Located in the middle of the desert, 102 degree weather, and thousands of people each day, Coachella Music and Arts Festival holds its place as the number one music festival in the United States. Countless social media posts each year glorifying the event and the endless feeling of FOMO, I had to go see what this insane festival is for myself.
Day 1- On the first day of the festival, there was so much to see. Majority of the artists that are popular usually perform after 5 pm. So, during the day, the best thing to do is visit all of the pop-ups that are brought in by many different brands. Personally, the best pop-up was the Cactus Jack village. Free Vetements tattoos, Nike crossbar soccer challenge, FOX photobooth and many merchandise items available for sale made the pop-up ultimately one of the best pop-ups at the festival. Likewise, brands such as Method, International Delight, Buldak, Sol de Janiero, and Hi-Chew had fun interactive pop-ups (with AC) that made my stay at Coachella experience worth it. After visiting all the fun pop-ups, it was time for all the shows to begin. At the Mojave stage, the popular band, Djo, performed many hits and really brought the energy for being my first show at Coachella. Finally, at 8 pm, it was time to see the beautiful Maria perform with her band, The Marias. Her performance was so incredible and full of so much emotion. To end the night, the marvelous Lady Gaga closed at the Coachella main stage and truly put on a show. Not only did she have amazing visuals, but she truly brought the energy with her dances and costumes. To sum up, my first day was a success and full of so much excitement. I was eager to sleep and ready for day 2.
Day 2- Like Friday, Day 1, there is not much to see from 1pm-5pm. Of course, more visits to the merchandise and brand pop-ups were necessary to kill some time in between sets. Finally, at 6:30 pm it was time to see 2hollis. Fortunately, we managed to run over quickly and we were able to be in the front. The show was full of energy and excitement, so much dancing, and insane mosh pits. It was so exciting to see one of my favorite artists up so close and to see my parents have so much fun. After 2hollis ended, I rushed over to see Charli XCX. She put on an amazing show playing all of her hit songs, but truly brought energy with all of her surprise guests. It was so exciting to see her bring out Lorde, Troye Sivan and Billie Eilish. Truly astonishing! After Charli’s set, it was time to see the charming Clairo. To open up Clairo’s set, US politician Bernie Sanders opened up with a speech that was worth appreciating. Charming the crowd, Clairo played all of her soft ballads and lit up the stage with beauty. Finally, at 11 pm, it was the time I had been waiting for- Travis Scott. As the music started, I found myself shifting forward closer and closer to see him. Finally, I was at a point in which I could visibly see him on the stage. Immediately excitement took over me and my dream of seeing him live came true. He put on an amazing performance (although many do not agree) and performed new music which was very thrilling. With so many great visuals and stage design, Travis’s set was the best. Ending the night with his set truly made my night and of course was an unforgettable way to end the night.
Day 3- On day 3, one of my favorite Mexican artists, Junior H was set to perform at 7 pm. Rushing over to the Coachella main stage, I was able to manage to be in the front for his performance. The stage visuals were absolutely stunning and of course, his performance was great. When the crowd had thought Junior was done performing, he surprised us all with two of the most popular and best surprise guests- Tito Double P and Peso Pluma. The crowd was thrilled. Junior H’s set was truly one of the best. Additionally, after that set, I rushed over to see the astounding Arca. I was so lucky to have been in the front to see her. She was stunning on stage and performed all of her best hits. As her surprise guests, she brought out Takisha and Addison Rae. The set was energetic and truly memorable. Afterwards, I ran over to catch the last 10 minutes of Zedd’s performance. It was magnificent to have been able to catch his hit song “Clarity”. Finally, to end my Coachella experience, I saw Post Malone. He had an amazing performance. He truly brought all of his energy and performed so well.
After 3 magnificent days, I was able to see what Coachella truly is and why it is so popular. My experience was positive and I would definitely rate it a 10/10. There is so much to see, experience and of course enjoy. I hope to be back in the desert next year and experience this festival year after year.