Welcome to our live coverage of Day 1 of the 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Friday's headliner will be Lana Del Rey, but keep an eye out for Peso Pluma, who will be ahead of her on Coachella's biggest stage. Tyler, The Creator topped the bill Saturday night following No Doubt's long-awaited reunion. And Doja Cat closed out the festival on Sunday, headlining the festival for the first time.
The first weekend is sold out, but tickets are available for weekend two.
It's not just the big names that need attention. Friday's featured artists also include Justice, Limperatrice, Chapel Lawn, Deftones, Sabrina Carpenter, Young Miko, Suki Waterhouse and more. And with rumors circulating that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey are headed to Coachella, it will be interesting to see if Swift takes the stage with any of his friends to perform this weekend.
From fashion to Quasar's new stage to the best food, we'll bring you the latest news you can't watch livestream from home.
On Friday afternoon, check out The Times' Mikael Wood, August Brown, Vanessa Franco, Daniel Dorsey and Nate Jackson as they roam the festival grounds and report on all the action happening. .
Follow @latimes_entertainment on Instagram to see more from the scene.
2:25pm Good evening and look forward to Coachella! I've been covering this festival since 2007, and counting his two weekends a week, this will be his 25th for me.
When the gates opened at 1:20 p.m., a little later than the official opening time of 1:00 p.m., there was a loud cheer, but there was still a good atmosphere.
It seems like the opening hours on Friday are a little more crowded than usual. This weekend was packed, and he suspects the low-90 degree warmth may have caused some campers to get into the festival early from their tents.
The biggest change to this year's festival venue at Indio's Empire Polo Club is a significant expansion of the venue. I joked that Sahara Tent, which also grew, now has its own zip code. It's not that far, but it's along the blue parking road beyond the previous footprint. If you want to travel between the Sahara Desert and an outdoor theater, plan accordingly. It's a hike.
Also new in 2024 is Quasar Stage, located beyond the craft beer barn where Sahara was previously located. It's set for a long set from the DJ and doesn't start until later today.
I asked for a Coachella brochure at the information kiosk and was told they didn't have it and didn't expect it. This makes downloading the app even more important.
As far as art goes, there is less this year. Aside from the eternal Spectra Rainbow Tower and the iconic balloon chain, he only has three other large pieces. One is Babylon by Nevia, which looks like a large tower of gray rock and is not part of the usual colorful Coachella nature. However, Coachella's art always has a different feel at night, so take a look to see how it looks when the sun goes down.
— Vanessa Franco
2:30pm After first heading to the VIP Rose Garden, I had my first Coachella snack at the Craft Beer Barn. (Pro tip: The Rose Garden stall was still under construction when I arrived, so you might not want to make it your first stop unless you want Kazunori's hand rolls. The bar was full and there was a line as soon as the gates opened.
I ended up getting the Goat Mafia Birria Quesadilla. The piping hot consommé and juicy goat birria melted with the melted cheese, and it was ready in no time. Afterwards, I crawled into my cabin for a cool craft cocktail to combat the harsh desert sun.
— Daniel Dorsey
4:40pm Walking through Coachella in the high afternoon sun, I felt a sense of resemblance to the scene in The Lion King where Simba is banished from Pride Rock by Scar, collapses in the desert from dehydration, and is rescued by Timon and Pumba. I feel like it is. But while trekking from the VIP area of 12 Peaks to the VIP Rose Garden, I discovered this Coachella hack. Smash through the basement speakeasy in the back corner of the Pies and Lowes pizza pop-up (you might order a drink in the dark) and find your way out at the air-conditioned, if slightly claustrophobic, bar. Before – Dealer's Choice), spit you out at the Craft Beer Barn. A password is required to enter the hidden bar. I was sworn to secrecy, but I'll give you a little hint. When Amanda Seyfried attended the camp.
—D.D.
5:27pm I went to Coachella and entered some kind of time warp. As well as Deftones, Blur, No Doubt and Sublime on the schedule, there were plenty of throwbacks as we crossed the field this afternoon. When I stopped at an underground bootlegger to cool off, surrounded by black-lit posters of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Cheech & Chong, I heard the Toadies' “Possum Kingdom” and Ice Cube's “It”. “Was a Good Day” and Fatboy Slim songs were heard. “Praise you.” Then, as I walked by the outdoor theater, Fundido was playing Toni Braxton's “Un-Break My Heart,” followed by Celine Dion's house remix. I'm not mad about that. —VF
5:31pm Punishment is a word! Maybe we're all too accustomed to the new reality of rain in LA, but the polo field feels especially hot right now, knowing what's changed and what hasn't changed at Coachella. Beyond the setting sun, what I'm looking forward to tonight are Deftones, Chapel Lawn, and Lana Del Rey. You can imagine their headline set as either a bare-bones singer-songwriter session or a full-fledged pop spectacle. we will see. — M.W.
6 pm French disco pop act L'Amperatrice threw us a dance party. It was the dance party I needed to recharge and get ready for the first night of Coachella.
The band, who are releasing an album called Pulsar, gave a Fifth Element/sci-fi vibe and appeared in matching light blue outfits complete with glowing discs.
“Peur des filles” was an early highlight before the band led the crowd through the synchronized choreography of “Voodoo?” We all had a fun and funky time. —VF