Loud music, long lines, crowded stages, and impressive performances, this is the magic of Coachella. There are many reasons that Coachella is a worthwhile experience, but there are also several things that people should know before they choose to attend. 

I want to focus on the three main parts of my experience: accommodations (car camping), music performances, and food. The ups and downs of Coachella were defined by these things, and they are all a matter of my personal experience and perspective.

The car camping experience at Coachella was different depending on people’s personal desires, needs, and experiences. Some people had camping spots near each other and created mega camps, and others like myself had large cars and limited space. 

The only things that are a must-have when camping are: tents or tarps that create lots of shade for your camping spot. Shade is your friend at Coachella and the sun is not, and without a tarp or tent, the Coachella experience would be miserable. 

This is also important because from about 10 am to 7 pm the sun is out and it is hot. Be prepared to sweat a lot, and make sure that you have a plan for showering before you go. I recommend bringing a solar shower because the lines for the provided showers are long. 

Obviously, the music at Coachella is fantastic. Coachella was the best music experience of my life. Not only are there all types of music present, but all performers are giving the best performance because Coachella is such a popular and streamed event. 

Another part about the music at Coachella which I really enjoyed was that most performers, who weren’t headliners, had about an hour for their show. This means that performers will play the best music, and can not be late. This makes the overall experience more interesting and fun.

Coachella has so many performers which means that there are usually multiple performances occurring at the same time, and performances happening for 12 hours straight.

Although this gives lots of opportunities for seeing people, this means you are going to miss things because they will be happening at the same time, or you are going to need to rest and recover during that time.

The hot sun means that you are going to need to take lots of time to rest and recover so that you can make it all night, and see the best performances.

There is no lack of food or drink at Coachella, and all of it is amazing. I has some of the best tacos of my life at Coachella, they were fresh and delicious, but expensive. This was also the case for the lemonade which was freshly squeezed and available almost all over the place at the Coachella. 

Although the food was amazing, the majority of the food I ate we cooked ourselves. I am allergic to gluten and preferred to cook most of my own meals.

Many people do not choose to cook their own meals; however, if you are able, there is a large benefit to being able to prepare your own food. Having your own food means no long lines for food, and it’s much cheaper. 

Overall, my Coachella experience was fantastic and something I would love to be able to do again at some point in my life. It was definitely not always an easy process, but every hard or difficult moment was worth it as soon as you got to see the amazing performances you had been waiting all year for.