Coachella has been on my bucket list for a while and I finally got here. I did it the easy way though (the way adults do it). By getting tickets through the American Express “by invitation only” concierge. It’s expensive, but it’s worth it. It saves you the trouble of waiting in lines and walking for miles. Plus, the VIP area that comes with the ticket is nice. It has a lot of food vendors with organic, vegan, and other healthy options. You get vouchers worth $150 for drinks and food. So you do it like real adults do. You don’t spare any expense.
The drive from LA to Coachella is nice and easy. I decided to take my time and come one day earlier so I could stop by Cabazon for some discounted retail therapy. It’s a huge outlet that carries Saint Laurent, Prada, Gucci, Marni, and others. Probably one of a kind. They claim to be opening another next year in Florida. To my surprise the outlets have an amazing selection of high-end fashion with your choice of sizes (that’s rare). I got a great cross-body Saint Laurent bag and some accessories that were 70 percent off.
Once I got to the festival, I felt that the first day was more like an orientation. You get to know what distances to walk and plan your day with the help of the Coachella app. You can make your own selection of artists and put them in your organizer. One of the drawbacks of the festival is the heat. It’s better, in my opinion, to plan your shows for later afternoon and when the big names perform at night. But, if you are more of a musical gourmet, you might like it better during the day. The festival is super diverse in terms of genre and preferences. It literally caters to everybody.
Another important thing is your choice of hotel. Ideally you should stay at La Quinta (Waldorf Astoria hotel) but it gets sold out quickly.
If you can’t get a reservation there, try one of the nice boutique hotels in Palm Springs. The only downside is that the drive is very long, 40 minutes to an hour, and potentially more if there’s a lot of traffic. But if a bit of traffic is all you have to suffer through, don’t let that hold you back. Coachella is an experience well worth waiting for.
© Fashion IQ 2016