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<\/p>\nWhether you\u2019re a festival aficionado, a part-time raver or a newbie to the music scene, there\u2019s no doubt you\u2019ve heard of Coachella – and you probably have it on your bucket list.<\/p>\n
With past headliners like Beyonc\u00e9, Eminem and Radiohead, and this year\u2019s line-up including Tame Impala, Ariana Grande and Childish Gambino, the pre-Coachella FOMO hits us every year around this time. If you\u2019re lucky enough to have a coveted wristband for 2019, or if the desert fiesta is in your five-year plan, these ultimate Coachella tips will help you survive and thrive during the best weekend of your life.<\/p>\n
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\ud83d\udcf7\u00a0@andrewruiz<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n First up, you gotta choose a weekend, and both weekends have their benefits. The first weekend will be packed with surprises from set-lists and stage set ups to the hottest celebs wanting to be snapped by the paps, if that\u2019s what you\u2019re into.<\/p>\n I\u2019m a Second-Weekend-Warrior\u2122 and I\u2019ll tell you why. As well as any first weekend technical kinks being ironed out, the second weekend festival-goers can learn from their predecessors\u2019 mistakes in terms of the logistics of where to go and when, which smaller artists are worth seeing, and what food trucks are serving up the best bites (see tip #6 for that one.) Or, as our little friend from the Old El Paso taco ad said, why don\u2019t we have both?<\/p>\n With your choice of weekend scribbled into your calendar (it should probably say \u2018best three days of my life\u2019), it\u2019s time to gather your friends and figure out where to stay. Coachella offers camping passes (with and without a car space) and sleeping in a tent at the festival is definitely a part of the authentic Coachella experience.<\/p>\n It\u2019ll set you back about $125USD for a camp pass that gets you a camping spot for as many people as you can fit, as well as your car, so it\u2019s absolutely the best bang for your buck in terms of accommodation options. We\u2019ll talk more about how to survive tent life further down the page.<\/p>\n If you fancy yourself as a bit of a flashpacker, or if you\u2019ve recently come into an unexpected windfall of cash, Lake Eldorado is the onsite teepee glamping set up A.K.A the tent city of dreams.<\/p>\n It\u2019ll cost about $2500USD for two people in a teepee or $3300 for a four-person tent BUT that includes festival passes (worth $475 each), parking and your accommodation for the whole weekend, so it ends up being reasonably cost-effective. Lake Eldorado is an exclusive members-only area with all the luxuries, like flushing toilets, a free WiFi tent, charging stations, a general store and supermarket shuttles. Sounds like paradise!<\/p>\n While desert camping is an awesome experience, some people do prefer a roof over their heads, air con and an actual mattress. There are plenty of hotels and apartments for rent in suburbs near the Empire Polo Club, like La Quinta, Palm Springs, Indio and Indian Wells.<\/p>\n You can book a shuttle pass in advance and that\u2019ll get you to and from the festival from any of the main hotels in the area, as Uber will be on surge pricing the whole weekend.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7\u00a0@ericjamesward<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n If you\u2019re driving, be sure to prepare your car and fellow road-trippers for Carpoolchella! Every year Coachella works with Global Inheritance, a non-profit focused on creativity and empowerment, to run a carpool competition for cars with four or more people to win lifetime passes to the festival.<\/p>\n Just make sure you\u2019ve got at least three other car buddies, spruce up your vehicle with colours and patterns, make sure \u2018CARPOOLCHELLA\u2019 is easily visible on your car and you\u2019ll be in to win the grand prize or loads of smaller goodies like VIP upgrades, merch vouchers and all access passes.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s talk about food! While festival food is famous for being sloppy, unhealthy and expensive, Coachella\u2019s a whole other story. From cult-classic food trucks to all-American chains, vegan hot spots to the famous Tiki bar, the food and beverage scene is pretty much a festival in itself.<\/p>\n The full food line-up is yet to be announced, but it\u2019ll include trucks scattered around the fields, plus the Indio Central Market which is home to 15 restaurant stalls, pop-up eateries and more. Don\u2019t miss Backyard Bowls\u2019 breakfast smoothie bowls, burgers from Cassell\u2019s Hamburgers and ice cream tacos from Sweet Rolled Tacos. Yes, I just said ice cream tacos.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7\u00a0@_jillianrogers<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n If you\u2019re camping, you can save some dosh by being smart about the food and drink you bring in. If you\u2019re over 21 you can have one case of beer cans or one box of wine per person, but no glass and no spirits are allowed. You can bring any food in without limits, and car camping spots can have one small propane cooker per spot provided you follow all the rules (found here<\/a>). Cookers aren\u2019t allowed in tent camping spots or Lake Eldorado.<\/p>\n A good Coachella food survival kit would be: Gatorade, coconut water, water bottles (non-metal if you want to take it into the festival), muesli bars, nuts, fruit, bread, sandwich fillings, and maybe bacon and eggs if you have a cooker. You\u2019ll probably find that you\u2019ll have breakfast at the tent, snacks during the day and find dinner from a food truck when you\u2019ve got a music break.<\/p>\n There are also general stores in the camping grounds, so if you run out of any necessities you\u2019ll have easy access to stock back up.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s be real for a moment: camping with multiple people in small tents where morning temperatures reach the mid-30s can be\u2026 testing. Here are a couple of things that might save your friendship, and your sanity.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7\u00a0@bobbystevenson<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The campground has free showers in various lots, some are 24 hours and some are open between 7am and 2pm, then again from 8pm to 2am. The latter are cleaner, but also have longer lines. I can\u2019t stress enough how worthwhile it is to wait in the shower line when they first open at 7am after being cleaned, when you\u2019ve just woken up in a 50\u00b0 tent and have a thick layer of dust all over your body. I queued for an hour and a half for a five-minute rinse, but it was hands down the best shower of my life.<\/p>\n The festival itself does have pretty strict rules about what you can bring inside, but most of it is common sense. No professional cameras (any with detachable lenses), no drones, no drugs, no chairs, no metal or aluminium water bottles, no aerosol cans, no selfie sticks, no signs and no large blankets are allowed.<\/p>\n You CAN (and should) bring GoPros, empty non-metal water bottles (there are refill stations), portable battery chargers, CamelBaks, medium-sized backpacks, small blankets and beach towels, hats, bandanas and wet wipes.<\/p>\n Coachella is home to a main stage, an outdoor theatre and five tents with various artists and events on all day and night. To make the most of the weekend you really need to figure out who you want to see, and the best route to make that happen. This is where being a second-weekender comes in handy \u2013 get advice from some weekend one veterans who learned the hard way.<\/p>\n You can\u2019t go to Coachella without riding Le Grande Wheel at least once, if only for the view of the insane crowds and festival grounds. Bonus points if you can do it at sunset for the best photo opp!<\/p>\n Pro tip: if you\u2019re planning on flashing the festival-goers from the top of the wheel, or doing anything else *ahem* inappropriate (trust me, at Coachella anything goes), just know that people in the booths either side of you can see you quiiiite clearly.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7\u00a0@domcarver<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n At a desert festival with over 100,000 people you just can\u2019t rely on mobile phone signal to have your back. If you\u2019re with a bunch of people, always have a couple of emergency meeting spots and times planned throughout the day and night between big acts. Be specific (\u201cmeet outside the taco truck\u201d doesn\u2019t help when there are ten different taco trucks) and make sure everyone writes the time and place on their hand, just in case they get into a situation where a stranger or security has to help them out.<\/p>\n Coachella is an epic place regardless of what you\u2019re eating, drinking or smoking. Know the rules, be prepared for the consequences of your actions and don\u2019t go overboard enough to hurt yourself or others, or forget the entire experience even happened. Do you know what\u2019s less fun than waking up in a 50\u00b0 tent? Doing that with a killer hangover.<\/p>\n The medical tents are all prepped for any type of injury or illness, and they\u2019re there to help you feel better if you\u2019re not doing great. Don\u2019t be afraid to pay a visit if you or a friend need them, and be honest with the medics about any substances you\u2019ve had throughout the night.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7 @poisonaivy<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The festival is so much more than the world\u2019s biggest artists performing on massive stages \u2013 there are plenty of art installations, chill out spaces and events for you to check out too. From sunrise yoga and silent discos to DIY tie-dye stalls and art classes, there\u2019s literally something for everyone. Events each year are announced in the festival guide and on the Coachella app.<\/p>\n .One of the most talked-about aspects of Coachella is what everyone\u2019s wearing, and it\u2019s become THE place for celebs, influencers and your local fashionistas to show off their threads. You\u2019ll see everything from boho to Soho, cowboy to space-inspired, 90s matching tracksuits to 70s hippie couture, or maybe even just full body-paint. Basically just do you, but make sure it\u2019s with comfortable footwear.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7\u00a0@globelet<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Be smart about sun and heat protection as soon as the festival kicks off. Take a hat, a non-metal water bottle, sunnies, sunblock and chapstick everywhere you go, and stay hydrated throughout the day. Expect temps of up to 35\u00b0 during the day, hotter air in the tents, and lows of between 13 and 17 at night, which might require a light jacket if you\u2019re out in the open. Heatstroke and sunstroke are real party-poopers so don\u2019t underestimate the effect that the temperature can have on you, and again, use the medical tents if you need them<\/p>\n There are lockers available on site that you can pre-purchase for the three days. If you\u2019re camping then it\u2019s best to leave stuff at your campsite, but if you\u2019re staying off site then a locker can be handy for holding snacks, chargers, jackets and anything else you don\u2019t want to lug around the whole time. Costs are around $55 for three days for a medium locker, and you get a $10 deposit back from that when you return the key.<\/p>\n Type your full name, address, tent lot and a friend\u2019s number into your phone notes, screenshot it and set it as your background. You\u2019ll be tempted to change it to a basic (no judgement, we all do it) photo of you and your bestie in front of the ferris wheel with the peace sign in the air, but we guarantee you\u2019ll thank us if you lose your phone and someone actually returns it.<\/p>\n All in all, there are no rules for Coachella (except for, you know, the law). Be kind, have fun, soak up the good vibes, wear what you feel comfortable in, eat yummy food, make friends, capture memories, live in the moment and respect the earth while you do it. Keep safe, look after yourself and look after your fellow festival buddies. It will be one of the best weekends of your life, and you\u2019ll remember it forever. Oh, and can we come?!<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7\u00a0@jessicaz<\/a> on Flickr<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Alexx is a Kiwi traveller obsessed with finding the ultimate things to see, do and eat in each place she visits. She’s a cheese addict, loves a travel planning spreadsheet, and is allergic to desk jobs. She’s about to take off on an epic 52-week, 52-country travel project, and you can follow her adventures at @findingalexx<\/a>.<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re a festival aficionado, a part-time raver or a newbie to the music scene, there\u2019s no doubt you\u2019ve heard of Coachella – and you probably have it on your bucket list. With past headliners like Beyonc\u00e9, Eminem and Radiohead, and this year\u2019s line-up including Tame Impala, Ariana Grande and Childish Gambino, the pre-Coachella FOMO…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":136517,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9659,9473,9475],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-115753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspire-me","category-travel-tips","category-usa","wpbf-post"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
Pick a weekend<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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This is going to be in-tents<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Did someone say upgrade?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Gimme that air-con<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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ROAD TRIIIIP!<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Get in my belly<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Camping grub<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Camping survival guide<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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The best shower of your life<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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What can I bring to Coachella? <\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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It\u2019s all about the route<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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The famous Coachella ferris wheel <\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Plan your meet-up spots<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Don\u2019t overindulge<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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It\u2019s not just about the music<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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The ultimate Coachella wardrobe<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Damn, that heat!\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Lock it up<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Take a security snap<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Be a good human<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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<\/strong><\/p>\nAbout the author:<\/h2>\n
Keep reading:\u00a0\u2b07\ufe0f<\/h2>\n
\ud83c\udf1f\u00a0Party around the world – your guide to the very best EDM festivals<\/b><\/a><\/h4>\n
\ud83c\udf1f\u00a0Make some noise for the best festivals in Morocco<\/b><\/a><\/h4>\n
\ud83c\udf1f\u00a0Your Croatia festival low-down<\/b><\/a><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"