “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran.”
Read my full story here.
— Tom Coulter
Coachella traffic: If you’re not in Indio, beware that many Palm Springs roads are closed after 8 p.m. Friday
It’s after 8 p.m. on Friday, the opening night of Coachella 2024. If you haven’t made your way into the desert yet, beware. Many main arteries in Palm Springs are closed due to blowing sand. Road closures as of about 8:15 p.m. include:
- North Indian Canyon Drive from Sunrise Parkway to Garnet Avenue at the wash.
- North Gene Autry Trail from East Via Escuela to Salvia at the wash.
Sid Sriram brings a slice of India to Indio during Coachella set
Sid Sriram, an Indian musician, gave an engaging performance infusing pop and Carnatic music at the Gobi tent on Friday. He started his set with an invocation prayer to the Hindu god Ganesha.Many of his fans likely know him for performing movie soundtracks in South Asian cinema and, of course, Carnatic music. His performance included a small riff on the Tamil movie song “Kannalane enadhu kannai” and an improvisation in Carnatic music about Muruga, the son of the Hindu god Shiva and a common subject for songs in the genre. He ended his set with a prayer that he said his mother taught him.In addition to Indian music, his set mainly included English songs from his discography.
— Ani Gasparyan
Chappell Roan shows what Midwest Princesses are made of during Coachella set
At the start of her Friday set, emerging pop singer and Missouri native Chapell Roan declared herself a Midwest Princess (a reference to her debut album that came out last year, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess”). Then, she spent the next 45 minutes demonstrating exactly what that means. A Midwest Princess, it turns out, always owns the stage, whether they are dramatically singing to a wig they placed over a microphone (like during “Picture You”), leading the crowd in a dance designed to spell out the title of one their most infectious bops (“Hot-To-Go”), or epically dissing their ex before launching into a lively rendition of one of their most popular songs (“My Kink is Karma”).
This set was a clear contender for having the most hyped crowd of the first half of Friday (shout out to the two girls near me who appeared to be having the time of their lives during “My Kink Is Karma”) and I think I have a clear theory for why: anyone who catches Chapell Roan live finds themselves wanting to be a Midwest Princess, too.
— Paul Albani-Burgio
Deftones fulfills many fans’ Coachella dreams
On Friday afternoon, the French pop band L’Impératrice entered a sizable crowd with its funky grooves and overall feel-good music. Less than an hour later, the Sacramento metal band Deftones arrived on the same stage to perform an ear-piercing and ferocious set.
It felt right considering Deftones have been on many Coachella fans’ wishlist for several years, but the closest thing the festival put up in the past was frontman Chino Moreno’s side-project Crosses in 2014. Fans embraced the band’s revolving heavy sound of melodic and screeching vocals, frenzied guitars and pounding rhythms. Some crowdsurfed, and there appeared to be mosh pits throughout the set.
Deftones rose to prominence during the late ‘90s on tours opening for the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and KISS. As nu-metal bands Korn and Limp Bizkit were featured on MTV, Deftones attracted the same crowd while appealing to fans of alternative and pop music.
Moreno has been open about his pop influences. In 2011, the band released a compilation of covers such as The Smiths’ “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want,” Sade’s “No Ordinary Love,” Duran Duran’s “The Chauffeur” and more.
— Brian Blueskye
Faye Webster wows sans Lil Yachty during Coachella set
Faye Webster gave a delightful performance at the Mojave tent on Friday, coupled with stunning and sometimes even comedic visuals.
Her stage was adorned with a large blue t-shirt, blue shirts on clothing racks and washing machines in a nod to the cover art from her latest album, “Underdressed at the Symphony.” She bookended her set with visuals of a minion-version of herself.
Webster, dressed in a cool, blue-striped ensemble, opened with “But Not Kiss” and performed several other songs from her new album. This included “Lego Ring,” which features Lil Yachty on the album. Lil Yachty was absent from Webster’s Friday performance, but he will perform in the Mojave tent on Sunday.
The crowd reacted with outward joy when Webster played some of the most-loved songs in her discography, singing along to “Right Side of My Neck,” “In a Good Way,” and the closing song of her set “Kingston.”
— Ani Gasparyan
The Japanese House set plagued by technical difficulties
One of the biggest bummers that can happen at Coachella is when a rad artist is making the debut you know they’ve been dreaming of their whole lives only to have it blindsided by technical difficulties.
That was the unfortunate turn of events for The Japanese House, a band created and helmed by lead singer Amber Bain. Their set was supposed to begin at 4:30 p.m. at the Mojave tent. At 4:36 p.m. the band came out and Bain said they were having technical difficulties and as she strummed her guitar a couple times you could see her face drop as it was clear the problems were persisting. After a few minutes, she said “We’re going to pretend like this never happened and we’re going to backstage and come back out when everything’s fixed.”
The band filed back to the wings and returned about six minutes later. After more adjusting and back-and-forths with the sound techs they started at around 4:45 p.m. even though you could tell Bain was still struggling with her ear piece and her levels. Not to mention the frustration knowing that 15 minutes of their 40-minute set was wasted.
“This is my first Coachella, can you tell?” Bain deadpanned opting for gallows humor and putting on a good face despite what had to be a heart-sinking moment.
She sounded great and had raucous support from the crowd as she was able to get seven songs in before her 5:10 p.m. cutoff time. The crowd swayed and sang along to “Something Has to Change” (a very appropriate song for the circmstances). She then said “This one goes out to my gays” which drew a roar before jumping into her song “Boyhood.”
She closed with “Sunshine Baby,” thanked the crowd and hustled off the stage.
I felt the same sympathy for Bain that I did for the Linda Lindas at last year’s Coachella as their entire Weekend 1 set was ruined by similar technical snafus.
Kudos to Bain for powering through a tough situation and still providing her fans something to remember, even if it was just 25 minutes worth.
— Shad Powers
Young Miko crushes her debut Coachella set
Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko made her Coachella debut on Friday, performing an array of hits, including several popular songs from her brand-new album, “attn.”
Donning oversized jean shorts and with a full band backing her, the 25-year-old rapper braved the afternoon heat to deliver a thrilling performance on the Coachella Stage. She played several songs from her new album released earlier this month, including “wiggy,” “ID” and “princess peach.”
Several people in the crowd waved Puerto Rican flags throughout the performance, to the delight of Young Miko, whose real name is María Victoria Ramírez de Arellano Cardona. She closed with a pair of popular collaborations: “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 58,” followed by “Classy 101,” which she recorded with Feid.
Young Miko also performed her full verse from Bad Bunny’s “Fina.” While there were no guest appearances during her set, the rapper clearly didn’t need any assistance to boost the crowd’s excitement despite the scorching afternoon sun.
— Tom Coulter
Coachella brand pop-ups: Where to get freebies, sometimes AC
Across from the Indio Central Market is a row of air-conditioned tents for Absolut vodka, Carrera eyewear and International Delight cold foam cream. If you forgot your shades at home, stop by Carrera, where you can get festival-exclusive sunglasses. And if you’re running low on caffeine, the International Delight tent has coffee samples that can be topped with its latest cream. There’s also a music station that you get to take DJ reins over and a lounge area.
— Ema Sasic
La Quinta locals celebrate a decade of attending Coachella
Sally (celebrating her 72nd birthday today) and 80-year-old Bob Arroyo of La Quinta arrived in time for the gates to open for what they say must be nearly their 10th year attending the festival. The pair was always curious about Coachella in its first few years, and read about it in the paper when they lived in Los Angeles County, but have made attending a tradition now that they’re locals. They attend both weekends so that they can catch any artists they missed Weekend 1, and sometimes even take the chance to see a set they loved a second time. “Some people go on cruises,” Sally said, “but we go to Coachella.”
— Andy Abeyta
Coachella Sahara tent: The trek to new site is no joke
You’ve probably heard by now that the Sahara tent has moved quite a bit south on the grounds this year, stretching out the distance from the Sahara to the rest of the festival. As an experiment I walked from the Outdoor Theatre to the Sahara tent, what I would call the farthest possible trek on the grounds. It took me 13 minutes, and 13 seconds and 985 steps. And that was at 2:45 p.m. with a mostly open field in front of me. So, factor that math into your daily plan if you hope to see an act at the Sahara tent followed by an act at the Outdoor Theatre. Whew!
— Shad Powers
Coachella time: Fans rush in as gates open 20 minutes late
In true Coachella fashion, the gates opened 20 minutes later than scheduled on Friday, but that only made festivalgoers at the front of the line even more eager to run to the most important area of the grounds this early in the day: the merch tent.
Lana Del Rey Coachella concert merch: Where to find artist-specific tents
This year, the artist-specific tents aren’t next to the main merch tent you see when you walk in the gates. Instead, Lana Del Rey, Doja Cat and No Doubt have their own merch tents to the right of the Heineken House stage at the back of the festival grounds. Noticeably, Tyler, The Creator doesn’t have his own merch tent.
— Niki Kottmann
Update: Coachella livestream on YouTube schedule for Friday
The livestream schedule for Coachella 2024 Weekend 1, Day 1 has been released. Here’s how to watch the livestream on YouTube on Friday, April 12 by stage. All times are Pacific Daylight Times, and the schedule is subject to change:
Channel 1: Coachella Stage
- 4:45 p.m.: Young Miko
- 6 p.m.: Sabrina Carpenter
- 7:35 p.m.: Lil Uzi Vert
- 9:05 p.m.: Peso Pluma
- 11:20 p.m.: Lana Del Rey (headliner)
Channel 2: Outdoor Theatre
- 5:25 p.m.: L’Impératrice
- 6:45 p.m.: Deftones
- 8:10 p.m.: Everything Always
- 10:15 p.m.: Justice
- 11:30 p.m. Honey Dijon x Green Velvet
Channel 3: Sahara
- 4 p.m.: Cloonee
- 5:20 p.m.: Ken Carson
- 6:30 p.m.: Skepta
- 7:45 p.m.: Bizarrap
- 9:15 p.m.: Peggy Gou
- 10:45 p.m.: Ateez
- Midnight: Steve Angello
Channel 4: Mojave
- 4 p.m.: Mall Grab
- 4:30 p.m.: The Japanese House
- 5:40 p.m.: Faye Webster
- 6:55 p.m.: Tinashe
- 8:20 p.m.: Yoasobi
- 9:50 p.m.: Hatsune Miku
- 11:15 p.m.: Anti Up
Channel 5: Gobi
- 4:20 p.m.: Sid Sriram
- 5:30 p.m.: Chappell Roan
- 6:45 p.m.: Brittany Howard
- 8 p.m.: Neil Frances
- 9:15 p.m.: Chlöe
- 10:30 p.m.: Suki Waterhouse
Channel 6: Sonora
- 4 p.m.: Late Night Drive Home
- 4:50 p.m.: The Beths
- 5:55 p.m.: Eartheater
- 7 p.m.: Narrow Head
- 8 p.m.: Black Country, New Road
- 9:05 p.m.: Clown Core
- 10:20 p.m.: Son Rompe Pera
— Kate Franco
What time is it in Indio, California?
Trying to plan out your Coachella livestream-watching schedule and have no idea what the local time is at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California? Well, it’s Pacific Standard Time. Here’s a cheat sheet. Are you in New York (Eastern time zone)? Subtract three hours and that’s local time in Indio. Are you in Chicago (Central Standard time)? Subtract two hours and … there you have it. Denver (Mountain time?) Take away one hour, bro. You’re welcome.
Coachella Weekend 1 weather: Storm to hit SoCal, but not Indio
While another spring storm is set to hit Southern California this weekend, bringing rain mostly to the Los Angeles area and parts of the Inland Empire, those who are flocking to the Empire Polo Club in Indio for Weekend 1 of Coachella should be pleasantly surprised. The National Weather Service out of San Diego on Friday is predicting picture-perfect (selfie-perfect?), if breezy, conditions in Indio and across the Coachella Valley Friday through Sunday.
- Friday: Sunny with highs near 90 degrees. The afternoon will see wind of 5 to 10 mph with some gusts hitting 20 mph.
- Friday night: Clear with lows around 56 degrees, which should make for good sleeping weather in the car camping area. Northwest winds will be 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
- Saturday: Sunny and highs near 81 degrees. Wind of 5 to 10 mph expected.
- Saturday night: Clear with a low around 52 degrees. A west wind of 15 to 25 mph could gust as high as 40 mph.
- Sunday: Another sunny day, with a high near 75. Wind of 10 to 15 mph could increase to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon, gusting to up to 30 mph.
- Sunday night: Mostly clear and breezy, with a low around 52 degrees.
— Kate Franco
Coachella special guest predictions (of the non-Taylor Swift variety)
The official Coachella lineup is thinner this year than recent festivals, but does that mean there’s more opportunity for special guests? Read about why The Desert Sun staff is keeping their eyes peeled for Anitta, Sia, Kali Uchis, Megan Thee Stallion, The Weeknd, Leon Bridges, PinkPantheress and Blake Shelton.
— Kate Franco
Taylor Swift at Coachella? Here’s why she might show up in Indio
Snow touching down in sunny Indio is as rare as crossing paths with Taylor Swift, but for Coachellagoers, the rumors are spiraling if the star will make an appearance to support her friend and “Snow On the Beach” collaborator Lana Del Rey (headlining Friday’s show). Her opening act in South America, Australia and Singapore, Sabrina Carpenter, also has a set at Coachella on Friday. On Saturday, Swift’s friend and co-producer Jack Antonoff is playing with the Bleachers fresh off a new album release. The three acts will also repeat next week, so be on the lookout for Taylor and Travis.
— Bryan West, the USA TODAY Network’s Taylor Swift reporter
It’s going to be a (Vampire) Weekend 1. What about Weekend 2?
Vampire Weekend was added to the Coachella lineup on Tuesday, thrilling Indie rock fans and setting off furious debate about whether or not they will play Weekend 2, largely regarded as the “music lovers’” weekend (as opposed to Weekend 1’s reputation as the influencer weekend). History suggests it’s anybody’s guess. Arcade Fire was similarly added to the 2022 lineup and only played Weekend 1. Blink-182 was added last-minute in 2023 for Weekend 1, and then got a huge upgrade to headliner Weekend 2 when Frank Ocean controversially bowed out.
Vampire Weekend, which was formed in 2006 in New York City, is no stranger to Coachella, Desert Sun Features Editor Niki Kottmann writes. The group played the festival in 2008, 2010 and then again in 2013. Check them out Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Outdoor Theatre.
— Kate Franco
Car camping at Coachella? How to get there, rules, tips, silent disco
Car camping is the most classic way to experience a weekend at Coachella. Make friends. Do fun activities (silent disco, anyone?). Goldenvoice has perfected the experience over the years, and campers will be happy to know that the amenities are plentiful: Food vendors, free water refill stations, free WiFi, general stores where you can purchase basic necessities including ice, phone charging stations, restrooms and showers and even a free supermarket shuttle, should you run out of provisions.
First, let’s get you there. GPS is fickle so here are some directions as provided by Goldenvoice:
- Day parking: From all directions, approach the Empire Polo Club and follow signs and traffic personnel.
- Preferred parking: From eastbound Interstate10, exit at Monroe Street and travel south. Take a right on Avenue 49 and a left into Lot 1. Don’t attempt to approach north on Monroe.
- Car camping/toll booths (Lot 13): From Eastbound Interstate 10, exit at Jefferson Street and continue to Indio Boulevard. Take a right at Jefferson Street and follow signs and traffic personnel to check-in lanes.
- Lake Eldorado: From Eastbound Interstate 10, exit at Jefferson Street and continue to Indio Boulevard. Take a right at Jefferson Street. Then take a left at Avenue 50 and a right at Madison Street. Follow signs to Lake Eldorado on left.
- Companion camping parking and tent camping parking (Lot 2A): From Eastbound Interstate 10, exit at Jefferson Street and continue to Indio Boulevard. Take a right at Jefferson Street and then a left at Avenue 50. Follow signs to Lot 2A on left
Some car camping rules, again from Goldenvoice:
- A festival pass is required for entry into the campground
- You must be 18 or older (or accompanied by an adult) to enter the campground
- The campground opened at 9 a.m. on Thursday and will close Monday at 10 a.m.
- All car camping sites are 30 feet by 10 feet
- Unlimited friends/tents per site
- One vehicle per site allowed, and required
- A vehicle must be a passenger car, truck or van. RVs and motorhomes (or any vehicle with running water or toilets) are not allowed, nor are motorcycles, buses or U-Haul trucks.
- Sites assigned in order of arrival
- Each site also includes one overnight parking space in an adjacent lot to leave a car for the weekend
- Campers and cars will be searched at check in
- Noise curfew starts at 1:30 a.m.
Want more? Check out our evergreen guide to making your life easier while car camping at Coachella.
— Kate Franco
What is Coachella’s bag policy?
Backpacks and bags are allowed, and they don’t have to be clear but they need to be 18 inches x 13 inches x 8.5 inches or smaller. The trick is in what you can bring inside. The full list is long but here are a few key items that are allowed, and those that aren’t.
Allowed: Cameras (non-professional), eye drops, hydration packs, binoculars, breast pumps, chapstick, face masks, GoPros, hand sanitizer, gum, inhalers, lighters, makeup, phone chargers, empty reusable water bottles, water misters.
Not allowed: Aerosol products, air horns, blankets, chairs, coolers, drones, discriminative or appropriative items, divisive or appropriative symbols, flags, fliers, glass bottles, glow sticks, illegal drugs and paraphernalia, laser pointers, selfie sticks, tripods, umbrellas, walkie talkies.
— Kate Franco
More:Coachella 2024 essentials: Everything you need to pack as well as what to leave at home
From TikTok to Coachella: 5 viral acts to know
Love it or hate it, TikTok has become an integral part of the music industry, writes Desert Sun reporter Ani Gasparyan. So it should come as no surprise that several artists who gained success on the popular social media platform will be taking the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival this year.
Check out Gasparyan’s story about TikTok stars Kenya Grace, Thuy, YG Marley, Jungle and Saint Levant, all of whom are slated to play this weekend.
— Kate Franco
3 Coachella artists likely to get political as Ukraine, Israel-Hamas wars continue
Speaking of Saint Levant, he’s one three acts USA TODAY California elections fellow Kathryn Palmer has picked to make a political statement at Coachella.
Palmer writes that music and politics have always had an intertwined relationship, as evidenced when more than 80 performers pulled out of the South by Southwest festival in Austin in March to protest several defense contracting companies participating in the event, and its “super sponsor,” the U.S. Army. Though there have not been any high-profile disputes among artists and Coachella organizers similar to that in Austin, the festival is by no means insulated from the Israel-Hamas war or the war in Ukraine.
Read about the backgrounds of Saint Levant, ARTBAT and Miss Monique, and their personal connections to ongoing world strife
— Kate Franco
More:Coachella ’24: A first timer’s guide to merch, packing, set times and other festival info
More:6 Latino artists to watch at Coachella 2024, from Peso Pluma to Young Miko
More:Coachella 2024: 8 pop acts you can’t miss, including Sabrina Carpenter, Reneé Rapp
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