After 50,000 daily steps and tons of surprises, we returned from the first weekend of Coachella Music Festival with tons and tons of emotions. The heat didn’t stop us from having a grand time in the desert, April 11-13, and the music gave us life. Nonetheless, Weekend 1 is always a trial and error for the festival, as mishaps surely happen. We will now review the festival, including the lineup, the campsite, production, and what we think could improve heading into weekend 2.
The Music
Coachella is a mainstream and underground hybrid. It brings out the biggest names in the industry, as well as up-and-coming artists. Furthermore, this year’s lineup was fantastic and delivered major experiences from stage to stage. Of course, the headliners like Lady Gaga and Charli XCX gave us some of the best moments, but other stages had energy, which could be felt in the air.
Coachella is a superstar when it comes to surprises. Artists will bring major collaborations to the stage. This year, the dark princess of pop Lady Gaga took her performance to new heights with Gesaffelstein to perform their song Killah. Charli XCX brought out Troye Sivan, Billie Eilish, and Lorde during her Bratchella set. Moreover, Megan Thee Stallion brought Queen Latifah, Victoria Monet, and Ciara.
EDM reigned supreme this year with so many twists and turns that my ankles are sprained at this moment. Yuma, Sahara, and the DoLab brought their A game with electric and fun performances all weekend. House, Techno, and Bass had the most support out of the other EDM genres. Highlights included Sara Landry’s Eternalism Debut, and her Blood Oath surprise appearance at the DoLab alongside Indira Paganotto and Amelie Lens. Their set was accompanied by a drum and bass/jungle b2b2b2b2b2b with Jenna Shaw, Coco & Breeze, Mary Droppinz, VNSSA, J. Worra and Bad Girl Bailey.
Earlier sets had incredible attendance, such as PARISI, Marsh, Boris Brejcha, and Layla Benitez b2b Henri Bergmann. Horsegiirl, DJ Gigola, VTSS Klangkuenstler, salute, and Mind Against b2b Massano offered amazing auditory journeys as well.
The Production at Coachella
Coachella has a real budget for production. Visuals, pyrotechnics, lightshows, and stage design all work all weekend to provide magical adventures throughout the weekend. From props and dancers to live and electronic instruments, each artist can make their Coachella sets, and some of their debuts, a one-of-a-kind performance. Some indoor stages had air conditioning, which helped under the desert heat. The event also has tons of separate activities and side-quests one can enjoy across the venue. Tons of brands have their own booths and activation centers, such as Heineken, White Claw, and Red Bull.
We stopped by the End Overdose booth to speak with AJ Banuelos (Director of Community Engagement) to discuss the growth and impact the non-profit has had on EDM since its foundation. They have partnered with promoters like AEG and Insomniac for their flagship festivals, have collaborated with names ranging from Limp Bizkit’s Wes Borland to Illenium on social media campaigns through Instagram (105k followers) and TikTok (331k followers), and have trained over half a million people nationwide. Their booth teaches festival goers how to recognize signs of an opioid overdose and how to administer Narcan, as well as how to do rescue breaths, and how to delegate tasks until medical personnel arrive on the scene.
Red Bull®Mirage
The Red Bull®Mirage offered an unparalleled hospitality experience and seamlessly blended exclusive access, unique programming, and the exciting pre-launch of the highly anticipated Red Bull Summer Edition White Peach. Red Bull® brought a 20,000 square-foot structure, located directly across from the Quasar Stage. As the festival’s exclusive energy drink, Red Bull® provided attendees with the wiiings to fully immerse themselves in the music and atmosphere.
The space featured distinct experiences across its multiple levels, providing guests with spaces to recharge, socialize, and find inspiration. General admission festival goers gathered in the dedicated GA areas to enjoy access to specialty drinks including the Red Bull Summer Edition slushies, pop-up DJ sets by Joaqu.n of Pangea Sound, Tinx and Bambii, and shade with cooling misters. Level 1 offered a Nobu Omakase experience paired with a curated Red Bull cocktail menu, available to festival goers by reservation only.
Level 2 provided a thoughtfully curated space that served as the ideal backdrop for a Red Bull Mirage Happy Hour and pop up sets by DJ PeeWee (a.k.a. Anderson .Paak) and Hudson Mohawke, bringing together tastemakers, creators, and media. Level 3 served as an invite-only retreat for artists and celebrities, offering a private space with stunning views of the Quasar Stage. Notably, Cardi B arrived with her friends and enjoyed the third floor, complete with drinks and Nobu.
Logistics
Now we will get a little serious because, as much as we had an amazing time at Coachella, we struggled a little bit with security and logistics at the festival. It felt like the event was understaffed and underprepared for the massive influx of cars and people going in early. Chris Lake’s performance on the campsite during day 0, which was a historical moment, was overshadowed by the thousands of cars that were in line for 6+ hours to make it into the event to set their campsites.
Security had no idea how to direct traffic, and it ended in massive traffic where it felt like every man was for themselves. We hope that the event takes traffic more seriously, as it kept people from making it to their campsites at a decent time.
The Vibes at Coachella
It’s always tricky to measure the vibes at an event that is heavily attended by a mainstream crowd, tons of celebrities, and ravers who are more EDM savvy. However, most stages had amazing crowd energy. The Coachella mainstage did have the busiest sets mostly, but for plenty sets there was enough room to dance and enjoy yourself.
As we do everything again this weekend, we can’t wait to explore new sets we missed the first time, as well as reliving some of the sets that had our jaws drop to the ground.
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