Tag: <span>Coachella Music and Arts Festival</span>

Music Festivals

Coachella Travel Guide

Coachella takes place every year on the Polo Fields in Indio, CA surrounded by mountains and palm trees. Music and art can be discovered while wandering around the desert plains under the hot, California sky or the setting pink sun.

Getting There

Coachella by Air
If you are flying, the closest airport to fly into is the Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), about half an hour northwest of the festival. Alternatively, the festival is about a three hour drive southeast of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), or a two hour drive northeast from San Diego International Airport (SAN).

NOTE: I recommend flying into the San Diego International Airport. There is less traffic heading to the festival from San Diego than from Los Angeles and the drive is absolutely beautiful.

Coachella by Road

If you are driving, there are plenty of signs once you get to Palm Springs directing you to the festival and campgrounds entrance. That, combined with Google Maps, makes it very easy to find.

Full driving directions to the festival from Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Arizona can be found here.

Carpooling is highly encouraged by Coachella and, decorating your car advertising your “carpoolchella,” can even win you VIP upgrades and passes for the future.

Coachella by Shuttle
Shuttle passes can be purchased to ensure your arrival by bus. There are also taxi and uber stands set up entering and exiting the festival.

Where to Stay

Camping: Camping passes can be purchased with your festival ticket for $85. Your location, from what I can tell, is based on luck. If you are camping, I would recommend bringing a shade tent of sorts as shelter from the hot sun midday will be crucial to you making it through the festival without sunstroke. Another fantastic option for camping at Coachella is to rent a JUCY RV. It provides an easy set-up and luxurious option while camping.

Glamping: Coachella offers two premium camping experiences with the Lake Eldorado and Safari Tents options. Lake Eldorado pricing starts at $2,400 and the Safari Tent experience costs upwards of $7,500.

Off-Site Accommodation: There are plenty of hotels and Airbnb’s to choose from within close proximity to the festival. Curadora is the festival’s official partner for hotel accommodations and provides options ranging from $60 to $500 per night. Book early though as these will fill up fast.

Off-site camping is also available at local parks. The parks’ distance from the festival grounds range from three miles to 75 miles at Joshua Tree National Park.

Good to Know Camping Info

On-site camping opens at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday and closes at 10:00 a.m. on Monday each weekend.

No car exit is permitted between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.

Camping is 18+

Friends arriving later can park separately at the Coachella parking lot and then come meet you at your campsite.

No glass bottles are permitted – I can’t tell you how many times I have seen people chugging a bottle of Fireball because they can’t bring it in.

Go here for a more detailed list of the Coachella camping rules.

Art

Art is a huge component of the festival and adds to the magic of it all. The art is different from year to year and appears to have a theme running throughout the grounds. The art is worth taking time to explore, whether it’s on your way into a show, or on your way out, your experiences with the pieces can change based on what time of day you are exploring them.

Do Lab: The Do Lab Stage began as an interactive art piece but grew in such popularity of the years that it now curates its own lineup, different depending on which weekend you attend. It is also one of the most fun stages and best parties at Coachella.

Food

The gastronomy of Coachella has become incredibly drool-wrothy of the years. From sit-down restaurants with renowned chefs and reservations required, to vendors boasting burgers, burritos, hot dogs and pizza, there is something available to satisfy whatever you are craving. Of course, the festival has fantastic vegetarian and vegan options, and plenty of fresh fruit to mow down on.

Don’t forget to get that juicy slice of watermelon and keep an eye out for the gourmet popsicle stand.

Beverages

Being an all-ages event, alcoholic beverages can only be purchased and consumed in the beer gardens. Keep this in mind if there is a show you do not want to miss. Coachella also now has a Craft Beer Garden with fantastic options for those interested in drinking something with a little bit more taste to it then Heineken.

For a refreshing, non-alcoholic option, try one of the lemonades that can be purchased at the different stands throughout the grounds. Water can also be purchased here for $2 per bottle.

Water refill stations can be found throughout the grounds. Give yourself extra time if you are choosing to refill your hydration pack as the lineups at the refill stations can be quite long.

My Advice

Find the Do Lab stage! Do Lab curates a fantastic lineup of up and comers and well established DJs, and the energy here is on a whole other level. From water fights to pyrotechnics, to dancers and acrobats, the Do Lab stage feels more like a house party on acid and you are guaranteed to have a fun time here. Keep an eye out for the surprise DJ announcements. 2016 saw surprise sets by Bob Moses, RÜfÜS DU SOL and Major Lazer, to name a few.

If you need a break from the sun and the heat, head over to the Yuma Tent. It’s an air-conditioned tent that also has a killer lineup of house music, cushions to chill out on and, that is where you will find the infamous disco shark.

But be careful because getting Yuma’d is a thing. You can lose complete and total sense of time in the Yuma tent.

Don’t be married to your schedule. Some of my favourite artists have been discovered going with the flow of things at Coachella.

The ferris wheel is much more magical at night. However the lineup is also much longer.

Coachella has become synonymous with fashion over the years, inspiring trends for the upcoming spring and summer season. Remember though, you are at a festival in the middle of the desert. Makeup sweats off quickly (even while you’re sitting around in the shade), and you are looking at walking and dancing for many hours throughout the day and night. Personally, I have found dresses and dust masks to be good to me.

If you are camping:
After six times attending Coachella, I still haven’t figured out their thought process behind filling up camping spots. That being said, I would still try and arrive early as that gives you an extra day in the campgrounds, meeting people and exploring the market area with all the different activities and games it has to offer.

Do the Silent Disco your first night camping. This took me four years to figure out.

Hydration is key. It’s better to bring in too much water than too little water.

Lower your EZ-Ups and shade tents before heading into the festival if there are high wind advisories. Weekend 2 of 2016 saw quite the disaster with EZ-Ups being whipped across the campgrounds, and tents being mangled by the high winds.

Remember: You are camping in a desert so as soon as that sun pops its bright head over the mountains, your tent will become a sauna and sleep will become near impossible. But it does get quite chilly at night.

Adventures

Five Favourite Moments from Coachella Weekend Two

My lungs are still hacking up dust from last weekend’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, and the sadness of having had to leave the Polo Fields for another year is still very fresh in my mind. To help me get through this though, I have put together a list of my five favourite moments from last weekend’s festivities.

1. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

One of the best moments of Weekend Two was being a party to the energetic and interactive performance of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. When lead singer Alex Ebert pranced out on stage barefoot to begin the evening set, he did not stop dancing during the entire 50-minute performance. Straight from the get-go, Ebert set the tone for the evening, climbing the crowd barrier to wade deep into the Coachella crowds. Throughout the performance, fans could find Ebert singing in his soothing voice right above them, or dancing and hopping around the stage, mic in hand. At one point, he called out to the crowd, asking for someone to sing the next verse. One fan nervously accepted the challenge amongst the encouraging cheers of the surrounding fans. Later in the set, Ebert tossed out a compact video camera into the crowd, informing everyone to take a video of themselves dancing before tossing it on. For the next few minutes, a tiny green camera could be seen hurtling through the air from person, to person, to person. And what better way to end such an energetic, happy set than with stories from fans as the sun slowly set behind the mountains? With such amazing energy from Ebert and the band, and such good vibes from the crowd, along with beautifully happy music all taking place during the stunning Coachella sunsets, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros put on an unforgettable performance that still brings tears to my eyes (happy tears, of course).

2. Anderson .Paak and all his surprises

Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals started off their set with some funky jams, revving the crowd up with their energetic performance and inciting all the booty popping and hip swaying that comes with their tunes. With no expectations of any surprise performances, Anderson .Paak began to build the crowd’s excitement as he announced midway through his set that the thing to do at Coachella is to bring out surprise guests. Lo and behold, Kendrick Lamar came out to perform “Back Street Freestyle” on the small stage with Anderson .Paak. As if that surprise wasn’t enough for Anderson .Paak and hip hop fans alone, the crowd was blessed with a second surprise: a performance by legendary hip hop producer and N.W.A. member Dr. Dre. Although Dre and Kendrick had already performed with Ice Cube the night before on the main stage, this surprise was so unexpected the two hip hop artists ended up performing to a smaller crowd in the Mojave tent, providing fans lucky enough to be there with a more intimate, yet highly energetic performance. And yes… California does know how to party.

3. Finding the “Big Fish” stage

Do LaB proved once again as to why their stage is my favourite stage at Coachella. With a unique crowd that vibes off one another’s positive energy, and a different lineup from Weekend One to Weekend Two of talented DJs and up-and-comers, this stage is well-worth discovering and walking over to in The Terrace. While the stage never ceases to impress with it’s pyrotechnics, acrobatic dancers and bumping beats, this year’s joy came from the energy of the artist painting on the live art wall. Anticipation for Sunday night’s surprise guest was growing throughout the crowd during Kraddy’s (incredible) set, until finally Diplo’s face appeared behind the decks being set up to takeover the stage. As the crowd grew, hordes of young electronic fans piling into the Do LaB tent, Walshy Fire picked up a microphone, and Jillionaire and Diplo started revving up the crowd in the background. Major Lazer hit the decks and, the artist hit the wall… The artist painting the live art wall had so much energy, whipping his brush on the wall to paint beautiful blue strokes and effectively creating the story of Major Lazer at Do LaB with each flick of the brush. He jumped to the music, swinging his arms in beat and flinging paint on fans nearby, with a huge grin on his face. It looked like he was loving every minute of what he is doing and where he was doing it.

4. Getting lost in Black Coffee’s Yuma set

I got yuma’d. It’s a thing. Especially during Black Coffee’s two-hour set. The struggle with the sandstorms was real Friday, and Yuma provided shelter from the dust and the wind, along with an epic set by Black Coffee. As much as you may go into Yuma with the intention of leaving after 45 minutes to go catch another artist, the energy, lack of windows, and the beauty of the disco ball shark have the power to suck you in for three times as long. While coming out of Yuma after two-hours of non-stop dancing can be a bit of a shock to the system, doing so during Black Coffee’s set was well worth it and he quickly became one of my favourite new discoveries of the weekend.

5. Water fights in the campgrounds

Camping at Coachella is not for everyone, and it is definitely not for the faint of heart. High winds this year tore down the majority of campers’ EZ-Ups on the first day of the festival, leaving many people without the much sought-after and needed shade for the rest of the weekend. Broken down metal pieces could be seen scattered around the campgrounds, looking like very large, damaged spiders. But camping at a festival, you learn to roll with the punches and make the best of any situation. The wind did not stop all weekend and neither did the party and the fun and games. One of my favourite moments camping at Coachella Weekend Two came during a (somewhat) spontaneous water fight. Armed with beers, a kiddie pool, and water guns, new friends hosted a water fight that provided lots of fun in the sun on Sunday afternoon, along with relief from the intense heat, quite a few nip slips, and fond new memories.

Music Festivals

Coachella

Every April in the heart of the Coachella Valley music lovers, neo-hippies, celebrities, and everyone in between gather together for a three-day festival celebrating music, arts, and culture.  The Coachella Music and Arts Festival is the be-all and end-all to festivals…think of it like a modern day Woodstock where legends are born with one perfect performance and spirits are set free under the star-filled desert sky.  

the basics

Location: Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
Dates: April 15-17 2016, April 22-24 2016

weekend 1

GA festival pass: $375
GA festival pass and 1 shuttle pass combo: $435

VIP festival pass: $899
VIP parking pass: $150

Car camping pass: $99
Tent camping pass: $99

Companion parking pass: $30

Lake Eldorado 2-person teepee and GA festival passes combo: $2350
Lake Eldorado 4-Person tent and GA festival passes combo: $3100

Lake Eldorado 2-person teepee and VIP festival passes combo: $3400
Lake Eldorado 4-person tent and VIP festival passes combo: $5200

Safari Tent 2-person: $7000

Any Line Anytime shuttle pass: $60
LAX airport shuttle pass: $50

weekend 2

GA festival pass: $375
GA festival pass and 1 shuttle pass combo: $435

VIP festival pass: $899
VIP parking pass: $150

Car camping pass: $99
Tent camping pass: $99

Companion parking pass: $30

Lake Eldorado 2-person teepee and GA festival passes combo: $2350
Lake Eldorado 4-Person tent and GA festival passes combo: $3100

Lake Eldorado 2-person teepee and VIP festival passes combo: $3400
Lake Eldorado 4-person tent and VIP festival passes combo: $5200

Safari Tent 2-person: $7000

Any Line Anytime shuttle pass: $60
LAX airport shuttle pass: $50

more info

coachella.com

Interviews

Speaking with Lucent Dossier Experience

With festival season upon us, Lucent Dossier Experience is making their rounds from festival to festival. For those who haven’t had the chance to experience this unique circus style performance, Lucent Dossier uses original music in conjunction with acrobatics, fire performance, aerials and circus arts to create a fully immersive, mind-blowing performance. The troupe maintains a strong presence on the Do Lab Stage every year at Coachella and has also been found in the past performing at Lightning in a Bottle, Symbiosis Gathering, BOOM Festival, Electric Picnic, Sonic Bloom, Shambhala and Burning Man.

In anticipation of their upcoming performance at Shambhala Music Festival in Salmo Valley, BC, The Nomadic Groove (NG) spoke with Dream Rockwell, the artistic director and a member of Lucent Dossier.

The Nomadic Groove (NG): For people who haven’t had the opportunity to experience Lucent Dossier, how would you describe the performances?

Dream Rockwell: We’re a permission slip to get wild, to free yourself. To create and live in beauty. We are acrobats, aerialists, dancers, singers, musicians and lovers of life. We are cracked wide open and proud of it. So you can crack yourself open and be proud open.

NG: What do you hope the audience feels and/ or takes away from the performances?

DR: That there is beauty in the cracks. That they are free to create and be who they want to be. Thank goodness for the cracked, for they let in the light.

NG: What is the troupe’s favourite festival to perform at and why?

DR: Wow. That’s a hard question. We love festival life. Big and small. Burning Man is our mother, Lightning in a Bottle our child, we love Electric Picnic in Ireland, BOOM in Portugal and our favourite Canadian festival is Shambhala.

NG: Does the troupe tailor performances based on where you are performing and who you are performing to?

DR: Yes we do. We really talk a lot about where we’re going and who will be attending. What type of stage we’re on. The environment. We love to reinvent ourselves and make new stuff.

NG: Where does the troupe get show ideas from and what does the creative process for creating a new routine entail?

DR: Everywhere, all of life. What we’re good at, what we’re inspired by, what we’re learning and what we want to share. Sometimes we’re just joking around with each other and something magical happens and we’re like… Oh we have to keep that. Sometimes someone makes a mistake and it’s so good we keep it.

NG: What is the dynamic between members?

DR: We’re a family. So it’s family style but with a twist of course. We know and have seen the very worst in each other but we hold in our hearts the very best of each other. We are all flawed and we are all perfect. We take care of each other. And we’re growing together. It’s not always easy but it’s a love affair for sure.

NG: What does the name Lucent Dossier mean and why did the troupe choose that?

DR: Lucent means ‘glowing light’ and dossier means ‘to collect or to keep a file of information.’ In this case, for us, it means we are collecting the most luminescent people in the world and keeping track of them, keeping them close. If you are with us, if you recognize us as your chosen family, then you are the light, you are lucent and we’re keeping you close.

Don’t forget to catch Lucent Dossier at Shambhala Music Festival in Salmo Valley, BC and again later this month at Burning Man for an awe-inspiring performance.

Music Festivals

Coachella Travel Guide

The Coachella Music and Arts Festival is held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. It’s in the middle of the desert, surrounded by palm trees sitting beneath the beautiful shadows of the Santa Rosa-San Jacinto Mountains.

Getting there     Where to stay     Camping     Sustenance    A Little Advice

California Bound

If you are flying in, the closest airport to the festival is Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), which is about a half hour drive from the grounds. However, flying in to the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and driving the two and a half hours to the festival will save you money on that connecting flight to PSP.

Coachella also provides shuttle buses to and from the airport for festival-goers. Rather than renting a car for the weekend, this economical and environmentally friendly option transports people to the camping grounds (if camping) or to one of the nearby hotels for $80. Round-trip transportation from LAX can be purchased here.

COACHELLA-travelmap

Coachella Bound

If you are driving to Coachella, the festival provides directions from San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Arizona, and Las Vegas for the quickest and easiest route.

Coachella strongly recommends carpooling and created the carpoolchella initiative with the help of Global Inheritance back in 2007 to help preserve the Coachella Valley and surrounding areas. Participating in this initiative opens up the possibility for you to win a variety of Coachella prizes including VIP tickets to the festival for life! So don’t be afraid to ask fellow festival-goers if they need a lift.

Where to stay

If you choose to stay in a hotel, the closest area of civilization to Coachella is Palm springs so you’ll have to book a hotel there and shuttle/cab/uber/hitch a ride to the grounds every day. Local shuttle passes are $50 and can be purchased in combination with a festival pass. A shuttle pass will give you unlimited transportation to and from the stop of your choosing. Shuttles run from 11 a.m. until one hour after the last artist performance of the night. If you are taking a taxi or uber to the festival, pickup and drop-off is near Avenue 49 and Monroe in lot 1C.

If you are driving to the festival every day from your hotel, airbnb, aunt’s house, Coachella does provide free parking at the grounds from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. It may be easier though to park in one of the side parking lots for $15-$40 and walk to the festival to avoid the traffic jam at the end of the night.

Camping

I strongly recommend you embrace the full Coachella experience and camp at the festival. For those of you inexperienced with Coachella camping… Don’t worry. It’s pretty simple.
COACHELLA-campgroundsmap

Car camping: A car camping pass is $85 and gives you a 10’x30′ spot that comfortably fits your car, a tent, and an area to entertain new friends for the entire weekend. Depending on where your camping spot is (first come first served), the festival gates are about a 15-25 minute walk. Only one car is permitted per spot and, if you and your crew have taken separate cars, you must enter the festival together to camp together.

Tent camping: If you are arriving to the festival via shuttle bus, taxi, uber, or carpool then the tent camping option is for you. Each spot is 10’x15′ and can be purchased with your festival ticket for $85. One overnight parking spot is provided with each tent camping ticket for you to leave your car if you did drive to the festival. Tent camping spots are in a grassy area beside car camping spots and are about the same distance to the festival gates.

Lake Eldorado camping: Set up surrounding Lake Eldorado (yes, an actual lake) a spot in one of the 2-person tee pees or 4-person tents starts at the price of $2,350 and increases from there. This option has extra perks and amenities (like private porto potties and flushable toilets), and has your home for the weekend ready to go for you by the time you arrive.

Safari tents: For the true glampers, Coachella’s safari tents are the ultimate in luxury. With air conditioning, private rest rooms and showers, breakfast, security and fully furnished “shakir style” tents that are set up for you by the time you have arrived, this option can be purchased at $7,000 for two people.

Camping do’s and don’ts

– Camping is 18+. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian
– The campgrounds open Thursday at 9 a.m. and close Monday at noon. Do yourself a favour and arrive as early as possible to avoid lineups.
– Each festival-goer camping must have their own valid festival pass
– Bring as normal a tent as possible (no branding or logos)
– You can bring food and beverage into the campgrounds to sustain yourself for the weekend.
– However DO NOT bring glass bottles. Glass bottles will be confiscated upon your search into the campgrounds.
– Leave your weapons, drugs and drug paraphernalia at home
– On that note… leave little Fido at home too
– And those tiki torches you have lying around
– And the fireworks.
– Free showers will be available
– Cellphone charger stations and an internet cafe with wifi can be found on the campgrounds
– And in case you forgot anything in your excitement, the campground’s general store carries everything you need; from band-aids and batteries to condoms and toothbrushes. Shuttle buses can also be taken to the nearest Wal-Mart everyday.

Sustenance

COACHELLA-grub2Coachella has food trucks with every kind of food imaginable. There are food trucks, makeshift restaurants, bars to buy alcoholic drinks at and water stations everywhere. Whether you are vegetarian, celiac, vegan, or meatatarian, Coachella has got you covered and will have you salivating over all the delicious options. However here’s the deal… Food is expensive at festivals and Coachella is no exception. Be prepared to spend at least $20-$40 on food per day.

The fresh watermelon is my favorite Coachella snack. For five dollars, you get a quarter of a melon that will refresh you and keep you hydrated throughout the day.

For those camping, there’s a farmer’s market in the campgrounds where you can get a delicious breakfast of fresh fruit, smoothies and coconuts, and coffee and pastries. Definitely don’t neglect the breakfast burritos though as they will overwhelm your tastebuds while giving you the sustenance you need to party longer with less strain on your wallet.

Wobbly-pops

COACHELLA-boozeWater is $2 a bottle and you will probably end up with heat stroke if you are not hydrating throughout the day… Especially if you are spending the day at the festival raging under the beating sun. At $2 a bottle, Coachella provides festival-goers with a reasonable price for water however, free water refill stations are located throughout the grounds. The line-up can be super long at these though so make sure to budget time waiting if you are choosing this refreshingly free option.

The official beer of Coachella is Heineken so anticipate drinking at least a keg’s worth. A regular beer is $7 and a tall boy is $9. If beer is not your style, basic high balls can be purchased for about $12.

A Little Advice

READ THE INSTRUCTIONS before putting on your wristband. Seriously people, if you mess that up you can kiss your perfect weekend goodbye. Any wristband that has been tampered with is voided. And don’t forget your wristbands at home! Kind of important…

Stop at Wal-Mart before driving into the campgrounds to stock up on ice, plenty of cases of water and a ton of snacks so you don’t have to waste your money once you’re at the grounds. While I do love Cheetos, protein bars and dried fruit are wonderful snacks for the weekend that will help keep your energy levels high.

COACHELLA-astronaut-courtGrab maps of the campsite and festival grounds and acquaint yourself with your surroundings. When you’re in an urgent rush to make it to a certain show or when you need to pee at 3 a.m. in the dark you will thank us.

Re-entry in the festival grounds between the campsite is allowed. It’s probably a good idea to take breaks in between your favourite artists to go back to your campsite and load up on sustenance.

Carry lots of cash. Don’t bring all the cash you own into the festival every day and make sure you lock up your belongings when you leave your campsite but don’t bother with the ATMs. The service fees are through the roof and the lineups are a waste of time.

It is possible to find your friends again if you’ve wandered off solo to check out the mojave tent while they jam inside yuma. A meeting spot with a set time can reunite you… And might be more reliable then your cell phone with the temperamental service in the festival grounds. Make sure you pick somewhere super unique and low-key though, like the popsicle stand beside the sahara tent… And indulge in one while you’re there.

The Coachella Valley is in the desert… Yes it is scorching during the day. But it does also get pretty chilly at night. Bring sweatpants, sweaters, beanies and blankets for your nighttime adventures.

Go with the flow! We definitely understand the desire to see certain acts but sometimes missing an artist to go on an adventure with a newfound Coachella soulmate is worth it.