Coachella is a music and arts festival that brings together 250,000 people each spring. Taking place in Coachella Valley, Calif., this massive party grosses more than $100 million.
But you might think twice about camping at the festival. Keep reading to find out why I will never camp at Coachella again.
What Kinds of Camping Are Allowed at Coachella?
Camping options at Coachella include staying in your own tent or car, booking one of the festival’s tents or lodges, or staying at Safari Campground in a tent or yurt. Most people do tent or car camping, as it’s the most budget-friendly option.
The festival’s Safari Campground has furnished tents and yurts to rent. They include guest passes for two people with the option to add more guests.
Or you can stay in a tent or lodge at the festival’s Lake Eldorado. These accommodations have cots, bedding, toilets, and showers.
How Much Does It Cost to Camp at Coachella?
You will need to purchase a camping pass along with your festival ticket. Camping passes start at $102 for tent and car camping. You’ll also need to pay TOT (transient occupancy tax) and other fees, such as a $10 convenience fee. There are also preferred car camping options that provide you with a reserved site near the venue entrance. Preferred camping is $266 plus fees.
The Safari Campground’s rates start at $7,500 per weekend for a furnished tent or yurt. And Lake Eldorado’s tents and lodges start at $2,331 plus fees.
Why I Would Never Camp at Coachella Again
Besides the high prices and close quarters, there are five other main reasons I’ll never camp at Coachella again. Take a look.
Coachella is in the desert, and it’s in a windy valley. Therefore, sand gets everywhere. Literally everywhere! From people walking around to vehicles moving about, the sand gets kicked up and flies into everything.
Attendees often have to wear a bandana or mask around their faces to keep from breathing in the vast amount of sand and dust. It took me days to get all of the sand out of my camping gear, clothes, food, and vehicle.
No Escape From the Heat
The heat is intense in Coachella Valley in the spring when the festival takes place. Imagine being in the desert heat for a weekend with 250,000 of your “closest friends.”
On top of the sun’s heat, you’re at a music festival, so you’re dancing and moving around a lot. And when you’re tent or car camping, you’re stuck sweating through any sleep you manage to get.
Your Stuff Can Walk Away
Camping at a large festival, unfortunately, leaves your possessions at risk. Theft is quite common at Coachella or any other event its size. Some of it is premeditated, while other times might be a drunken mishap.
Either way, don’t think your belongings are secure when camping at Coachella. If you do camp at the festival, I highly recommend only bringing the things you need and leaving any valuable gear at home.
You’re Exposed to the Weather
As I mentioned, the heat and wind can be intense in Coachella Valley. While camping at the festival, there’s little you can do to get away from the weather.
Tents and cars sit close together in the designated camping areas, and if there’s inclement weather, that’s all you have. Plus, vehicles must stay on the festival grounds for the entire weekend.
Packing Up After Partying Is Awful
Coachella is one big party! And packing up your campsite after you’ve partied hard for a weekend is awful. The last thing I want to do is to clean up and travel at a designated check-out time.
Staying at a campground off-site from the festival that I had booked for a couple of days post-Coachella would have been my preferred option, looking back. I could have taken an Uber back to the campground and slept off the partying without having to pack up as soon as the festival concluded.
Do They Allow RV Camping at Coachella?
The only vehicles allowed to camp at Coachella are passenger cars, trucks, and vans. So you could get in with a camper van, but not an RV or bus. There simply isn’t enough space to accommodate anything larger than a van.
What Are Other Lodging Options at Coachella?
You can stay in the Safari Campground or at Lake Eldorado if you don’t want to bring your tent or car. But there are also plenty of options outside of the festival grounds.
There are several campgrounds and RV resorts in the Coachella Valley area. You can even find some boondocking spots on BLM land near the south entrance of Joshua Tree National Park, which is a short distance from the festival.
In addition, there are numerous hotels in the area. However, you’ll need to book well in advance to get a room during Coachella. Airbnb and other vacation rentals are also plentiful in the Indio and Palm Springs area.
Is Camping at Coachella Worth Trying?
In my opinion, it’s not worth it. But if it’s a bucket list item for you, I say go for it. My recommendation would be to book a campground nearby for when you have to leave the festival grounds so that you can sleep off all that partying.
Attending Coachella is a fantastic opportunity. It’s fun, energizing, and an all-around good time. If you have a chance to score tickets, I highly recommend attending.
But I would skip camping at Coachella until you see what it’s like for yourself. You could always try camping at the festival the following year if it looks appealing to you.
Would you ever camp at Coachella?
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Of course, the primary symptom of festival flu is Coachella cough. This may occur as the lungs tend to dry out in the desert air, which can take a few days to rehydrate. Failure to stay hydrated and drinking too much alcohol while at the festival will compound this problem. You may also suffer nasal congestion.
Each tent camping spot comes with one overnight parking spot to leave your car across the street. Camp in a spot closest to the festival, a.k.a. “preferred camping” ($375 + fees). The first 15 to 20 rows of the coveted Lot 8 are reserved for preferred camping, putting you closest to the entrance of the festival.
Is Camping at Coachella Worth Trying? In my opinion, it's not worth it. But if it's a bucket list item for you, I say go for it. My recommendation would be to book a campground nearby for when you have to leave the festival grounds so that you can sleep off all that partying.
The yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, is an invasive mosquito species in the Coachella Valley and is capable of transmitting serious viruses, such as chikungunya, dengue, yellow fever, and Zika. It was first detected in the valley in 2016.
According to Respiratory Therapy Zone, "Coachella cough is a condition brought on by exposure to large crowds and dusty conditions. It's similar to a regular cold or the flu but is directly related to being close to large groups, such as at a concert or festival."
No camping or sleeping in your car. Check-in Thu 9am-2am; Fri-Sun 9am-8pm. If you need to leave Camping Companion Parking prior to 2am on any night, you must do so before 9pm on Fri/Sat and 11pm on Sun.
If you want to get the full Coachella Music Festival experience, camping on the festival grounds is the way to go. However, pitching a tent for the star-studded, music-filled weekend is easier said than done.
While pitching a tent may sound gritty, Coachella offers many amenities that are available for campers to use throughout the festival such as showers, free Wifi and charging stations, portable restroom facilities, medical aid, and even a general store.
A: While the Coachella Festival is all-ages, our partnering hotels do have age restrictions. For most hotels, you must be 18+ to check-in while your guests can be under 18.
In conclusion, Coachella, California, offers a quality of life that's hard to beat. From its year-round outdoor recreation opportunities to its vibrant culinary and arts scenes, there's something for everyone here. The city's sense of community and affordable cost of living make it an excellent place to call home.
Within 30 miles of the festival, the available rooms average $473, about 75% over the average last year of $270 a night, according to TripAdvisor. “Hoteliers are naturally raising rates for that event,” said Lynn Mohrfeld, president of the California Hotel and Lodging Assn. “That's simple supply and demand.”
Yes, food and alcohol at Coachella are expensive. If you are camping on-site, the good news is you can bring food and drink with you in your vehicle (other than glass bottles) and save a lot of money by eating most of your meals there. However, you are not allowed to bring alcohol into the festival itself.
This year, Coachella attendees will spend at least $399 for basic admission for each weekend of the festival. The event spans two weekends, April 15-17 and April 22-24. Tickets to the festival have steadily climbed over the 17-year history of the event.
Seed bugs are small black bugs with red trim are from the families of insects called Lygaeida (lie-gee-a-dee) commonly referred to as seed bugs. They are found throughout the western United States, most commonly in desert areas of Arizona, Nevada, Texas, and southern California.
Japanese encephalitis virus is spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. Most people who get infected experience mild or no symptoms. In people who develop severe disease, early symptoms include fever, headache, and vomiting. These symptoms may be followed by disorientation, coma, and seizures.
Japanese encephalitis is a serious disease caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Humans can catch JEV if they are bitten by infected mosquitoes. Only about 1 out of 100 people who catch JEV will experience symptoms.
Sinus rinses, such as a Neti pot, can help clear out nasal passages, and nasal steroid sprays, like Flonase and Nasacort, can be "really helpful with targeting the post-nasal drainage that can then potentiate some of these symptoms," he said. Getting plenty of rest and staying well hydrated are also key to recovery.
While you'll be sweating in the sun in the daytime, remember that Coachella is in the desert, aka it'll get really cold at night. While you may think the crowd will protect you from the cold and you'll be fine in your little summer outfit, when you're waiting in line to get back hold, you'll wish you brought a jacket.
The benefits to staying on the grounds are that you can easily walk back and forth from the venue to your tent/car to grab things you might've forgotten, or to take a nap in the middle of the day if the next artist you want to see is on in a couple hours.
NO Advanced First Aid Kits* (including, but not limited to, hemostatic gauze or powder, tourniquets, compression bandages, decompression needles, or chest seals)
No, it's not safe to sleep in your car with the engine running. Leaving your car engine turned on while sleeping could lead to dangerous exhaust fumes containing carbon monoxide entering the vehicle.
Director of Festival Waste Reclamation & Distribution, Matt Wedge, said up to 90% of tents left at festivals end up in landfill or an incinerator, despite some festivals advertising that they donate abandoned tents to charity.
Aluminet shade technology will provide the camping shade needed to deflect heat, allow for proper airflow, and protect your tent from direct sunlight. Bring a cooler and buy some ice before you set up camp. A bowl of ice positioned in front of a battery-powered fan can do wonders for keeping your tent cool.
According to the Coachella website, you can have a backpack “no bigger than 18” x 13” x 8.5” when fully packed.” We recommend doing a test run with all your items inside the bag, just to make sure it fits those specs.
Are ins and outs (re-entry) allowed at Coachella? Re-entry is allowed at Coachella, as long as you scan out, you should be able to scan in with no issues.
Coachella does not allow large RVs or trailers in the campground. But you can bring a van, VW bus or SUV and make it your decorative hangout. Each campsite at the Coachella campground measures 10×30 feet, so there is actually a lot of room to spread out.
No, you can not bring water into Coachella. You can, however, bring in an empty water bottle (non-metal) or Camelbak and fill them up at a water refilling station for free. Bottles are also available and have been the same price since 1999 – $2.
Key Takeaways. Coachella fashion includes flowy dresses, one-piece floral outfits, shorts, miniskirts, and everything that is Bohemian and chic. Since the event takes place in the middle of a desert, it is advisable to wear soft, breathable, and comfortable clothes. Linen and cotton are good choices.
Symptoms can include cough, congestion and other flu-like symptoms. These symptoms come on a few days after someone attends a festival, and typically last about a week. If they persist for a longer period of time, people are advised to contact a health care professional.
Lynn Marie Morski told People that HerpAlert saw a spike in people seeking a herpes diagnosis after Coachella began. Usually, HerpAlert handles about 12 diagnoses per day, but during the first two days of Coachella, they received almost 250 inquiries, Dr. Morski said.
Festival flu is a common term used by doctors to describe the illness that one develops after a weekend gathering of tens of thousands of people for a music or a cultural or film festival.
"It's usually not a specific illness but a combination of lack of sleep, lack of nutrition screaming, shouting and dehydration," said Cedric "Jamie" Rutland, M.D., a pulmonary and critical care medicine physician and Lung Association spokesperson.
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