Coachella Tips

While there's plenty of fun to be had, three non-stop days of music, dancing, heat and fun can be a challenge for first timers. Here are a few Coachella tips that will help you avoid newbie mistakes.

1. Take a Look Ahead

Start your Coachella adventure off right by buying advance tickets as soon as they go on sale in early June. Can’t decide which of Coachella’s two weekends you want to attend? Check out hotel availability in Indio before you make your final choice and snap up a room before they’re all gone. Both weekends have exactly the same bands and lineup at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, so it’s a matter of personal preference. Keep your wristbands in a safe place once you receive them, as the venue won’t replace any that get lost. Activate your wristbands online and make sure to put them on properly. Once they’re on, you can’t remove them, and you won’t pass a police checkpoint to get within a mile of the venue if you put it on wrong.

2. Get a Rock'n'Roll Strategy

Pre-planning for Coachella doesn’t stop once you secure your tickets and hotel. Check Coachella’s website a few months before the weekend concert to get the lineup. There will be acts listed you’ve probably never heard of, so take time to seek them out on YouTube or Spotify, and you may discover some new favorites. Prioritize the bands you want to see, and plan your itinerary once the schedule is revealed the week before the festival. Factor in about 20 minutes to navigate the crowds as you go from one stage to another. If you want a better view of the stage, plan to arrive 30 to 45 minutes before showtime.

3. Dressed to Thrill

Without the right clothing, your tune will change from “out there havin’ fun in the warm California sun” to “I’m on fire like a thousand suns.” Wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect your head and face and a bandanna to protect your neck. It will come in handy as a mask during the inevitable dust devil. Zip-off pant legs let you catch some rays in the morning and then protect your skin when the sun’s burning rays get harsh. Complete your outfit with athletic shoes, as you’ll walk about 4 miles per day. Resist the flip-flop temptation: A painful sunburn potentially awaits.

4. Bring What you Need

Carry your bare essentials along in a medium bag. Leave your good sunglasses at home and get yourself a cheap pair. Also, buy spare shades—they often get knocked off in crowded dance tents and trampled. Minimize sunburn with sunscreen and lip balm and stay cool with a small, empty spray bottle to fill at the water stations. Keep in mind that porta-potties often run out of hand sanitizer and toilet paper, so plan accordingly.

5. Keep Your Stuff Safe

The Polo Grounds offer lockers to keep your stuff safe and your hands free during Coachella. A small locker fits a single bag, and the medium size fits two. Don’t expect to rent one when you walk onto the polo fields as they sell out months in advance. Set a reminder on your calendar to buy your locker space online when they go on sale in October. Lockers aren’t climate controlled, so avoid leaving items inside that will melt. Clean out your locker Sunday afternoon while it’s still light, so all you have to do is grab your pack and go when the last show is over. The move will put you ahead of much of the crowd and get you rolling out of the parking lot sooner.

6. Hear the Beat, Feel the Heat

No Coachella survival guide would be complete without a warning to stay hydrated. You’ll hear this time and again throughout the weekend during mid-set banter, but it’s best to go in prepared. Bring a refillable water bottle that you’re comfortable having as your constant companion. Security requires bringing them in empty, but there’s plenty of free water stations inside to fill up. Add packets of electrolyte powder such as Emergen-C or buy some salty snacks from the venue’s vendors to help your body stay hydrated. Overheating? Head to the Yuma Tent and soak up some air conditioning.

7. Leaving Coachella

A savvy Coachella guide doesn’t stop when the last note fades away. You don’t want to be wandering the parking lot for hours trying to figure out which dust-covered car is yours. Download a parking app before you head to the festival, and you’ll get directions back to your car. Some apps note your car’s location when the vehicle stops, meaning you won’t have to remember to mark it with the app once you’re parked. Feeling a bit tired? All that sun, alcohol, walking and dancing will leave you physically drained, so plan a post-festival recovery day at your hotel before heading back home... Then start planning your next festival adventure!

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