- The dust is REAL
You know how you see photos of everyone with bandanas around their necks? Its not just a fashion statement sweetheart! Coachella takes place in the literal dessert so its hot, dry and there are a hundred thousand people stomping around lifting dust, dirt and dry grass. There is also the likelihood of super high winds that create mini dust storms. In 2017 the winds were so bad our gazebo lifted out of the ground and smashed into the windscreen of our mini RV.
Last year on Weekend 2 the winds were so bad they had to delay campers on site. The Do Lab didn’t quite make it through 😦
2. Prepare for Coachella Flu
Another thing about dust is that it can get in your airways and make you incredibly ill if you’re not looking out for yourself! Most people leave Coachella and take home a lovely thing referred to as the Coachella Flu. I had to continue travelling around America after Coachella both years so I was NOT letting myself get sick. Every morning we would all take 1000mg of Vitamin C (you can get sachets from any supermarket and just chuck them into your water). I also had a saline spray to help clean out my nose when I got home at night and then again in the morning. I have the most terrible sinuses so I would also have hay fever pills every day and I managed to never get sick!
3. The alcohol is SO BLOODY EXPENSIVE
To be fair there are some incredible places to eat and drink at the festival that cater to all dietary requirements. But being in a group made up of Kiwis and Australians means when we are at a festival we most certainly dabble in a drink or two. There are a bunch of beer gardens at the festival to drink at but unlike festivals in Australia and NZ you can’t take the drinks out of these areas. There are a few great beer gardens by the main stage which you could see the stage from easily, but not all stages have this same set up. Not only is drinking confined to specific areas in the festival but holy heck its expensive. You can expect $9 – $12 USD for a beer, around $12 USD for wine and $15+ for a margarita or slushy cocktail of some description. If you are over 21 and camping onsite Coachella says you can bring in one case of beer cans or box of wine per day so pre drinking is the way to go. To be honest it’s that bloody hot during the day I found it really hard to sustain a buzz from drinking, I think I would just sweat everything out.
4. Try to vaguely plan your day or be okay if things don’t work out
The reality is that Coachella is so big and there are so many people to walk through it takes a while to get between the stages. Most people only do Coachella once (I am definitely not most people) because of the cost and the travel etc so they really want to get the most out of it. To be honest, you gotta have a live in the moment attitude because it wont always work out the way you plan. Coachella is magical anyway you experience it, you just gotta make sure you stay in the right frame of mind.
Here’s an example of what can happen: You start walking towards a stage and then you see a cool art installation, you stop and take a few pics. Then someones thirsty or gotta pee. You find a toilet (there are a few by each stage but most have a couple min wait) or find a store for water then you finally make your way to the stage. Depending on who it is or what stage it’s on there are already way too many people there. You can’t see super well so you decide to go do something more fun than try to squeeze through sweaty dirty festival goers. This happened to us last year when we tried to see Migos. Its better to cut your losses and try find something fun to do rather than suffer through a bad time just cos “Coachella”.
V HARD TO GET A PIC WITHOUT 10000 PEOPLE IN THE BACKGROUND
5. You’re not going to get to see everyone you want
Every year when the line up comes out for Coachella people always talk smack about it regardless of who is playing. I swear it could be Jesus up there and people would still hate. So you see the line up and there are maybe 6 – 7 artists you really like. Perfect. The best way to enjoy the music at Coachella is by prioritising your favourite artists each day (if the schedule allows) and just saying to yourself, I’m going to make sure I’m there for that and then just cruise around the rest of the day. There is so much to see and do at Coachella that between the music, art, food or pop up stores, you are never bored. Also, the best part about Coachella is stumbling across new acts. Do Lab is a great place to do this, also the Mojave and Gobi (my fave stages). They’re a lot smaller but still host incredible acts. I saw Brockhampton in the Mojave last year and got super close and could dance around to my hearts content.
Despite all of these seemingly negative parts of Coachella it is still my absolute favourite festival ever. Its a truely magical place and there are so many surprises in store every year.
If you’re heading along this year GET EXCITED! It’s gonna change everything.
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