Coachella, from India.
Coachella runs two weekends in April on the polo fields at Indio, two hours east of Los Angeles. It is the festival everything else is measured against, and it is the hardest one on this list to reach from India. The obstacle is not the ticket.
The obstacle
An Indian passport requires a United States B1 or B2 visitor visa, and appointment availability in India has run months deep. That is the whole planning problem. The first move is an appointment, not a pass. People buy the pass, fail to secure an interview in time, and lose both.
The cost
The pass runs 45,000 to 90,000 rupees depending on tier, before shuttle passes or camping. Flights to Los Angeles are the largest line. Rooms in Indio and Palm Springs clear early and price at multiples of the ordinary rate across both weekends. Counted properly, it lands near 4,00,000 rupees a person.
Which weekend
Weekend one holds the larger crowd, the guest appearances and the cameras. Weekend two is the identical lineup with a quieter field. For anyone flying this distance, weekend one, because half of what people mean by Coachella happens away from the stage.
What the weekend is
Desert. Thirty five degrees and dry through the day, cold after dark, dusty throughout. The site is large enough that three stages means a long walk in heat. The music is the frame rather than the whole of it, and most of what is remembered happens between sets.
Before you go
What does an Indian passport need for Coachella?
A United States B1 or B2 visitor visa. Appointment availability in India has run into months, so the visa is the first thing to arrange, well ahead of a pass.
What does Coachella cost from India?
The pass alone runs 45,000 to 90,000 rupees before shuttle or camping. With flights to Los Angeles, six nights at April pricing and ground transport, it lands near 4,00,000 rupees a person.
Which Coachella weekend is better?
Weekend one carries the larger crowd, the guest appearances and the cameras. Weekend two is the same lineup with a calmer field and slightly easier rooms. For anyone flying from India, weekend one.
Where do people stay for Coachella?
Indio and Palm Springs, both of which clear early and price at multiples of the ordinary rate. On site camping is the least expensive option and the hardest. Anything beyond thirty minutes means a long drive twice a day in desert heat.
What is the weather at Coachella?
Desert April. Thirty five degrees and dry through the afternoon, genuinely cold after dark. People plan for the heat and are caught by the night.
What should you wear to Coachella?
Closed shoes above all, because the grounds are dust and grass and you will walk kilometres a day. A hat and sunscreen are not optional in that sun, and a layer you can carry all afternoon matters more than what it looks like. Bag size is restricted at the gates.
How do you get to Indio for Coachella?
Indio sits roughly two and a half hours east of Los Angeles by road, or thirty minutes from Palm Springs airport. Almost everyone flies into one of the two and drives. Shuttle passes run from points across the valley and are sold separately from the festival pass.
How do Coachella tickets actually sell?
Passes sell in an advance sale months ahead, usually in January for that April, and both weekends have sold out within hours in recent years. Payment plans are standard. There is an official resale exchange rather than an open secondary market, so a pass held early is worth far more than a plan to buy later.
Not one the desk runs yet.
The North Club builds journeys where the night is worth the flight and the ground can be held properly. Coachella is on the list. Write to the desk to be told when it opens.
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