Coachella's Return: Prepping for the Festival From A-Z

Coachella 2021 General Information

There is a lot to consider for a 3-day outdoor music festival in the desert. Here are some basics to get you started.

Camping

This is one reason people love the Coachella festival, the camping, and the general party atmosphere. There are a ton of options for where you can lay your head in between the dizzying array of performers and guests, and you will want to make sure your whole plan is laid out perfectly before hitting the road.

The first option is car camping. You will park in the standard parking lot and will have the opportunity to have a small auto oasis for you and your friends. You will get one 30x10 spot with one vehicle allowed & required, meaning you can’t get a car camping spot and not have a car in it. You can, however, bring all the tents and friends that you can fit into your area. These sites are assigned in order of arrival. Preferred car camping gives the same benefits but closer to the venue entrance.

Tent camping sites are 15x10 and are allowed unlimited friends and tents on the spot. Tent camping spots are assigned in order of arrival. The tent camping site also features AM pilates and after-hour dance jams.

There is also camping on Lake Eldorado, which has tents and lodges to rent alongside a peaceful lakeside oasis. This area is very near the vendors and the general store, so you will always have easy access to necessities. The site is very secluded and offers both private check-in and a 24-hour concierge service. Beat the heat with showers and flush toilets. 

The Safari campgrounds are one of the most well-loved secrets of the festival. Fully furnished and AC-chilled rooms with views of palm trees and mountains are only the beginning. You will also have access to golf carts to get you from stage to stage, campground breakfast and snacks, and access to all VIP amenities.

Covid-19 Changes

With the festival canceled last year and now back this year, you know there will be some caveats for this year’s events. Firstly, the festival does provide a disclaimer that COVID-19 is a highly contagious illness and that there is an inherent risk of infection at any large public gathering or event like Coachella.

The festival organizers advise that unless you are fully vaccinated, you wear a face-covering while in public. It is also recommended to obtain a negative COVID-19 test before attending. While they cannot state yet what type of COVID-19 precautions will be in place at the festival, the organizers place your health and safety as their top priority.

Amenities & Services

While you are at the festival, depending on your pass type, you will have access to a number of amenities and services at Coachella. The general stores will have most of what you might need, and probably anything you forgot, like lanterns, sleeping bags, batteries, fans, toiletries, OTC medicine, and more. 

There will be wifi available in select areas, often called Connect Lounges, which will be determined closer to the festival date. To keep your valuables safe, there are lockers on-site, as well as a locksmith in the event of a car lockout.

Showers, both regular as well as with perks, will be available. Free showers are available 24 hours a day in select areas, with other regions open during prime hours. Pay showers have shorter lines, a full-length mirror, and power outlets for hairdryers, etc.

The supermarket shuttle will be available to take you to the nearby supermarket or drugstore with a pharmacy to grab anything you might need that the general store or vendors don’t have.

If It’s Too Loud, You Are Not Too Old

You might be thinking to yourself, “I know hearing protection is required, but at what decibel level?” Well, if there’s anyone destined to tell you what is safe and what isn’t, it’s the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or as you probably know them, OSHA. The official OSHA recommendation for hearing protection is 85dB, time-weighted average over 8 hours, the standard workday. 

So, what. What does that mean for you?

Well, you will be at a 72-hour concert that will absolutely have noise exposure louder than 85dB in many places and for a large portion of the time. This is not as loud as you might think it is, especially since the average classroom chatter is about 70dB, while 80dB is the level of a freight train while you are still 100 feet from the crossing.

When you start to talk about music festivals, the noise level can be much more significant. There are far more people than in your bio 101 class, and they are going to be much louder. The music at your average club registers about 110dB, which means you can have hearing damage in as little as 30 minutes without protection. 115dB means damage in only 15 minutes.

You are going to be there for three days. Wear hearing protection (like Eargasm Earplugs- trusted by thousands of music festivals worldwide) even when just walking around in the crowds; it will protect your hearing and make it easier for you and your friends to communicate without shouting.

Dressing For A 3-Day Festival

Getting dressed up in your newest festival outfits is one of the things people love about Coachella. However, be smart about what you wear since you will be out in the desert in the wide-open space, with not much to shield you from the sun.

Be sure your outfits or costumes allow for enough cooling or ventilation. If this cannot be done, be sure you take enough breaks throughout the day that you can remain safe. Learn the symptoms of both heat exhaustion and heat stroke since they can ruin your festival first and potentially be fatal as well. Sunscreen and water will be your best friend, as will any shade you can bring along with you.