Coachella Music Festival set to start Friday

Concertgoers use their mobile phones during a performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, U.S. FILE PHOTO/REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

INDIO – Thousands of celebrants will descend on the Empire Polo Club in Indio Friday for the start of the two-weekend “2024 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival,” replete with artists on the leading edge of contemporary sounds.

Campers will be able to check in as early at 9 a.m. Thursday, according to officials.

The fest runs Friday to Sunday, and again on April 19-21. Lana Del Rey is set to perform both Fridays of the event, along with Peso Pluma, Lil Uzi Vert, Justice, Ken Carson and Ben Sterling.

This combination image shows (from left) Dojo Cat, Lana Del Rey, and Tyler the Creator. FILE PHOTO/AP

Tyler, The Creator is set to be the main stage showcase on Saturdays. Other bands on the slate are Ice Spice, Blur, Jungle, Dom Dolla, Bleachers and Kevin Kaarl.

Doja Cat will close out each weekend on Sundays. She’ll be preceded by J Balvin, Jhene Aiko, Ludmilla, Lil Yachty, John Summit and DJ Snake.

An additional stage was added this year, as well as extended three-hour sets, featuring Honey Dijon and Green Velvet on Friday, Michael Bibi on Saturday and Jamie XX, Floating Points and Daphni on Sunday, April 14.

The weekend of April 19-21 will feature Rufus Du Sol the first day, Eric Prydz and Anyma the second day and Diplo and Mau P for the closing number.

No Doubt’s official social media page shared a video earlier this year confirming that the band will play together again, with a note now on their website reading “We’ll see you in the desert this April.” The reuniting members — Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont and Adrian Young — haven’t played together since 2015.

Preparations for traffic impacts connected with the fest started last month.

Avenue 50, between Monroe Street and Madison Avenue, has been closed since March 25 and will remain shut down until May 6 for the dual-weekend entertainment and extensive post-fest cleanups required.

According to the city of Indio’s traffic plan, beginning Friday, there will be no pedestrian access on Monroe, between Avenue 49 and Avenue 52, nor along Madison Street, between Avenues 50 and 52.

Police cautioned that travel delays will be heavy along Washington Street, between Interstate 10 and Avenue 52, as well as Jefferson Street and Avenues 48 and 50 going into the Empire Polo Club grounds.

Non-campers can start finding their parking spots in the general parking area as early as 11 a.m. Friday to Sunday, before the venue opens at around 1 p.m. each day. Shuttle services will depart from local hotels at 12:30 p.m. daily.

Along with Indio police, other law enforcement agencies will be lending support throughout the event, including the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol.

Arrests for various, usually misdemeanor, violations are common during the festival celebrations.

High desert winds, propelling dust clouds, have been known to disrupt the shows. According to the National Weather Service, “another deep, cold trough (will be) barreling down the west coast and moving across Southern California Saturday or Sunday.”

“Refinements on the timing and impacts will be forthcoming … but it will bring windy, cooler weather and a chance for showers (in parts of the Inland Empire),” the NWS said.

Festival information, including the entire list of musical acts set to take the stage, can be found here.