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    Stagecoach 2026: What to know about the country music festival
    • April 23, 2026

    The Stagecoach Country Music Festival will mosey back on to the grounds of the Empire Polo Club in Indio Friday, capping off festival season in the desert with the annual hoedown.

    While it takes place on the same piece of ground as the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Stagecoach has a distinctly different vibe. The festival is smaller, attracting about 80,000 people each day as compared to the 125,000 daily attendance at Coachella.

    Attendees can sit on folding chairs to watch the performances. Stages are renamed with countrified monikers (the Mane Stage, the Palomino Stage, the Mustang Stage, etc.) and reoriented to face different directions. The festival campground is geared to RVs rather than tent camping. And Stagecoach sells more beer on its first day than Coachella does over two full weekends.

    Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn of Brooks and Dunn perform on the Mane Stage on the final day of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio on Sunday, Apr. 30, 2023. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
    Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn of Brooks and Dunn perform on the Mane Stage on the final day of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio on Sunday, Apr. 30, 2023. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

    The music

    There’s obviously a heapin’ helpin’ of country artists on the bill, with current hitmakers Cody Johnson and Lainey Wilson headlining Friday and Saturday, respectively, while classic performers such as Wynonna Judd, Lyle Lovett, Little Big Town and Brooks & Dunn also get prominent spots on the lineup. Sunday headliner Post Malone reflects the festival’s evolution beyond the country genre, with acts such as Diplo, Pitbull and Ludacris, who will be performing late on the Mustang Stage.

    Nostalgic ’90s rock also has a major presence at this year’s Stagecoach, with Counting Crows, Bush, Hootie & the Blowfish, Third Eye Blind and The Wallflowers all performing. Other notable names include R&B crooner Teddy Swims, who is playing Stagecoach after two weekends at Coachella, and ’70s arena rock icon Journey, which has a high-profile slot on Saturday’s lineup.

    Guy Fieri tends to a smoker at his Stagecoach Smokehouse during the Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio, CA April 25, 2025.(photo by Andy Holzman)
    Guy Fieri tends to a smoker at his Stagecoach Smokehouse during the Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio, CA April 25, 2025.(photo by Andy Holzman)

    The food

    The big culinary draw at Stagecoach is Guy Fieri’s Smokehouse, which features barbecue demonstrations with free samples given to attendees, and appearances by celebrities. Singers Chase Rice and Nate Smith and rapper BigXthaPlug will join Fieri Friday at 2:45 p.m. Tomorrow’s Smokehouse celebs will include Billy Bob Thornton, Gavin Rossdale of Bush and Wynonna Judd (also at 2:45), while Brett Young and Wyatt Flores do the honors at 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

    Ohter notable food spots include Arby’s Meatin’ Post, which will feature the famous sign from the fast food chain’s former Hollywood location and the Jimmy Dean Rest Shop, which will offer sandwiches and waffles.

    Danielle Beavers of the Compton Cowboys tends to horses during the Stagecoach Music Festival on the final day in Indio on Sunday, April 27, 2025.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
    Danielle Beavers of the Compton Cowboys tends to horses during the Stagecoach Music Festival on the final day in Indio on Sunday, April 27, 2025.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)

    The activations

    If you’re wearing cowboy boots to Stagecoach (and why wouldn’t you be?) Ariat Boot Studio is offering personalized boot customization. Equestrian fans can see the Budweiser Clydesdales up close or take in rodeo and roping demos at the Compton Cowboys Corral. The Half-Pint Hootenanny is an air conditioned space where kids attending the festival can play games and engage in other fun activities.

    Fans rock out to Sammy Hagar in the Palomino on the final day of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio on Sunday, April 27, 2025. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
    Fans rock out to Sammy Hagar in the Palomino on the final day of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio on Sunday, April 27, 2025. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

    Tickets

    This year’s festival is not sold out. A few 3-day GA passes are available for $619, 3-day access to the Corrall Standing Pit in front of the Mane Stage is $1,899 and limited seats in the Corral Reserved Seating area remain for $1,199 to $2,299 each.

    A country music fans shows his patriotic spirit as he arrives for the second day of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio on Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
    A country music fans shows his patriotic spirit as he arrives for the second day of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio on Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

    The weather

    This weekend is expected to be fairly comfortable in Indio for this time of year. After a forecast high of 91 Friday, temperatures will drop into the low 80s for Saturday and Sunday.

    The sun sets on the final day of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio on Sunday, April 27, 2025. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
    The sun sets on the final day of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio on Sunday, April 27, 2025. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

    The view from home

    Select Stagecoach performances will be streamed live on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music and Twitch starting Friday at 3 p.m.

     

     

     

     

     

     Orange County Register 

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