Coachella Weekend 1 live updates: Gates open late, headliner ...

The 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is about to kick off Friday with Lana Del Rey as headliner and rumors are running rampant of a possible guest appearance by her collaborator-friend Taylor Swift. On Saturday, Vampire Weekend is playing a "surprise" set before Tyler, the Creator takes the main stage and Doja Cat will wrap the festival as headliner on Sunday. Who's to say what might happen between now and then?

Follow The Desert Sun's live team coverage all weekend long for the latest on celebrity sightings, special guest performances, weather, traffic, music reviews and more.

Across from the Indio Central Market is a row of air-conditioned tents for Absolut vodka, Carrera eyewear and International Delight cold foam cream. If you forgot your shades at home, stop by Carrera, where you can get festival-exclusive sunglasses. And if you’re running low on caffeine, the International Delight tent has coffee samples that can be topped with its latest cream. There’s also a music station that you get to take DJ reins over and a lounge area.

— Ema Sasic

Sally (celebrating her 72nd birthday today) and 80-year-old Bob Arroyo of La Quinta arrived in time for the gates to open for what they say must be nearly their 10th year attending the festival. The pair was always curious about Coachella in its first few years, and read about it in the paper when they lived in Los Angeles County, but have made attending a tradition now that they're locals. They attend both weekends so that they can catch any artists they missed Weekend 1, and sometimes even take the chance to see a set they loved a second time. "Some people go on cruises," Sally said, "but we go to Coachella." 

— Andy Abeyta

You've probably heard by now that the Sahara tent has moved quite a bit south on the grounds this year, stretching out the distance from the Sahara to the rest of the festival. As an experiment I walked from the Outdoor Theatre to the Sahara tent, what I would call the farthest possible trek on the grounds. It took me 13 minutes, and 13 seconds and 985 steps. And that was at 2:45 p.m. with a mostly open field in front of me. So, factor that math into your daily plan if you hope to see an act at the Sahara tent followed by an act at the Outdoor Theatre. Whew!

— Shad Powers

Coachella 2024: Fans rush in as gates open on Day 1 of festival

The gates opened around 1:20 p.m. Friday to welcome the first fans at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

In true Coachella fashion, the gates opened 20 minutes later than scheduled on Friday, but that only made festivalgoers at the front of the line even more eager to run to the most important area of the grounds this early in the day: the merch tent.

This year, the artist-specific tents aren't next to the main merch tent you see when you walk in the gates. Instead, Lana Del Rey, Doja Cat and No Doubt have their own merch tents to the right of the Heineken House stage at the back of the festival grounds. Noticeably, Tyler, The Creator doesn't have his own merch tent.

— Niki Kottmann

The livestream schedule for Coachella 2024 Weekend 1, Day 1 has been released. Here's how to watch the livestream on YouTube on Friday, April 12 by stage. All times are Pacific Daylight Times, and the schedule is subject to change:

Channel 1: Coachella Stage

• 4:45 p.m.: Young Miko
• 6 p.m.: Sabrina Carpenter
• 7:35 p.m.: Lil Uzi Vert
• 9:05 p.m.: Peso Pluma
• 11:20 p.m.: Lana Del Rey (headliner)

Channel 2: Outdoor Theatre

• 5:25 p.m.: L’Impératrice
• 6:45 p.m.: Deftones
• 8:10 p.m.: Everything Always
• 10:15 p.m.: Justice
• 11:30 p.m. Honey Dijon x Green Velvet

Channel 3: Sahara

• 4 p.m.: Cloonee
• 5:20 p.m.: Ken Carson
• 6:30 p.m.: Skepta
• 7:45 p.m.: Bizarrap
• 9:15 p.m.: Peggy Gou
• 10:45 p.m.: Ateez
• Midnight: Steve Angello

Channel 4: Mojave

• 4 p.m.: Mall Grab
• 4:30 p.m.: The Japanese House
• 5:40 p.m.: Faye Webster
• 6:55 p.m.: Tinashe
• 8:20 p.m.: Yoasobi
• 9:50 p.m.: Hatsune Miku
• 11:15 p.m.: Anti Up

Channel 5: Gobi

• 4:20 p.m.: Sid Sriram
• 5:30 p.m.: Chappell Roan
• 6:45 p.m.: Brittany Howard
• 8 p.m.: Neil Frances
• 9:15 p.m.: Chlöe
• 10:30 p.m.: Suki Waterhouse

Channel 6: Sonora

• 4 p.m.: Late Night Drive Home
• 4:50 p.m.: The Beths
• 5:55 p.m.: Eartheater
• 7 p.m.: Narrow Head
• 8 p.m.: Black Country, New Road
• 9:05 p.m.: Clown Core
• 10:20 p.m.: Son Rompe Pera

— Kate Franco

While another spring storm is set to hit Southern California this weekend, bringing rain mostly to the Los Angeles area and parts of the Inland Empire, those who are flocking to the Empire Polo Club in Indio for Weekend 1 of Coachella should be pleasantly surprised. The National Weather Service out of San Diego on Friday is predicting picture-perfect (selfie-perfect?), if breezy, conditions in Indio and across the Coachella Valley Friday through Sunday.

• Friday: Sunny with highs near 90 degrees. The afternoon will see wind of 5 to 10 mph with some gusts hitting 20 mph.
• Friday night: Clear with lows around 56 degrees, which should make for good sleeping weather in the car camping area. Northwest winds will be 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
• Saturday: Sunny and highs near 81 degrees. Wind of 5 to 10 mph expected.
• Saturday night: Clear with a low around 52 degrees. A west wind of 15 to 25 mph could gust as high as 40 mph.
• Sunday: Another sunny day, with a high near 75. Wind of 10 to 15 mph could increase to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon, gusting to up to 30 mph.
• Sunday night: Mostly clear and breezy, with a low around 52 degrees.

— Kate Franco

The official Coachella lineup is thinner this year than recent festivals, but does that mean there's more opportunity for special guests? Read about why The Desert Sun staff is keeping their eyes peeled for Anitta, Sia, Kali Uchis, Megan Thee Stallion, The Weeknd, Leon Bridges, PinkPantheress and Blake Shelton.

— Kate Franco

Snow touching down in sunny Indio is as rare as crossing paths with Taylor Swift, but for Coachellagoers, the rumors are spiraling if the star will make an appearance to support her friend and "Snow On the Beach" collaborator Lana Del Rey (headlining Friday's show). Her opening act in South America, Australia and Singapore, Sabrina Carpenter, also has a set at Coachella on Friday. On Saturday, Swift's friend and co-producer Jack Antonoff is playing with the Bleachers fresh off a new album release. The three acts will also repeat next week, so be on the lookout for Taylor and Travis.

— Bryan West, the USA TODAY Network's Taylor Swift reporter

Vampire Weekend was added to the Coachella lineup on Tuesday, thrilling Indie rock fans and setting off furious debate about whether or not they will play Weekend 2, largely regarded as the "music lovers'" weekend (as opposed to Weekend 1's reputation as the influencer weekend). History suggests it's anybody's guess. Arcade Fire was similarly added to the 2022 lineup and only played Weekend 1. Blink-182 was added last-minute in 2023 for Weekend 1, and then got a huge upgrade to headliner Weekend 2 when Frank Ocean controversially bowed out.

Vampire Weekend, which was formed in 2006 in New York City, is no stranger to Coachella, Desert Sun Features Editor Niki Kottmann writes. The group played the festival in 2008, 2010 and then again in 2013. Check them out Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Outdoor Theatre.

— Kate Franco

Car camping is the most classic way to experience a weekend at Coachella. Make friends. Do fun activities (silent disco, anyone?). Goldenvoice has perfected the experience over the years, and campers will be happy to know that the amenities are plentiful: Food vendors, free water refill stations, free WiFi, general stores where you can purchase basic necessities including ice, phone charging stations, restrooms and showers and even a free supermarket shuttle, should you run out of provisions.

First, let's get you there. GPS is fickle so here are some directions as provided by Goldenvoice:

• Day parking: From all directions, approach the Empire Polo Club and follow signs and traffic personnel.
• Preferred parking: From eastbound Interstate10, exit at Monroe Street and travel south. Take a right on Avenue 49 and a left into Lot 1. Don’t attempt to approach north on Monroe.
• Car camping/toll booths (Lot 13): From Eastbound Interstate 10, exit at Jefferson Street and continue to Indio Boulevard. Take a right at Jefferson Street and follow signs and traffic personnel to check-in lanes.
• Lake Eldorado: From Eastbound Interstate 10, exit at Jefferson Street and continue to Indio Boulevard. Take a right at Jefferson Street. Then take a left at Avenue 50 and a right at Madison Street. Follow signs to Lake Eldorado on left.
• Companion camping parking and tent camping parking (Lot 2A): From Eastbound Interstate 10, exit at Jefferson Street and continue to Indio Boulevard. Take a right at Jefferson Street and then a left at Avenue 50. Follow signs to Lot 2A on left

Some car camping rules, again from Goldenvoice:

• A festival pass is required for entry into the campground
• You must be 18 or older (or accompanied by an adult) to enter the campground
• The campground opened at 9 a.m. on Thursday and will close Monday at 10 a.m.
• All car camping sites are 30 feet by 10 feet
• Unlimited friends/tents per site
• One vehicle per site allowed, and required
• A vehicle must be a passenger car, truck or van. RVs and motorhomes (or any vehicle with running water or toilets) are not allowed, nor are motorcycles, buses or U-Haul trucks.
• Sites assigned in order of arrival
• Each site also includes one overnight parking space in an adjacent lot to leave a car for the weekend
• Campers and cars will be searched at check in
• Noise curfew starts at 1:30 a.m.

Want more? Check out our evergreen guide to making your life easier while car camping at Coachella.

— Kate Franco

Backpacks and bags are allowed, and they don't have to be clear but they need to be 18 inches x 13 inches x 8.5 inches or smaller. The trick is in what you can bring inside. The full list is long but here are a few key items that are allowed, and those that aren't.

Allowed: Cameras (non-professional), eye drops, hydration packs, binoculars, breast pumps, chapstick, face masks, GoPros, hand sanitizer, gum, inhalers, lighters, makeup, phone chargers, empty reusable water bottles, water misters.

Not allowed: Aerosol products, air horns, blankets, chairs, coolers, drones, discriminative or appropriative items, divisive or appropriative symbols, flags, fliers, glass bottles, glow sticks, illegal drugs and paraphernalia, laser pointers, selfie sticks, tripods, umbrellas, walkie talkies.

— Kate Franco

More: Coachella 2024 essentials: Everything you need to pack as well as what to leave at home

Love it or hate it, TikTok has become an integral part of the music industry, writes Desert Sun reporter Ani Gasparyan. So it should come as no surprise that several artists who gained success on the popular social media platform will be taking the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival this year.

Check out Gasparyan's story about TikTok stars Kenya Grace, Thuy, YG Marley, Jungle and Saint Levant, all of whom are slated to play this weekend.

— Kate Franco

Speaking of Saint Levant, he's one three acts USA TODAY California elections fellow Kathryn Palmer has picked to make a political statement at Coachella.

Palmer writes that music and politics have always had an intertwined relationship, as evidenced when more than 80 performers pulled out of the South by Southwest festival in Austin in March to protest several defense contracting companies participating in the event, and its "super sponsor," the U.S. Army. Though there have not been any high-profile disputes among artists and Coachella organizers similar to that in Austin, the festival is by no means insulated from the Israel-Hamas war or the war in Ukraine.

Read about the backgrounds of Saint Levant, ARTBAT and Miss Monique, and their personal connections to ongoing world strife

— Kate Franco

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