Coachella: The ULTIMATE Guide

So, I finally made it to Coachella!! I never expected to go because it seemed extremely expensive and looked like one of those events that get sold out in 60 seconds.

So for Coachella 2018, my friends and I decided to actually attempt to attend. Months before Coachella, April 2018, tickets were available as a payment plan, which was great! Each general admission ticket turned out to be $504 each, and this ticket included a shuttle pass. At that point, we weren’t sure as a group whether we would stay at a nearby hotel, an Air BnB, or camp on-site. We got our passes mailed to us about a month before the festival took place.

Among the whirlwind of it all, I have decided to chronicle my experience as best that I could. My experiences are my own, and yours may vary! Despite my opinions on certain things, make sure you also do some of your own research and keep an open mind while attending!

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THE JOURNEY TO OUR CAMPSITE

From the information I gathered, car camping opened up at 9am but many people in the past years have started lining up several hours earlier. Here is my timeline (in a casual note format) as follows:

4:30am: Left from Riverside, Ca to meet up at McDonald’s off Washington Exit to meet up with group in order to be together in camp area

7:19am: In line on street outside of festival, no end in sight, trying not to get separated from our caravan of 4 total car

8:07am: In line in security portion, our line going extremely fast, RESULTS NOT TYPICAL…every line going at different speed based on how strict your security is

8:24am: Already past security

10:19: Been in the holding area for a long time now. Don’t get yourself boxed in! Area between security and the actual camping entrance is a nightmare because there was no real organization, at least in the morning when we were there. A bunch of random car lines were forming that weren’t actually going anywhere (dead ends). Stay towards the back to locate an actual moving line.

10:34am: MADE IT TO OUR CAMPING SPOT!

2:21pm: Took a couple hours to get comfy and set everything up. THE WIND WAS INSANE. Got in the way for sure. Ate ceviche, drank some beer, played Uno. Seems like it’s 8pm but it’s only the afternoon.

Among the 10 of us who ended up going, we purchased 4 car camping passes. Each pass was $113 each, and allowed us a place to park our car, and camp in tents right next to it. Each space was 10 feet by 30 feet.

Since we had 4 spots purchased, we parked in a square formation, with 2 cars on the left side and 2 cars on the right side. This allowed for our tents to be pitched directly behind the tail end of our cars, with the remaining space used for communal purposes. It’s where we put our pop-up dinner table, and our kitchen area.

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COACHELLA CAMP CULTURE

Our camping area was pretty amazing, I have to say. I am no expert camper, but we were very well prepared. We had easy-ups to shade us from the hot sun, spacious tents, air mattresses, tables, chairs, and a portable shower with a solar pouch to heat up the water. 

We also brought Spike Ball, cups and balls for beer pong, Uno, and a MegaBoom speaker. The only decorations we brought were some solar powered lantern lights. Other campers decorated their areas somewhat better with more lights, tapestries, rugs, and flags. But it seemed that most people did not focus too much on décor, from what I witnessed.

I tried to win a VIP pass in the “save the wildlife booth”  but only ended up winning a kid’s temporary tattoo.

After this, we explored the camp ground amenities. There was an Adidas sponsored area giving out free stuff, clothing vendors, food trucks, art and crafts area, and much more. It was part area to relax and mingle, and part area to buy overpriced food and clothing. From here, I actually won two pairs of Adidas shoes and a t -shirt! Every day, you can get a token (limited supply) which gives you things like free merchandise or a food voucher.

I went on to participate in the arts and crafts area, where I tried and failed at making a head wrap. I also made my own essential oil, a battery powered LED pin, a custom photo pin, and a failed photo wooden block. It was a great area to recharge and be creative. It’s best to go to this area in the morning when it’s not so crowded. I wasn’t able to go to other craft areas not mentioned.

The showers that Coachella provides often have extremely long lines, and you have to be strategic when using them. In the mornings, they open at 7am and you’ll want to wake up even earlier to stand in line for that. There are also 24-hour showers with virtually no wait time, but you had to pay a fee for that (I believe it was $10.)

Because of the long lines, I did not use the camp showers and instead used my portable shower. The other people I camped with used the real showers and claimed that they were spacious, hot, and worth the wait.

We had cooking equipment and utensils to make food everyday in order to save money. We made ceviche, pancakes, eggs, bacon, hamburgers, hot dogs, and things of that nature. Most entrees in the festival would cost about $15 or more and we did not want to break the bank just to eat. Beers in the festival would cost around $11 and mixed drinks would cost around $16. If you are camping, you are allowed to bring one pack of beer per person, so you don’t ever really need to buy drinks inside the venue. You can NOT bring glass bottles or drugs, FYI.

Want to keep your items cold all weekend long? DRY. ICE. Buy dry ice the day before, and line the bottom of your coolers with it. In order to make your dry ice last longer, wrap the individual pieces with newspaper. On the top of your dry ice, put a layer or two of regular ice. Then put your drinks and/or food on top of that. We bought dry ice at a grocery store and it was the last couple of bags in the whole store. You may have to drive around a bit, as many stores near Coachella will sell out the night before.

We brought 4 coolers total; one for beers, one for waters/juice, and two for food/condiments.

If you are camping, make sure you bring plenty of zip ties and stakes. Bring more than you think you’ll need! The weather was very windy, particularly the day that we set up camp, on Thursday. We were afraid that our camp would be blown away by the time we got back to our campsite after being out all day. There was actually a wind advisory saying that winds could reach 75 mph that day!! Thankfully, wind speeds went down to around 10 mph or less the rest of the weekend. Make sure you pay attention to the weather report, looking at the temperature and wind predictions.

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SECURITY

I was afraid to camp at Coachella for two reasons; security and sanitation. I did not like the idea of having all of my stuff out in the open while I was away at the festival. But in my experience, you don’t really have to worry about theft while camping. There are a lot of security walking around on foot, driving in carts, and riding on horses. Help is never too far away. The security is plentiful, and they are polite. A lot of them always had a smile on their face and although they were there to enforce rules, they did not seem mean or overbearing.

Of course, lock your valuables in your car, or better yet, don’t bring them at all. Your camping supplies will likely remain intact and in the same place that you left them when you come back. Everyone around you is in the same boat, so there’s an unspoken respect for others while there.

Introduce yourself to your neighbors since you will be next to them all weekend. You guys might need to share supplies or exchange food/drinks while there and you’ll feel a little more relaxed after you have broken the ice.

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SANITATION

Sanitation wise, there are port-a-potty’s everywhere, which I loathe. So make sure you bring toilet paper in case they run out as well as hand sanitizer, which is provided sometimes. Inside the venue, at the end of almost every port-a-potty section are portable bathrooms with real toilets and sinks. Many people don’t notice them at all, so I would walk to the back and take advantage. (You’ll see what I mean once you get there.)

As mentioned earlier, I brought a portable shower so I didn’t have to deal with lines. Camping or not, you will get dirty. I observed it the most in my face. I do an extensive 10-Step Korean Beauty routine, which was difficult to do while camping. I had to nix the oil-based cleanser since I had just gotten eyelash extensions, and I couldn’t do the routine at night due to my fatigue. When cleansing in the morning, skipping the face mask and exfoliator portions all weekend, I noticed the incredible amount of dirt/dust build up on my face. It was hard to remove, but I think the combination of my makeup remover wipes and my water-based foaming cleanser did the trick.

So to sum it up, bring hand sanitizer, makeup remover wipes, baby wipes, and toilet paper while out and about in order to feel as clean as possible.

 

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WEATHER

Let’s get a little deeper into the weather. Wind, heat, and cold are what you need to prepare for. With the wind, you have to, as mentioned earlier, account for camping supplies and set-ups possibly blowing away. But while in the festival, the wind may affect your lungs as well. When the wind speeds take off, dust starts swarming all around you. Personally, it did not affect me. I brought a rose bandana but never used it. BUT, I would advise you bring it just in case. If you are trying not to bring one just to look cute, I would reconsider that. When the wind picks up at night, nobody is going to see your outfit anyways. I would say that at least 50% of the people I walked by had a bandana on their face or around their necks.

During the day, while camping, tarps and easy-ups are a must. It will still be hot, but it’s important to block all direct sunlight if possible. In the festival in the daytime, temperatures will range roughly between 80-100 degrees Fahrenheit. Some people prefer to cover up in loose, breathable clothing. Some people like to wear as little as possible. You have to figure out what works for you. Bring sunscreen as well! Even if you are blessed with melanin, being out in the sun ALL day is harsh on your skin and you may burn. I would also suggest bringing some sort of After-Sun Aloe Gel in case you do get sun damage. Weekend One (April 13-15, 2018) Daytime Temperatures ranged from 87-92 degrees Fahrenheit.

Now for the cold. Yes, despite the images you see of carefree half-naked people frolicking in the heat with a giant Ferris wheel in the background, it does get cold. The festival goes until around 1am or so every night, and you can expect temperatures to drop drastically. Although this is the desert, it isn’t like Las Vegas summers at night, which can be 90 degrees or more. You should consider packing pants/jeans and a jacket. Keep it in your backpack or a locker, if you plan on renting one. Depending on how far your campsite is, you might not feel like walking back just to change. The first day, I wanted to be cute and only brought my light romper with no other clothes. Boy, did I regret that. By the time The Weeknd performed around midnight, I was freezing! If you are one of those people who like to crowd near the front of the stage, the people around you will keep you warm…but everyone else should come prepared. Weekend One (April 13-15, 2018) Nighttime Temperatures ranged from 45-56 degrees Fahrenheit.

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FOOD

In the camp area, during my time there, I purchased pizza, orange juice, and vegan popcorn chicken. All of items were great but, again, pricey. I did appreciate that the popcorn chicken was made by the only Black-owned vegan food truck, and I like to support Black-owned businesses whenever possible.

 

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CLOTHES

This section is VERY subjective!! I will cover what I personally wore and mention trends that I saw. The most important thing to consider is the weather, though. You will have to deal with wind, heat, and cold no matter what. If you bring layers with you, you will be fine.

Day 1 (Thursday)

Day 2 (Friday)

Day 3 (Saturday)

 

Day 4 (Sunday)

Here are the top trends I saw Coachella weekend:

• Thin sunglasses
  
• Fishnet, mesh, crochet or sheer clothing
  
• Body glitter
  
• Statement necklaces
  
• Braids
  
• Boots
  
• Rompers
  
• Floral
  
• Boho Style
  
• Athleisure Wear
  

The idea is to look put together, yet slightly undone. I hope this makes sense. The most overwhelming look I saw was the Boho look, but do whatever style comes natural to you! To save money, you can put together pieces you already own in a creative way. You can also go to a thrift store, which is what I did for one of my looks.

 

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WHAT I SAW

The following pictures show additional things I saw while at Coachella:

 

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WHO I SAW

I did not get to see EVERY artist I originally planned on seeing unfortunately, due to heat exhaustion and conflicting sets. The following pictures show who I managed to catch during this crazy weekend:

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BEYONCE

None of these pictures do Beyonce justice, so let’s just get that out of the way. But, she is the reason why I bought a Coachella ticket in the first place. I don’t know if I will ever witness a performance in my life that will top this one, no exaggeration!

 

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MOOD & VIBE

I have been to many festivals and concerts in my day. I felt like everything that I’ve been to so far had led up to this particular event. One, BECAUSE BEYONCE WAS PERFORMING! And two, Coachella has such a huge reputation. I never really looked into WHY I always wanted to go to Coachella, but it just seemed like one of those bucket-list events to attend.

Looking back, the allure seemed to be possible celeb-spottings, cool outfits, and special musical guest performances.  The “cool” factor seems to be the overarching theme of Coachella, over anything else.

Yes, there is an art component with huge art installations which are pretty cool, and opportunities to participate in arts and crafts. But a lot of that gets drowned out in the sea of selfies. Of any festival or event I have ever been to, Coachella is the most self-absorbed by far.

Besides the vanity factor, there was another thing that didn’t sit right with me. Everyone was so damn rude!! Ok, not everyone. I did meet some very nice people. But it’s often the negative that sticks out in people’s minds, and I’m no different. While camping, the vibe was chill and there were no bad encounters. But in the festival, it’s as if everyone forgot their manners and tried to act elitist. I compare it to being in a really snooty Hollywood club.

Now, this is just MY experience, and yours could be better or worse. What I described above is probably why people watching the music performances stream on YouTube noticed the lack of excitement in the crowd. When Coachella tickets go on sale, the lineup is not available yet. So, people who attend Coachella are not necessarily there to see a particular musician. They are there, just to be there.

 

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WOULD I GO BACK?

This is what I keep asking myself. Despite my negative take on the vibe of Coachella, there are two reasons why I would attend again. One, the camping. Besides Beyonce, camping with my friends was so much fun! To be able to camp there, and not have to constantly travel back and forth to a hotel was so convenient. My friends, a few of them I didn’t know prior to camping, made the experience comfortable and worthwhile. I also would go back to try the VIP experience. I think I would be even more comfortable if I had a VIP pass or an Artist Guest Pass. I would also consider camping in the Lake El Dorado area, which is the upgraded version of the general camping experience.

 

Have you ever been to Coachella? Tell me what YOUR experience was like, or if you ever plan to go, in the comments below!

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