-
Beginning of the tradition
Creators Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen were having financial problems with their concert-promotion company Goldenvoice against larger companies. Tollett said, "We were getting our ass kicked financially. We were losing a lot of bands. And we couldn't compete with the money." As a result, the idea of a music festival was conceived, and Tollett began to brainstorm ideas for one with multiple venues. -
Period: to
History of Coachella
-
First Coachella
On October 9–10, 1999, the inaugural Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was held. Headlining the event were Beck, the Chemical Brothers, Tool, Morrissey, and Rage Against the Machine; other acts included Jurassic 5 and Underworld. Tickets were sold for $50. ([April 27, 2006]. "Coachella Preview: Oasis or mirage? Your call". Los Angeles Times. p. E32. Retrieved June 2, 2015.) -
2000
Goldenvoice reserved tentative dates for October 2000 to reprise the festival, but ultimately canceled for that year; Tollett blamed it on the oversaturation of music festivals in Southern California ("Blame It on Rio: Labels Fear Leaks Via MP3". Los Angeles Times. p. 58. Retrieved April 23, 2015). -
2001
In 2001, Goldenvoice brought Coachella back. This time ticket prices were raised to $65. However, organizers were forced to shorten the festival to a single day. The 2001 festival went smoothly; over 35,000 tickets were sold, and despite taking a loss again, Tollett estimates it was a "low, low six-figure sum". ([April 28, 2003]. "Independent in vision, spirit and musical lineup". Los Angeles Times. p. E1. Retrieved April 24, 2015). -
2003
The 2003 event was important because it began to develop worldwide interest and began to become nationally known. It was also the first year on-site camping was provided, improving accessibility as a destination music festival for concertgoers. The ticket prices at this time were $75 for one day, and ranged higher to the price of $140 for a two-day pass. ( [March 15, 2003]. "Coachella Preserves Its Diverse Lineup of A-List Talent"). -
2004
The 2004 event featured the reunited Pixies, as well as Radiohead, Kraftwerk, The Cure, Belle and Sebastian, and The Flaming Lips. It was Coachella's first sellout, drawing a two-day total of 110,000 people. For the first time, the festival attracted attendees from all 50 US states. (Seabrook, John (April 17, 2017). "The Mastermind Behind Coachella". The New Yorker. Retrieved April 11, 2017). -
2005
The 2005 event ran from April 30 to May 1 and featured the reunited Bauhaus, as well as Coldplay, Arcade Fire, Snow Patrol, Weezer, The Prodigy, Keane, Chemical Brothers, Kasabian, Nine Inch Nails, Bright Eyes, Wilco, Spoon, Stereophonics, etc. Approximately 50,000 people attended each day of the festival. (Robertson, Jessica (January 31, 2006). "Depeche Mode, Tool Lead '06 Coachella Lineup". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 4, 2017). -
2006
The 2006 event featured headliners Depeche Mode and Tool. Two of the most popular performances were Madonna, who played in an overflowing dance tent, and Daft Punk, whose show featuring a pyramid-shaped stage is cited as one of the most memorable performances in Coachella history. Around 120,000 concertgoers attended the event over two days, garnering Goldenvoice a gross of $9 million. ( [May 9, 2007]. "Big summer festivals offer lots of music for the money". The Blade). -
2007
In 2007, Coachella was permanently extended to three days in 2007. The headlining acts were Red Hot Chili Peppers, the reunited Rage Against the Machine, and Björk, all of whom headlined for the second time. The festival compiled a three-day aggregate attendance of 186,636, a new best, and grossed $16.3 million.[33](Waddell, Ray (April 21, 2009). "Coachella Fest Posts Second Biggest Year Ever". Billboard.com. Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group. Retrieved January 8, 2015). -
2008
In 2008, Coachella did not sell out for the first time since 2003. It featured headliners Prince, Roger Waters, and Jack Johnson, along with notable appearances from Portishead, the reunited The Verve, M.I.A., Kraftwerk, etc. The 2008 festival drew an attendance of 151,666 and grossed $13.8 million, but lost money, due to tickets not selling out and high booking fees paid for Prince and Roger Waters. -
2009
The 2009 festival occurred a week earlier than usual. The new dates were April 17, 18 and 19. The event featured headliners Paul McCartney, The Killers, and The Cure. The festival drew an aggregate attendance of 152,962 and grossed $15,328,863. -
2010
Organizers eliminated single-day ticket sales for 2010, and instead instituted a new policy offering three-day tickets only, which drew mixed reactions. Headliners included Jay-Z, Muse and Gorillaz. Despite Tollett's reservations about holding a festival in 2010 due to the economy, that year's Coachella drew an estimated aggregate attendance of 225,000, surpassing previous records. The festival grossed $21,703,500. -
2011
Prior to the 2011 festival, Goldenvoice made several investments and improvements locally to help support Coachella. In addition to funding an additional lane for Avenue 50, which borders the festival, the promoter cleared additional space on the polo grounds by leveling a 250,000-square-foot area and moving horse stables. The 2011 festival grossed $24,993,698[46] from 75,000 paid attendees, for an aggregate attendance of 225,000 across the entire three-day weekend. -
2012
The 2012 festival featured headliners the Black Keys, Radiohead, and a twin billing of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. The 2012 festival grossed $47,313,403 from 158,387 paid attendees across the two weekends; 80,726 tickets were sold for the first weekend, and 77,661 for the second. (Waddell, Ray (June 20, 2012). "Coachella Grosses More Than $47 Million". Billboard.com. Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group. Retrieved January 8, 2015.) -
2013
Featured performers for the 2013 festival included Blur, Descendents, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. General admission tickets sold for $349, a $34 increase from the previous year. The festival grossed $67.2 million in ticket sales and was attended by 180,000 people, making it the top music festival in the world. In July 2013, Goldenvoice finalized a $30 million purchase of 280 acres of land surrounding the Empire Polo Club, including the 200-acre Eldorado Polo Club. -
2014
The 2014 festival, held on April 11–13 and April 18–20, featured 184 artists. General admission tickets sold out in less than 20 minutes, while all other tickets (including VIP tickets in excess of $5,000) sold out in less than 3 hours. That year's festival featured 96,500 daily attendees and grossed a record-breaking $78.332 million. For the fourth consecutive year, Coachella was named the Top Festival at the Billboard Touring Awards. -
2015
The 2015 festival, held on April 10–12 and 17–19, featured headliners AC/DC, Jack White, and Drake, with a surprise appearance by Madonna. The event established new records for tickets sold (198,000) and total gross ($84,264,264) for a festival.The festival won Pollstar's award for Major Music Festival of the Year, marking the 10th time in 11 years that Coachella had won the award. -
2016
In March 2016, the Indio City Council passed a measure allowing up to 62,000 additional people to attend future Coachellas. As part of the vote, the attendance cap for Coachella was raised from 99,000 to 126,000. Weekend two was marked by several tributes to Prince, the 2008 headliner who died just prior to the weekend's shows. The festival sold 198,000 tickets and grossed $94.2 million. -
2017
The 2017 edition of Coachella took place from April 14–16 and April 21–23, and featured Radiohead, Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar as headlining artists. The festival drew 250,000 attendees and grossed $114.6 million.[76] 2017 became the first time a reoccurring festival grossed over $100 million.
