This two-weekend music festival has become legendary not only for its mix of emerging and crowd-pleasing acts, but also for art installations and top-tier people watching. The lineup usually gets announced in January (sometimes earlier), and you can often buy passes on short notice or get on a waitlist for your preferred weekend.
What Is Coachella?
Beyond the musical acts, the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, held in April at Empire Polo Club in Indio, has morphed into something of a cultural phenomenon, with fantastic food and high-wattage stars showing up in their best desert boho outfits. Artists also present large works, making the event a feast for the eyes as well as the ears—which is part of the reason why nearly 200,000 have attended the annual festival in recent years.
Who’s Playing Coachella This Year?
For 2026, the three main headliners, each playing two nights each, are Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G. Additional artists include The Strokes, The XX, Turnstile, Addison Rae, Iggy Pop. Yung Thug, Disclosure, Nine Inch Noize (a collaboration between Nine Inch Nails and German-Iraqi electronic music producer Boys Noize), and Wet Leg, among dozens of others.
How to Get Tickets to Coachella
Tickets are sold primarily through the festival’s official website, where passes typically go on sale months in advance of the April event (passes for 2026 are already sold out). Buyers can choose between Weekend 1 or Weekend 2 general admission and VIP passes, along with add-ons such as shuttle service and camping. Because demand is high, Coachella often uses a registration system and queue, and payment plans are usually available to help spread out the cost. Another option is to purchase one of the Greater Palm Springs pass-plus-lodging packages.
If passes sell out, Coachella operates an official waitlist ticket exchange where fans can buy and sell verified tickets at face value, which is the safest alternative to third-party resale sites. To improve your chances, create an account ahead of time, sign up for email alerts, and be ready online when sales open, as popular weekends can sell out quickly.
Things to Do Before and After Coachella
Round out your festival weekend by exploring the surrounding desert towns and attractions. Stay a short drive from the grounds at Sands Hotel & Spa, a boutique retreat known for bold retro style and Moroccan-inspired dining and spa experiences. For last-minute festival looks, go thrifting at local vintage favorites such as The Frippery, Gypsyland, and Revivals.
Refuel between sets with tamales from Arriola’s Tortilleria, a longtime Indio institution dating to 1935, then take a side trip to Pioneertown, an Old West movie set turned desert outpost, where live music at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace caps the day.
More Coachella Tips
For tips on where to stay while attending Coachella, information on camping or RV-ing at Coachella, what to pack and plan, etc., peruse The Beginner’s Guide to Coachella. To see how it’s possible to have an amazing Choachella weekend even without attending the festival, check out 7 Ways to Do Coachella, Even Without a Wristband.