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Festival Pass:🎡🏜️🎉Who to see, what to eat and where to go at Coachella

April 13, 2023

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Happy Thursday!

Welcome to the all Coachella edition of the Festival Pass Newsletter!

We’ve talked about it for months and it’s finally here. Our fearless crew will be heading out to the desert to bring you extensive coverage of both weekends of the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (April 14-16 and April 21-23) at the Empire Polo Club in Indio.

No one on our team has been to every single Coachella, but several of us have been to over well over a dozen of the festival weekends.

With all of our experience combined, we wanted to share a few non-music options to explore on-site, our favorite festival eats, survival tips and call out which artists we believe are worth seeing this year for anyone attending the festival in-person or tuning into the livestream on YouTube.

Let’s meet the team!

The Ferris wheel is a staple at Coachella and it has become tradition for a lot of fans to pose for selfies or group photos in front of it or make a point hop on for a ride at some point during the three-day fest. (File photo by Jennifer Cappuccio Maher, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Kelli Skye Fadroski, editor. Follow her @kelliskye.

Top 5 2023 Coachella acts: Gabriels, Blondie, Blackpink, boygenius, and Remi Wolf.

Pro tip: Bring hand sanitizer and/or baby wipes because you are bound to touch things that are sticky all day long.

Favorite non-music Coachella adventure: Grabbing a cold agua fesca just before sunset and cruising around the venue to take a peek inside all of the branded activations. Last year, I just happened upon a pop-up nail bar and got my nails done by Harry Styles’ personal nail technician for free.

Richard Guzman, reporter. Follow him @richworld.

Top 5 2023 Coachella acts: Chemical Brothers, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Cannons, The Linda Lindas and Los Bitchos.

Pro tip: Drink water, a lot, a lot of water. And don’t start drinking alcohol too early; nothing worse than passing out on the dirt in the middle of the day.

Favorite non-music Coachella adventure: The hidden bars are always fun and you feel like you’ve accomplished something when you find one.

The Do Lab is one of the places the SCNG festival crew recommends stopping by during Coachella. Located inside the festival grounds under a brightly colored tent, Do Lab offers a variety of activities, shade and misters to cool off, special guest artists and DJs and aerial and acrobatic performers. (File photo by Watchara Phomicinda, San Gabriel Valley Tribune/SCNG)

Watchara Phomicinda, photographer. Follow him @watcharaphotog.

Top 5 2023 Coachella acts: Björk, Frank Ocean, FKJ, Blakpink and Kaytranada.

Pro tip: Sun protection: Bring sunscreen, SPF lip balm, a hat or shading device. To stay cool, try dipping a bandana in ice water, adding a few drops of peppermint oil, then wrap it around your neck or on the top of your head.

Favorite non-music Coachella adventure: The branded activations at Coachella have been the hidden gems of the festival. They always offer delightful surprises and free swag, which is a real treat. For the ultimate hangout spot at Coachella, you can’t go wrong with the Do Lab.

Peter Larsen, reporter. Follow him @PeterLarsenBSF.

Top 5 2023 Coachella acts: Björk, Gorillaz, Jai Paul, The Comet Is Coming, Domi & JD Beck.

Pro tip: Good shoes. And a roll of gaffer’s tape if your shoes aren’t good. Seriously, you’re going to be on your feet a lot.

Favorite non-music Coachella adventure: Don’t miss the all-night Del Taco in Palm Desert where the only thing you ever need to eat at 1:30 a.m. every night is a large vanilla milkshake and a single chicken soft taco. Trust me, you’ll sleep like a baby after this.

Charlie Vargas, reporter. Follow him @CharlieVargas19.

Top 5 2023 Coachella acts: Angèle, Bratty, Eladio Carrión, SG Lewis and Sunset Rollercoaster.

Must-pack festival items: The pandemic may be slowing down, but you should still bring a mask and bandana to cover your face because that Coachella dust is no joke.

Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalía (left) performed at Coachella in 2019 and she’s back in 2023 and high up on the roster, set to perform just before Day Two headliner Blackpink on Saturday, April 15 and April 22. (File photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Holly Alvarado, reporter. Follow her @hollytheewriter.

Top 5 2023 Coachella acts: Bad Bunny, Kaytranada, Noname, Porter Robinson and Rosalía.

Pro tip: Make some friends wherever you go. I’ve met some incredible people who are still longtime friends, even if they live in different parts of the world. Greet someone standing next to you!

Favorite non-music Coachella adventure: Grabbing a huge slice of watermelon and sitting over by the Ferris wheel to catch the sunset with friends.

James Williams, reporter. Follow him @JHWreporter.

Top 5 2023 Coachella acts: Bad Bunny, Gorillaz, Latto, Frank Ocean and Rae Sremmurd.

Favorite non-music Coachella adventure: Getting Spicy Pie Pizza at least once or twice is a must for me. I also enjoy walking around the campsite a little bit to see the creative setups folks have.

Across the board, the SCNG festival crew loves Spicy Pie Pizza out at Coachella. It’s quick, portable, tasty and we all grab a slice at some point during the long weekend. (File photo by Watchara Phomicinda, SCNG)

David Brendan Hall, photographer. Follow him @DBrendanHall.

Top 5 2023 Coachella acts: Björk, Metro Boomin, Yves Tumor, Dinner Party and Blackpink.

Must-pack festival items: I recommend packing a light hoodie or long sleeve shirt. The weather can get significantly cooler after sunset. Also my favorite hack: Face wipes. When the sun finally dips behind the mountains, the removal of sunscreen and dust buildup feels almost like taking a quick, rejuvenating shower.

Favorite non-music Coachella adventure: Don’t skimp on the art experiences. They’ve become increasingly immersive over the years and while the inclusion of these sorts of installations have waned at many other fests, they’ve remained integral at Coachella.

Drew A. Kelley, photographer.

Favorite part about Coachella: For me, going to music festivals was always about the lineup and whether or not my favorite bands were playing, but Coachella changed that. Now what I look forward to the most is stumbling into a tent to hear a band that I can’t pronounce the name of and falling in love with them.

Jessica Shalvoy, reporter. Follow her @Its_Shalvoy.

Top 5 2023 Coachella acts: Wet Leg, 070 Shake, MUNA, Rosalía and Ethen Cain.

Pro tip: Cell service gets dicey within the festival grounds as the day goes on, so pick a meeting spot (and time) if you plan on separating from your group.

Favorite non-music Coachella adventure: Meeting people! There’s something here for everyone and that attracts an array of fans from all walks of life. Don’t be afraid to make new friends, dance with a stranger, or lean into someone’s story over a cold beer. Just don’t take drugs from strangers.

The latest Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival news

Coachella 2023: Where to go for breakfast, lunch or late-night snacks pre-and post-festival

How Day Club Palm Springs’ poolside parties offer a unique concert experience

Desert Gold’s free music event returns to Palm Springs during both Coachella weekends

Coachella 2023: How to livestream performances from all of the festival stages

Coachella 2023: 5 Southern California artists making their festival debu t

What to pack for the 2023 Coachella and Stagecoach fests — and what to know before you get there.

Coachella 2023: The Glitch Mob, Disco Wrek, Mr. Carmack to play the Do Lab

Coachella 2023: Heineken House reveals its hip-hop, R&B and dance music lineup

Coachella 2023: Weekend Two hasn’t sold out yet. Here’s why that’s good for you

See ya again next week!

As always, thanks for reading and keep rockin’.