Radiohead will kick off the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival’s first weekend of performances Friday, with tens of thousands of fans streaming into Indio for the annual double-weekend desert spectacle.
Gates opened at 11 a.m. and performances began at noon at the Empire Polo Grounds, 81800 Avenue 51.
Radiohead, Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar are set to take on headlining duties this weekend. Lady Gaga was tapped after Beyonce pulled out on her doctor’s orders since she’s carrying twins, but she promised to perform at next year’s festival.
The festival figures to be the best-attended Coachella festival in history, thanks to the Indio City Council’s unanimous decision to expand the festival’s attendance cap from 99,000 to 125,000.
Travelers began streaming into the desert Thursday, contributing to heavy traffic near the polo grounds, according to Indio police. Festival-goers and residents alike have been warned of traffic expected to clog local roads and freeways.
On Friday, traffic developed both on surface streets and freeways heading east from the Los Angeles area.
A traffic advisory was issued by the California Highway Patrol just after 12:30 p.m. for congestion clogging the eastbound 60 freeway in Riverside. Traffic also amassed just west of the Coachella Valley, where the eastbound 60 meets Interstate 10 in Beaumont, according to a Caltrans traffic map.
Within the city, drivers were advised to avoid heading south along Monroe and Madison streets, which take drivers near the polo grounds.
Indio police said surface street congestion was developing near the venue Friday afternoon and recommended that motorists use either Jackson or Jefferson streets to circumvent the traffic.
The usual festival road closures surrounding the venue are at:
- Avenue 49, between Hjorth and Monroe streets.
- Avenue 50, between Madison and Jackson streets.
- Hjorth Street, between Avenue 49 and Avenue 50.
- And Madison Street, between Avenue 49 and Avenue 52.
To reduce traffic, festival goers were encouraged to use Uber and other ridesharing services. Prizes were even offered for carpools of four or more people that display the word “Carpoolchella” on their vehicle. Prizes include a VIP pass for life beginning in 2018, backstage passes, merchandise, vouchers and more.
Radiohead will headline both festival Fridays, with the second festival weekend ending the band’s U.S. tour in support of its latest album, “A Moon Shaped Pool.” The festival will mark the band’s third time as a Coachella headliner, after previously appearing in 2004 and 2012.
Radiohead will take to the Coachella stage at 10:35 p.m.
New additions to the festival include a rock-oriented “Sonora” tent, featuring performances from the likes of punk rock’s T.S.O.L., and the Antarctic, a 360-degree projection dome that will showcase a mix of video footage and computer-generated imagery, taking viewers “on a mind-blowing metamorphic journey through time, space and consciousness,” according to festival organizers.
Though general admission festival passes sold out months ago, people living in the Coachella Valley can obtain weekend passes for next weekend’s performances during a locals-only sale set for next Wednesday in Indian Wells.
People who can’t attend in person can still watch the festival via livestream at www.youtube.com/coachella, where viewers can watch three separate performances simultaneously and even enjoy a 360-degree camera for certain acts. Viewers will also be able to pre-plan their schedule so the stream will automatically switch to selected acts when the time comes.
While gusty winds kicked up duststorms last year, sunny skies are expected through the first Coachella weekend, with highs approaching 90 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Gusts up to 30 mph are possible in Indio Friday night, but winds are expected to die down Saturday and Sunday.
Day parking will be available from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Overnight parking is only available for those who purchased Camping Companion Parking. Cars parked in the Day parking lots past 2 a.m. will be towed.
Visit www.coachella.com for a schedule of performances, festival maps and other information.
— City News Service