Coachella Music & Arts Festival Photography
Named for the Inland Empire’s Coachella Valley and located 128 miles east of Los Angeles, 246 miles west of Phoenix, and 508 miles southeast of San Francisco, the internationally known annual Coachella Music & Arts Festival is the second largest music festival in America.
After a two-year hiatus due to Covid 19, the highly anticipated festival returns for two weekends…April 15-17 and April 22-24, 2022…at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, CA. The first Coachella Music & Arts Festival took place as a two-day event on October 9-10, 1999. The festival was expanded to a two-weekend event in 2012.
Since Coachella’s debut, the festival has had offered festival-goers a mix of musical genres. Some of the performers over the years have included Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Beyonce, Jay Z, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Prince, Pearl Jam, Weezer, Nine Inch Nails, Billie Eilish, Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul McCartney, Draft Punk, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Guns N’ Roses, Radiohead, and many more.
The Coachella Music & Arts Festival features seven stages with the main stage featuring the biggest headliners. This imposing, 82-feet high stage resembles a giant Rubic’s Cube
A well-recognized symbol of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival has been the iconic 150-foot high Ferris Wheel. Every year the festival offers oversize art pieces. One of the most memorable and iconic installations, named “Escape Velocity” appeared at the 2014 festival. This radio controlled 36’ tall by 57’ long by 40’ wide marvel of engineering captivated attendees, the media, and roamed the grounds of the venue. The giant astronaut had the ability to articulate life-like gestures as it hovered over and interacted with concertgoers. From February 20-September 7, 2015, “Escape Velocity” was part of a special display at the Science Museum of Minnesota and is now there on permanent display.
People attending the festival occupy virtually all of the area hotel rooms, B&B’s, short-term rental properties, and thousands stay at the Coachella Festival campground. Beyond the Coachella Music & Arts Festival events at the Empire Polo Grounds, massive pool parties take place at many area hotels including the Saguaro, ACE Hotel, The Hilton Palm Springs Hotel, as well as at private properties limited to invited guests only.
