Coachella

Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen co-founded Coachella. The first edition took place on October 9–10, 1999. Its official poster listed performers including Beck, the Chemical Brothers, Rage Against the Machine and Tool at the Empire Polo Field in Indio.⁠[3][4]

The next edition listed after 1999 in the official archive is 2001. The festival’s historical timeline highlights a Jane’s Addiction reunion that year.⁠[5][6]

The official retrospective associates Daft Punk’s 2006 performance with the debut of its pyramid stage, a prominent visual milestone in the festival’s historical account.⁠[6]

On April 15, 2011, YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry announced coverage of that year’s Coachella, with more than 60 acts and sponsorship by 5 GUM, extending the festival to remote viewers.⁠[7]

Plans announced in May 2011 expanded the 2012 festival to April 13–15 and 20–22 at the same venue. Organizers said they aimed to offer the same lineup and art to different audiences across the two weekends.⁠[8]

Beyoncé became the first Black woman to headline Coachella in 2018, a milestone highlighted in the official timeline.⁠[6]

Soul’d Out Productions sued AEG, Goldenvoice and other defendants, alleging that Coachella’s performance restrictions obstructed bookings by other festivals. On March 14, 2019, the Oregon federal district court dismissed three antitrust claims with prejudice while allowing amendment of the remaining state-law claims.⁠[9]

On May 12, 2020, the Ninth Circuit held that the plaintiff could assert standing based on its own alleged losses for interference and unfair-competition claims even though it was not a party to the artist contracts. It reversed and remanded without addressing the merits of those state-law claims.⁠[10]

Riverside County announced on June 10, 2020 that its health officer had canceled that year’s Coachella and Stagecoach. Both had already been postponed from April to October, but the rescheduled events did not proceed.⁠[11]

Digital Music News reported on November 25, 2020 that the Soul’d Out litigation had ended in dismissal with prejudice, with each side bearing its own legal fees. The report disclosed neither settlement terms nor reasons; the conclusion did not establish a final merits ruling on the restrictions’ legality.⁠[12]

On January 29, 2021, Riverside County’s health officer issued another order canceling the Coachella and Stagecoach dates scheduled for April 2021, citing COVID-19 transmission risks and the public-health implications of large international gatherings.⁠[13]

In October 2021, Goldenvoice secured a long-term lease and year-round operational arrangement for the Empire Polo Club’s main event venue. AEG identified Goldenvoice as part of AEG Presents and said the agreement also covered Empire Grand Oasis in Thermal. This was an operating and leasing arrangement, not a land purchase.⁠[14][15]

The official poster archive resumes in 2022 after 2019 and then lists editions through 2026. Read alongside the 2020 and 2021 cancellation orders, this history does not support describing the festival as an uninterrupted annual live event since 1999.⁠[5][11][13]

The 2026 poster listed April 10–12 and 17–19, with Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and KAROL G as the three daily headliners. YouTube’s broadcast plan covered seven stages, introduced 4K streams for the Coachella Stage, Outdoor Theatre and Sahara, and offered television multiview.⁠[16][17]

As of October 2026, the official website and Goldenvoice’s directory list April 9–11 and 16–18, 2027 for the next edition. These are announced future dates.⁠[18][1]

The 2027 ticket page distinguishes general admission and VIP passes from camping, shuttle and lodging products. General admission covers all three days of the selected weekend. Price tiers within a pass type differ in price, while camping products generally require festival passes to be purchased separately.⁠[19]

The official partner list includes American Express, Coca-Cola, Heineken, Marriott and YouTube. The event combines ticketing, additional services and brand partnerships; the public list does not disclose revenue, profit or sponsorship amounts.⁠[20][19]

The 2026 art program included Sabine Marcelis’s inflatable Maze, Kyriakos Chatziparaskevas’s Starry Eyes and NEWSUBSTANCE’s seven-story Spectra tower. The festival presents these works as landmarks, public spaces and viewing experiences within the grounds.⁠[2]

The 2026 guide allowed all ages at the festival but required campers under 18 to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Official information is distributed through the website, @coachella on X and @Coachella on YouTube, whose catalog also includes performances and artist interview series.⁠[21][22][23]