Bernie Sanders makes surprise appearance at Coachella Festival

Bernie Sanders is seen after speaking during the first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club on Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

INDIO, Calif. – Sen. Bernie Sanders made a surprise appearance during Day 2 of the 2025 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival before singer-songwriter Clairo took the stage, and just hours after speaking to a packed rally in downtown Los Angeles.

“You can turn away and ignore what goes on, but if you do, you do it at your own peril,” the Vermont independent told the crowd. “We need you to stand up and fight for justice, to fight for economic justice, racial justice and social justice.”

Sanders was introduced by Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Florida, and met by a restless crowd, anxious to get back to the musical performances.

“How dare @coachella let this happen, no one is there to listen about politics, they not only ruined half of their audience’s night but also their reputation, I hope no right-wing voter buys their tickets anymore” X user JB IGOR posted. “Absolutely wrong and tone deaf.”

In his own X post, the senator was more positive about the experience.

“Thank you, Coachella,” Sanders wrote. “I enjoyed introducing the great @clairo tonight. These are tough times. The younger generation has to help lead in the fight to combat climate change, protect women’s rights, and build an economy that works for all, not just the few.”

Clairo performs during the first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club on Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

The festival, which opened Friday at the Empire Polo Club grounds in Indio, continues Sunday with headliners Post Malone and Megan Thee Stallion.

Sunday’s openers include Sin Rastro and Yulia Niko, with Junior H, Chase & Status, Dennis Cruz, Arca, Francis Mercier and Show Strippers throughout the afternoon, closing with Polo & Pan and XG.

Coachella’s Day 2 Saturday also featured performances by Gustavo Dudamel with the L.A. Philharmonic, Charli XCX, Green Day and Travis Scott and T-Pain.

Festivalgoers are seen during the first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club on Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

Charli XCX’s set included surprise cameos from Billie Eilish on “Guess” and Lorde on “Girl, So Confusing.”

Weezer played on the Mojave Stage shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday despite the Wednesday arrest of bass player Scott Shriner’s wife Jillian Lauren after she allegedly aimed a gun at police near her home in Eagle Rock. Police shot Lauren, who suffered a non-life threatening wound and was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

On Friday, Lady Gaga, headlining for the first time since 2017, performed a typically high-energy set that included elaborate costumes and props, mixing old favorites with selections from her new album, “Mayhem.”

Also performing on the main stage Friday was Missy Elliott — who came out dressed as a Transformer robot and banged out a collection of her hits — TikTok star Benson Boone, Marina, Thee Sacred Souls and Gabe Real. Boone’s set included a surprise guest appearance by Queen guitarist Brian May, who joined Boone for a cover of the band’s most famous song, “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Highlights from some of the festival’s alternate stages Friday included sets from The Prodigy, the Go-Go’s, Mustard, GloRilla and a dynamic set from Lisa — the Thai rapper, singer, dancer and actress who gained crossover notoriety with her role on this season’s edition of HBO’s “The White Lotus.”

In recent years, the Coachella event has drawn close to 100,000 fans per day.

So far, this year’s festival — which continues next weekend — has been plagued by complaints about long lines and wait times of up to 10 or 12 hours for vehicles trying to get to the camping area.

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

Up to 40,000 campers were expected to bivouac around the grounds, while others will be packing area hotels and motels, with a large number of attendees flooding Interstate 10 each day and arriving in their own rides or via ride-sharing services, according to organizers.

Additionally, the Riverside County Regional Park & Open Space District was rolling out the welcome mat to festival-goers who might want to use the Lake Cahuilla campground in La Quinta.

As they do each year, officials took measures to prepare for the influx of thousands of people to the area. At the end of March, the Indio Police Department shut down Avenue 50, between Monroe Street and Madison Avenue, which will remain closed until May 5 for the dual-weekend entertainment associated with Coachella, as well as the Stagecoach Music Festival that will follow on the weekend of April 25-27.

City officials said there will be no access on Avenue 49, between Hjorth and Monroe streets, nor along Avenue 50, between Jackson and Madison streets, or on Hjorth, from Avenues 49 to 50, or along Madison, between Avenues 49 and 52.

Those closures will be in effect for each festival weekend — April 11-13, April 18-20 and April 25-27, the police department said.

Officials cautioned travel delays will be heavy along Washington Street, between I-10 and Avenue 52, as well as on Jefferson Street and Avenues 48 and 52 going into the Empire Polo Club. Extensive delays are also anticipated on Highway 111 at Jefferson and Monroe, and at all the exits into Indio from the freeway.

Options for slightly faster travel may be available on Jackson, Calhoun Street and Golf Center Parkway, going north- and southbound, while less vexing east- and westbound travel might be open on Fred Waring Drive, Miles Avenue and Dr. Carreon Boulevard, officials said.

“On each Monday following the festivals, streets surrounding the site and I-10 will be busy with more than 40,000 campers leaving the area,” according to a police statement.

Shuttle services will be available from area hotels and motels daily.

There is also a designated pay ride spot, for Uber and Lyft users, at the southwest corner of Avenue 49 and Monroe, while family and taxicab pickups and drop-offs are designated on the northeast corner of Avenue 52 and Madison.

More information can be found at coachella.com. (CNS)