Festivals

A Complete Guide to Coachella

Jan 25, 2023

·

Kristen Humphries

With 2022 in the rearview mirror, it’s time to get ready for a new year of iconic music festivals, and what better way to start than the biggest music festival in the world? Coachella brings over 200,000 festival-goers and A-List celebrities from around the globe for two weekends of superb music, over-the-top outfits and wild dance floors. 

Whether you’re a seasoned festival veteran or a newbie, Coachella will deliver memories that last a lifetime. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2023 Coachella event and how to purchase tickets.

What is Coachella?

The Coachella event is an all-ages music and arts festival that spans two weekends in the Indio desert, just two hours from Los Angeles, California. Dating back to 1999, Coachella is the first music festival ever to take place at the Empire Polo Club and has remained there since the inaugural event.  

Coachella made its mark among existing festivals by booking performers based on talent rather than radio popularity. Sure, you’ll still see the biggest names in the game performing, but Coachella makes it a point to bring on tons of upcoming artists. Their unique approach earned Coachella the nickname “the anti-Woodstock” of music festivals.

Contrary to what some might think, the Coachella experience is so much more than good music – it’s an entire vibe. I’m talking over-the-top costumes, impeccable energy, phenomenal food trucks, community camping set-ups, state-of-the-art firework shows and yoga with strangers. It’s safe to say there’s nothing like Coachella.

When is Coachella?

The Coachella Music Festival takes place during two 3-Day weekends in April. 

Coachella Weekend 1 will occur from Friday, April 14th, to Sunday, April 16th, 2023. Coachella Weekend 2 will follow immediately after, from Friday, April 21st to Sunday, April 23rd, 2023. 

Currently, there isn’t an official start time listed on Coachella’s website but based on previous years; we expect the gates to open around noon and close around 1:00am PT on Friday and Saturday and midnight on Sunday. 

If you plan to camp at Coachella, vehicle check-in is available on Thursday from 9:00am PT – Friday 2:00am PT; and Friday through Sunday from 9:00am PT to 8:00pm PT. 

How to get Coachella tickets?

As most of you know, Coachella pre-sale tickets went live on June 17th of this year, but that’s not to say it’s too late for you to get yours. When you head to Seat Geek’s official 2023 Coachella page, you will find links for available ticket packages and a helpful FAQ section.

To view and filter for the best ticket prices, first, select the event. In this case, you can choose from Coachella Camping, 3-Day Passes and Shuttle tickets for Weekend 1 or Weekend 2. 

After selecting the event, a list of ticket prices will display on the left and an interactive venue map to the right. We here at SeatGeek recommend utilizing the provided filters to find the best ticket prices. You can search by quantity, low prices, VIP or with fees included. 

If no tickets are available, you can “track” the event. Simply select “track,” log in or signup for Seat Geek and receive ticket updates straight to your inbox. If anything becomes available, you’ll be the first to know.  

_* [Apr 12 Fri · TBD

How much are Coachella tickets?

Now that you’re well-versed in buying Coachella 2023 tickets let’s discuss pricing specifics. In General, Coachella GA ticket prices for Weekend 1 and Weekend 2 start at $507.00, with an average price of $750.00. 

If you want to optimize your 2023 Coachella experience, you can purchase add-ons for your admission ticket. Add-ons include preferred parking passes, shuttle passes and lockers.

2023 Coachella VIP Packages

There are four VIP packages available to Coachella festival-goers. VIP prices and perks are listed below: 

  • Gold Deluxe: The Gold Deluxe VIP package costs $2,050.00 per ticket. It includes a 3-Day VIP admission festival ticket with access to VIP areas, private air-conditioned restrooms, shaded seating areas, a shuttle pass, custom-designed Coachella merch and $50.00 credit per day for food and beverages. 

  • Gold Fan: The Gold Fan package costs $1,855.00 and includes everything in the Gold Deluxe except the shuttle pass.

  • Silver Deluxe: The Silver Deluxe package costs $1,206.00 and includes a 3-Day GA festival ticket, a shuttle pass for the weekend, custom-designed Coachella merch and $50.00 credit each day for food and beverages.

  • Silver Fan: The Silver Fan package starts at $1,011.00 per ticket and includes everything in the Silver Deluxe package except the shuttle pass. 

2023 Coachella Camping

Coachella offers a few different camping options for its patrons. Here is a complete list of the camping options available for Coachella 2023. Remember that you will still need to purchase a Coachella ticket to camp on the festival grounds. 

  • Car Camping – $149.00 + Fees

  • Preferred Car Camping – $375.00 + Fees

  • Tent Camping – $149.00 + Fees 

  • Camping Companion Parking – $99.00 + Fees

  • Lake Eldorado Lodge + General Admission for 2 – $2,798.00 + Fees

  • Lake Eldorado Lodge + VIP for 2 – $3,938.00 + Fees

  • Lake Eldorado Tent + GA Admission for 4 – $3,796.00 + Fees

  • Lake Eldorado Tent + VIP for 4 – $6,076.00 + Fees

  • Safari Camping + Admission – $9,000.00 – $11,000.00 + Fees

What is the 2023 Coachella lineup?

There’s nothing more exciting than looking over a festival lineup and recognizing your favorite artists on the roster. Earlier this year, we saw performances from celebrities such as Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd

The 2023 Coachella lineup headliners are Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK and Frank Ocean. We’ll also see performances from Gorillaz, Burna Boy, Rosalia, boygenius, Kali Uchis and more. You can view the full Coachella lineup below and read our detailed article on the lineup here:

Ugh was stuck in drafts 🫠

Register now for access to passes at https://t.co/qujCsdlTip. Presale begins Friday, 1/13 at 11am PT. Very limited Weekend 1 passes remain. For your best chance at passes, look to Weekend 2. pic.twitter.com/5zMQ4dJZHq

— Coachella (@coachella) January 10, 2023

Tips and tricks for attending Coachella

Let’s face it, the best way to prepare for a music festival is to take advice from your predecessors. With Coachella spanning two weekends, there’s plenty of room for things to go wrong if you’re not prepared. To make matters more manageable, we’ve compiled the ultimate Coachella 2023 list of tips and tricks for festival attendees. 

Where can I find food and drinks at Coachella?

The Coachella festival is well known for bringing top restaurants worldwide to deliver high-quality food to festival-goers. Coachella’s food program brings a variety of snacks to the table, including vegan and gluten-free options. 

Coachella 2023 and Best Beverage Catering will have a plethora of specialty cocktails and craft beer selections for 21+ guests. You can expect to see new beverage tents pop up alongside returning favorites such as Wish You Were Beer, Block Party, The Cabin and more.

Does Coachella offer transportation?

Before Coachella hits, ensure you’re well-versed in the festival entrances, exits and transportation options. A few years ago, some friends of mine were separated when exiting the festival grounds, and it became an absolute nightmare. 

Many surrounding streets do not allow pedestrian access, making navigating to and from the festival pretty complicated. Between the closed roads, floods of people and the surge of Uber/Lyft arrivals, it took them three hours to find each other. 

The chaos is inevitable, but the stress doesn’t have to be. Here is everything you need to know about Coachella 2023 transportation. 

Pedestrian Crossing

There will be NO pedestrian access on Monroe (between Ave 49 and Ave 52) or Madison (between Ave 50 and Ave 52). To avoid making the same mistake as my friends, here is a list of available pedestrian access. 

  • Avenue 50 & Madison (Red Path)

  • Avenue 52 & Madison (Green Path)

  • Avenue 49 & Monroe (Yellow Path)

  • Avenue 52 & Monroe (Blue Path)

Pick-Up and Drop-Off

If you’re arriving on Thursday for Coachella camping, drop-off is located in Lot 2A Camping Companion Parking. From 10 Eastbound, exit Jefferson Street, continue to Indio Blvd, turn right at Jefferson Street, turn Left at Ave 50 and follow signs to Lot 2A on the left.

Festival pick-up and drop-off for Friday – Sunday will be located at Car Camping/Tool Booths (Lot 13) to Ave 52 and Madison. From the 10 Eastbound, exit at Jefferson Street, continue to Indio Blvd, turn right at Jefferson Street and follow signs to check-in lanes via Madison. 

Rideshares 

If you plan on taking a Rideshare to Coachella, there will be a stand at Ave 49 and Monroe Street open Friday – Sunday from 9:00am PT to 3:00am PT. There will be a yellow path to and from the festival, a shaded area, and a charging station while you wait for your ride. 

As mentioned earlier, Coachella brings over 200,000 guests, so it’s no surprise that waiting for an Uber or Lyft at the end of the night comes with a big waiting time. The line of rideshare vehicles is known to pile up for miles, leaving many tired festival goers waiting 2-3 hours for their ride home. 

Wait times will be the highest between 12:00am PT to 2:30am PT each night. 

Shuttles

Coachella 2023 will offer Any Line Shuttle passes for both weekends. The Any Line Shuttle service will depart from local hotels between 12:00pm PT and 8:00am PT on each day of the festival. Return shuttles will depart Coachella festival grounds one hour after the music ends each night.

LAX will also offer a shuttle pass for anyone traveling long and far to Coachella. LAX Shuttle Passes are $85 per weekend plus fees. The shuttle will take you to Coachella camping or one of the participating resorts listed on Coachella’s official page. 

What should I wear to Coachella?

If there’s one thing I love about music festivals, it’s the creative outfits. Fashionistas make it a point to create new, innovative outfits for each day of Coachella, making people-watching at the festival a top-tier activity. 

If this is your first time to Coachella and you’re not sure what to wear – we have you covered. While having a stylish fit is high on the priority list, your outfit also needs to be suitable for a lot of walking, dirt, sweat and unpredictable temperatures.

The Indio desert is scorching during the day, cold at night and often comes stacked with high winds. You can expect temperatures during the day to be anywhere between 80ºF and 115ºF/43ºC and fall to 50ºF/10ºC at night. 

We recommend wearing comfortable shoes and moisture-wicking materials that keep you cool during the day but warm in the evening. Bringing a light jacket or cover-up is an excellent idea if you tend to get cold. 

For all of my pasty friends, don’t forget sunscreen, a protective hat and sunglasses. I also recommend bringing a parasol for shade while you’re walking around. We already checked, and yes, parasols are allowed.  

Pro Tip: Bring a face mask or bandana to protect against potential dust storms.

Important Coachella 2023 FAQs 

Last but not least, before heading out to Coachella, we advise you read through the complete list of rules and festival expectations on their website. Here are some essential and not-so-obvious rules you should know: Wristbands are non-transferable once used, Coachella offers free water refill stations, plan a meet-up location with friends to prevent separation and most importantly, have fun!