With an average age of 72, some of the biggest — and ancient — names in rock and roll will take to the stage starting Friday night in Indio for what some are calling “Oldchella.”
The Coachella Valley festival, official called Desert Trip, will run this weekend and next and feature rock legends Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Paul McCartney, The Who and Roger Waters.
With tickets costing from hundreds of dollars to thousands, the shows are expected to bring in about $160 million, according to festival officials.
The set times for this weekend, to be repeated on Oct. 14-16, are as follows:
— Friday: Bob Dylan at 6:50 p.m.; The Rolling Stones at 9:40 p.m.
— Saturday: Neil Young at 6:15 p.m.; Paul McCartney at 9:15 p.m.
— Sunday: The Who at 6:15 p.m.; Roger Waters at 9:10 p.m.
The Empire Polo Grounds will open to festival-goers at 2 p.m. each day.
Playfully dubbed “Oldchella,” the big name performers and older audience demographic are expected to have the festival generating that $160 million that would be almost double the record $84 million raked in during last year’s Coachella festival.
Music promoter Goldenvoice, which also organizes the annual Coachella and Stagecoach festivals, has arranged for a plethora of amenities catering to an older crowd, including a top-shelf “culinary experience” featuring renowned chefs from across the country and stadium seating, something unheard of at Goldenvoice’s other festivals.
In addition to the live performances, the festival will feature “The Desert Trip Photography Experience,” a 36,000-square-foot exhibit of more than 200 photos of the performers, housed within a massive, air-conditioned indoor tent.
Passes for the festival’s first weekend long ago sold out, but various three-day packages for the second weekend are still available.
Those seeking to camp just outside the Empire Polo Grounds throughout the weekend may begin settling into their camping spots starting tomorrow morning. Free day parking is available, along with designated shuttle drop-off and pick-up areas. The parking will open at noon each day.