Tens of thousands of music fans are expected to descend on the Empire Polo Club grounds in Indio Friday for the second weekend of the 2025 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, featuring artists across genres including vintage, alternative, indie pop, R&B, electronica and more.
“‘The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival is one of the most critically acclaimed festivals in the world,” according to a statement from event organizer Goldenvoice. “Coachella mixes groundbreaking artists from all genres of music, along with a substantial selection of art installations from all over the world.”
Friday’s performances across eight outdoor stages will include Lady Gaga, Mustard, Missy Elliott, Djo, Thee Sacred Souls and Erez, among others.
Saturday’s lineup will feature headliner Travis Scott, along with El Malilla, Green Day, T-Pain and Gustavo Dudamel & the LA Phil.
The final day of the festival will include headliner Post Malone, as well as Soft Play, Jessie Murph, Muni Long and Tripolism.
During the festival’s first weekend, Sen. Bernie Sanders made a surprise appearance during singer-songwriter Clairo’s set on April 13, telling the crowd, “You can turn away and ignore what goes on, but if you do, you do it at your own peril.”
Police Sgt. Abe Plata said Thursday’s camper arrivals went smoothly, and no significant traffic issues were reported. That was a sharp change from last week, when many motorists waited for hours in long lines to access the camping area. Festival organizers said they added more toll plazas for this weekend’s event to avoid a repeat of those waits.
Up to 40,000 campers are expected on-site, while thousands more will stay in area hotels or travel daily via Interstate 10, ride-shares or private vehicles, organizers said.
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.
According to the city of Indio, there will be no access on Avenue 49, between Hjorth and Monroe streets, or along Avenue 50, between Jackson and Madison streets, or on Hjorth, from Avenues 49 to 50, or along Madison, between Avenues 49 and 52.
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 grounds. 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.
Shuttle services will be available from area hotels and motels daily.
There will also be 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.
The Indio Police Department will receive support from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol throughout the event.
Arrests for various, usually misdemeanor, violations are common during the celebrations, officials noted. The number of arrests during weekend one increased by 17% compared to last year’s event, according to the Indio Police Department.
The complete second-weekend marquee can be found at coachella.com.