Good morning. It's Monday, April 15th. I'm Vanessa Franco, associate editor on the Audience Engagement team, writing from Coachella. Here's what you need to know to start your day.
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Reports of Coachella's death have been greatly exaggerated
I've spent the past three days in dusty Indio, walking tens of thousands of steps with tens of thousands of other people at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
This was my 25th weekend of doing this as a journalist. Since 2007, I've reported on the festival's growth as a pop culture touchstone, expanding to double weekends in 2012, a Beyoncé-themed epic in 2018, and a comeback after pandemic cancellations.
But Coachella, which has served as inspiration for dozens of other events across the country, is not yet sold out for its second weekend of the year, leading some to wonder if its long run as America's premier taste-making festival is over.
Coachella, like many other things that have been around for decades (the first festival was in 1999), has its ups and downs. But no one could look at a packed center court during Saturday night's No Doubt and come to the conclusion that Coachella is dead.
No Doubt's set included a guest spot by Olivia Rodrigo – a beautiful bridge between pop music's heritage and its present. Tyler, the Creator, then followed with his most ambitious performance yet at the festival, where he “battled a giant sheep puppet on stage, tore through the set in a mock windstorm, and attracted A-list guests for a career-spanning set that proved his” unique place in music history In Los Angeles,” wrote my colleague August Brown. Doja Cat closed the show Sunday night.
That's not to say this is all a busy 2018. Fridays are usually light, and this year seemed less populated than usual. The festival grounds at the Empire Polo Club were greatly expanded, so everything had more room to breathe, and fans were able to get up close to see Lana Del Rey headline Friday night without being crushed. I've also noticed that, compared to years past, far fewer influencer types have lighting devices attached to their phones to create content.
Goldenvoice, Coachella's promoter, did not respond to a request for attendance figures during the first weekend, but in previous years the event has been allowed to seat 125,000 people.
These attendees spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars for their musical period in the desert.
Although Coachella has sold water bottles for $2 throughout its history, this is one of the few bargains you'll find. A general admission ticket for the second weekend costs $499 before fees, which appear to be $50. Next, you need to take into account the cost of accommodation or camping, getting to the festival site, eating, drinking and buying souvenirs.
A group of attendees told me they paid $20 for three street-style carne asada tacos, $17 for fresh lemonade, and $14 for a mini cookie cup. They also paid $100 for a Coachella blanket and $75 for a sweatshirt.
However, they plan to return to Coachella — an experience, from fashion to art to, of course, music.
“It's going to be expensive regardless,” said Bianca Anaya, 20, a college student who traveled from Columbus, Ohio, to attend Coachella for the first time. She has traveled around the country in recent years to attend music festivals, including the Bésame Mucho Festival in Texas, Shaky Knees in Atlanta, and Lollapalooza in Chicago.
Although Coachella is making dents in bank accounts and leading some to wonder if its appeal is waning, others have uncovered a bit of the old magic.
Danielle Dorsey, an associate food editor at The Times who was part of our team at Coachella, wrote about her experience at Jon Batiste's performance on Saturday night. “It takes us back to the early days of Coachella, before any of us thought about capturing the 'Grams experience, and when it was just about letting ourselves be moved by the music,” she said.
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Finally…a great picture
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A music lover is silhouetted on Friday at dusk at Coachella.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Today's great photo is from Times staff photographer Christina House, from the first day of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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