Music lovers…if you haven’t yet been to the infamous Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival…what are you waiting for? Located at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, this annual festival is a two-weekend music and art extravaganza. The festival which takes place in April each year, was created by Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen in 1999, and is organized by their company Goldenvoice, a subsidiary of AEG Live.

Supernova by R&R Studios at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2018, image courtesy Goldenvoice

Due to the success of this festival, it has been extended for two weekends and offers an impressive musical lineup. Some of the past music headliners have included Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Jay Z, Madonna, the Cure, and many more. See Billboard’s ‘Best Coachella Performances Ever’ article with videos.

As usual, the visual art has exploded as well – attracting acclaimed installation artists such as local artists Phillip K Smith III, Sofia Enriquez, along with Milanese artist Eduardo Tresoldi (see front photo) Argentinian sculptors Roberto Behar and Rosario Marquardt of R&R Studios, Brazilian artist Gustavo Prado, New York artist Robert Bose (see front photo) and more.

View of Spectra Tower by NEWSUBSTANCE at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2018; image courtesy Goldenvoice

Coachella is a camping based event. The festival offers overnight car camping along with preferred car camping…it even has more exclusive high-end camping at Lake Eldorado (more my style). Of course it all depends on your budget. For a more private experience, check out the safari campgrounds. All of these options include festival passes. This may change from year to year…so always check the official website (below). Many people opt to stay at nearby hotels, but alas they fill up quickly. FYI – attendees are encouraged to carpool and come with an ample supply of patience as traffic is always expected.

If you are not a crowd lover, check the website to catch the whole event which will be live streamed from the comfort of your home. You know I’ll be enjoying this year’s live stream in bed with a glass of Pinot Noir. https://www.coachella.com/