by ALANA REYES
SECTION EDITOR
If you noticed less congestion on L.A. freeways over the past few weekends, it’s likely due to the annual migration to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which concluded on April 21. Held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Coachella featured an impressive lineup of live music across eight main stages and two DJ spaces.
This year’s headliners included Lana Del Rey, Tyler, the Creator, and Doja Cat, with notable performances from Ice Spice, John Summit, and Sabrina Carpenter. The festival was further highlighted by surprise guest appearances from Justin Bieber, Will Smith, Lauryn Hill, Olivia Rodrigo, Dominic Fike, and Mac DeMarco.
Tyler, the Creator’s set during Weekend 1 was particularly memorable, featuring surprise performances from Childish Gambino, A$AP Rocky, Kali Uchis, and Charlie Wilson on the main Coachella Stage. Lana Del Rey’s set on Weekend 2 ran 13 minutes late, extending past the 1 a.m. curfew agreed upon with the city of Indio, resulting in a $28,000 fine. Despite the fine, her performance received strong support, especially with guest appearances by Billie Eilish and Camila Cabello.
Fashion at Coachella remains a key part of the experience. This year’s trend featured “see-through” outfits, sheer and lace pieces, along with Western-style boots and pashmina scarves. Senior Susan Cho, who attended with Galusha, noted the enjoyment of seeing others’ outfits, despite the challenge of seeing them clearly after dark.
Following Coachella, the Empire Polo Club hosted the annual country music festival, Stagecoach. As a first-time attendee, I found Coachella lived up to its impressive reputation. Until next time, Indio!
Grimes’ Weekend 1 performance faced technical difficulties, causing frequent pauses between songs. Despite these issues, the audience remained engaged, though Grimes expressed frustration about her math skills during the set. She later apologized on X (formerly known as Twitter) and returned for Weekend 2 with a flawless performance, beginning with a satirical video addressing her previous difficulties.
Weekend 2 also saw high anticipation for Kid Cudi, who was added to the lineup last minute. However, his performance ended early after a failed attempt to jump off the Sahara Tent stage, resulting in a broken foot. Kid Cudi announced he would cancel his upcoming tour to recover, leading to fan disappointment and anger on social media.
Ticket sales for Coachella experienced a notable dip this year, with a 14-17% decrease compared to last year. Approximately 80% of the 250,000 tickets were sold, despite claims of sell-outs for both weekends. On a positive note, arrests at the festival were down by 20% from the previous year.
Senior Graham Galusha, who attended Weekend 1, appreciated the manageable lines and overall experience, stating, “It was a much better experience than I thought it would be without the overwhelming crowds. I don’t remember waiting more than 15 minutes for food.”
Celebrities including Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, Rihanna, Robert Pattinson, Jeff Bezos, Paris Hilton, and Barry Keoghan were spotted enjoying the festival alongside the general attendees.
The Mainsheet 