What to Know Before Visiting Coachella 2022: Latest Guidelines and Regulations
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Summer festival season is in full swing, and one of the first major music festivals of the year is coming up fast: Coachella. While we anticipate everyone has already started to pack some bags and coordinate a plan (like we’ve said before, planning is key), one thing you won’t be required to bring this year? A vax card or mask.
The annual fest returns after Coachella cancelled their 2021 event due to Covid-19, marking the third time the festival had been forced to reschedule since the pandemic started in March 2020. Even with the medical community keeping an eye out for BA.2 variant, and mask mandates being dropped nationwide, Empire Polo Ground is expected to be packed with nearly 125,000 attendees again this year, as eager fans scramble to secure tickets after the long hiatus.
Coachella 2022’s still got the green light to go ahead at full-capacity, but protocols have changed drastically compared to other music festivals like Gov Ball and Lollapalooza who required proof of vaccination to enter their festival grounds last year. COVID safety measures have been dropped, according to the festival’s website, stating “In accordance with local guidelines, there will be no vaccination, testing or masking requirements at Coachella 2022.”
We’ve got you covered, though — along with some tips we’ve shared before for how to pack for a post-mask concert (from where to get proper sunscreen, to festival-ready cameras), we’ve got a full guide for what you need to know to make your Coachella experience as memorable (and safe) as possible.
How to Buy Last-Minute Tickets for Coachella 2022 Online
First things first, get your tickets in hand (or your passes, in this case). While tickets for Coachella went on sale in January on their official site, and have since sold out, don’t panic and go to a sketchy website with a huge mark-up or hit up your cousin who totally “knows a guy” for tickets.
Vivid Seats is the place to buy last-minute Coachella tickets online, with everything available from both weekends, general admission tickets, and even VIP passes. Vivid Seats guarantees the authenticity of its tickets or your money back.
BONUS: use our exclusive Rolling Stone promo code RS15 to save $15 off your purchase at VividSeats.com.
Another great place to find cheap Coachella tickets? StubHub. The site currently has a number of Coachella passes available as of this writing, and you might find even lower prices once the festival actually starts.
Don’t forget that you can also check Ticketmaster, who often hold last-minute tickets to release a day or two before the festival (and even VIP Coachella passes online.) Ticketmaster also has GA passes and shuttle passes.
If you’re looking for how to get into Coachella’s most highly-anticipated afterparty, Neon Carnival, or exclusive events like REVOLVE Festival that are happening that same weekend, check out our guide here.
Coachella 2022 Lineup and Basic Info
So you’ve got the passes, checked that off your list — now here’s the run-down on the 2022 festival. First off, the event will be taking place over two separate weekends. The first weekend of Coachella runs from April 15-17, 2022, and the second weekend goes from April 22-24, 2022 at the Empire Polo Ground in Indio, California.
Harry Styles is set to headline first nights of Coachella on April 15 and April 22, respectively. Billie Eilish will also perform at the festival on Saturday night, and Sunday’s official headliners were recently announced to be the Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia just after Kanye West pulled out of Coachella. The lineup also features Maggie Rogers, Daniel Caesar, Phoebe Bridgers, Lil Baby, Baby Keem, Megan Thee Stallion, Jamie xx, Brockhampton, and more.
While Coachella doesn’t have an official map of the festival on their site this year, you can find information about festival activities and art installations, as well as how to camp onsite during the weekend. The two-weekend lineup includes over 100 performances across seven stages, and has also been officially posted here, although that may be subject to change.
Unlike other festivals in 2021, Coachella’s health and safety guidelines require no proof of full vaccination, testing or masking requirements. If you’re unvaccinated, though, we still suggest you wear a mask throughout your time onsite (face coverings will prevent against a face full of desert dirt, anyways).
Coachella is essentially working on the honor system here, and leaving it up to you (the attendees) to evaluate your own risk in determining whether to attend the festival or not. But by taking the right precautions (like getting fully vaccinated before you go), you can mitigate your risk and still have a rocking time.
How to Stream Coachella 2022 Online Free
This is all to say that if you don’t love being shoulder to shoulder with thousands of sweaty people, there’s a way to get the full Coachella 2022 experience from home without missing out on any of the fun. This year, Coachella has teamed up with Youtube for an exclusive livestream of the festival event, called “Front Row Coachella”.
You can catch the livestream on both weekends, starting April 15 and April 22, 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. EST at youtube.com/coachella. Subscribe now and make sure to turn on notifications so you can check out the live chat, in-stream shopping experiences, and exclusive artist interviews, only on YouTube.
What to Bring to Coachella 2022
Every concert venue and live-music festival across the country is different, with safety measures and venue layout switch-ups, there may be a few changes to what you can bring. So here’s what we recommend you pack for Coachella, from bags to earplugs and everything beyond, all festival-approved in accordance with their 2022 guidelines.
1. Clear Festival Backpack
Amazon
Festival rules about bags oftentimes widely vary from venue to venue, so it’s best to check beforehand so you don’t show up at the gates and get anything confiscated.
While Coachella doesn’t necessarily require that bags be made from clear plastic, they still can’t exceed 20″ x 15″ x 9″. We like this clear backpack because it’s made specifically with festivals in mind, so you can use it again for a venue that’s a little stricter. It’s got a built-in keychain clip, a charging/earphone slot for handy music-listening, a card pocket on the shoulder strap to store your credit card or metro card. Even though it’s durable, it’s got padded shoulder straps and is easy enough to carry that you’ll want to wear it even after the stage lights go down.
Besides backpacks, Coachella will also allow bota bags and empty, plastic hydration packs, like this one with a bright, shimmering design perfect for festivals.
Courtesy image
Even as major music festivals in the U.S. start dropping their face mask requirements, that doesn’t mean your fellow attendees will always follow social distancing protocols. It’s true that Coachella takes place in an open-air arena, but you should still attempt to maintain a reasonable distance of six feet from your fellow concertgoers, even while vaccinated (save the crowd surfing for another time). This doesn’t mean there’s zero risk, so we still suggest you pick up a good, rugged face covering that can hold up to standing outdoors in the hot summer air for hours.
One of our favorite protective face masks is this mask from H_llo Friend. It stands out from other reusable masks because it has five protective layers that are treated with an anti-microbial finish to keep it fresh. The mask itself is breathable, making it super gentle if you’re going to be showing up for the entire weekend-long event. It’s also got a customizable comfy strap that can be worn over your ears, or over your head.
3. Point-and-Shoot Camera
Amazon
Nowadays, venues get pretty particular with what kind of cameras they’ll let you take in, even if the tech on your phone lets you get some pretty good shots. Coachella’s rules say nothing “professional,” but what does that mean? Normally that refers to a camera with a detachable lens, or with a standard lens longer than two inches. Action cameras like GoPros aren’t necessarily banned here, but video recording isn’t allowed, so we advise not bringing yours this time. But if you don’t want to risk the memory of a lifetime getting ruined by an unintentionally grainy, blurred-out zoom picture from your phone, a point-and-shoot is your best bet.
We really like the accessibility and 4K quality of the Panasonic Lumix LX10 — if you need a portable way to capture your festival experience with the least amount of effort, this is the one you should get. The Lumix LX10 shoots in crystal-clear 4K at 30 fps (frames per second), and with DFD (Depth From Defocus) it’ll quickly establish a focus lock on faraway, moving subjects, you’ll get actual usable footage when you’re being jostled around by a raging crowd.
4. Hand Sanitizer
Purophy
There’s no guarantee that you’re going to have easy access to running water and soap on-hand, and hand-sanitizing stations might be scattered around too far for you to reach in a pinch. To keep germs and viruses at bay, Coachella will allow you to bring along some bottles of hand sanitizer: while they don’t specific the ounces, this spray-on Hand and Surface Cleaning mist by Purophy is compact, and kills some of the most common germs without the extra goopy mess.
Suitable for both your hands and to disinfect surfaces, the mist is made with 70 percent alcohol to exceed CDC recommendations by 10 percent. It also contains all-natural aloe vera to help soothe sun-kissed skin. Stock up before you go with their six-pack, which includes three spray bottles and three mini refill bottles. If you’re worried about looking suspicious trying to bring in a bunch of mini-bottles of a clear liquid, a pack of disinfecting baby wipes will also do the trick (and are perfectly acceptable to bring).
5. Phone Juice Pack
ZAGG
Coachella will actually have power outlets and USB plugs available across the venue and campgrounds when you get to the festival. But if you don’t want to keep running back and forth every time your battery runs out of energy, having a battery pack, or one of our top portable chargers, is a great way to ensure you won’t run out of life while in the middle of taking concert photos or trying to call your friends.
Mophie’s battery charging cases are conveniently attached to your phone at all times, so you’ll never set it down and forget it, or have to exchange it for another battery. They’re some of the most reliable power banks out there, since they can extend your phone’s battery life by up to 35 percent all day, and prevent the panic moment of forgetting your charging cable at home.
6. UV-Blocking Sunglasses
Courtesy Garrett Leight
No more squinting to see the stage with the afternoon sun beating down on you. While you can pick up sunglasses from any corner store on your way there, if you’re going to spend a lot of time in the sun, you’ll want lenses that can protect your eyes the same way a good sunblock would for your skin. Wearing sunglasses are also an easy way to get you to stop rubbing your eyes, something that can spread germs to your face.
These Garrett Leight Navarre Sunglasses made our Summer Essentials guide, thanks to their anti-reflective, UV-blocking lenses and built-in nose pads for long-wearing style. With three different color ways and a gently rounded design, these glasses will go along with any festival-ready outfit that we know you’ve been planning weeks in advance.
7. Plastic Water Bottle
Amazon
Hydration is a must, full-stop, no questions asked. While some festivals might make you suffer through purchasing water bottles on-site, Coachella is letting you bring in one empty, plastic reusable water bottle per person. You’ll get day-long sippable water from this Thermos water bottle, and since it fits within the 40 oz volume limit, you can fill up at the water stations with a hearty amount to keep you well-hydrated.
This bottle’s proprietary Tritan by Eastman material means that while it remains super durable, even if you drop it a few times on the rocks. A worthy concert companion, it has a soft-grip carry handle, and a hygienically spout to keep dust and dirt out of your drinks.
8. Earplugs
Amazon
If you want to vibe out to Coachella’s lineup without suffering from that ringing in your ears for days afterward, protecting your hearing is as important as packing the best sunscreen.
Consider springing for these high-fidelity earplugs from Vibes, which are designed with live music in mind. These earplugs reduce damaging decibel levels in noisy areas without hurting sound quality, so you won’t have to sit through a muffled version of your favorite songs. Made of form-fitting silicone, these are also more comfortable (and less bulky) than typical earplugs.
9. Blanket
Slowtide
Blankets, sheets, towels — good news for you, cause Coachella allows them all (as long as you keep it small). Of course, you’ll want to be comfortable no matter where you park it at an outdoor festival, but you also don’t want to look like you just grabbed your bathroom towel before heading out the door. Slowtide’s Haven Blanket is the answer, especially for this music fest.
The two-person blanket is made with microfiber, so you won’t get to sweat spills, and there’s a bottom DWR layer for laying down on everything from grassy patches, to slightly muddy hills. But Slowtide is a real festival winner because of its storage capabilities: you can easily fit your phone, keys, or sunblock (non-canned, 3.4 ounces, according to the rules) within the blanket’s corner pockets. The Haven also comes with a convenient carry bag for travel.
Since this is a music festival after all, you can also flex some of the greats with their collection of blanket collaborations, such as the oversized Beatles throw blanket, or the stylish Grateful Dead collection.
What not to bring: Coachella has an extensive list of what’s banned from the fest on their website, but some notable exclusions are aerosol sunblocks, video cameras, chairs, coolers, drones, flags or totems, glass or metal containers, large chains or spiked jewelry, outside food or beverages, laptops or tablets, tents, umbrellas, and selfie sticks.
How to Stay Safe at Coachella
Even with festival season in full swing, any time you’re getting sweaty around thousands of strangers is still a game of risk assessment. According to CovidActNow, though the Riverside County area currently has a 64.1 percent vaccination rate (of at least one dose), the Covid-19 risk level is classified as being “medium” right now. That being said, if you’re currently vaccinated, you still have a much higher protection level than someone unvaccinated.
There are steps you can take to make sure that you lower your risk even further. First thing’s first, you should make sure it’s been two weeks since your second dose of the Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccine before traveling to Coachella, and consider getting a booster shot if you haven’t already gotten one. Coachella will also be offering on-site, rapid 15-minute antigen COVID-19 testing services at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden and the Camping Hub.
But Covid-19 isn’t the only health concern with going to a big festival, since you might have to contend with the usual incidents that come along, like sunburns, heat exhaustion, cuts, burns, food poisoning, etc. Coachella will have fully-equipped medical sites staffed by trained personnel located throughout the festival to manage any issue on hand. If you do get sick, you’re just a few miles away from some regional hospitals, including the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital.
One way to give yourself some reassurance is with a little travel insurance: AXA Assistance USA is a service we like that provides coverage so you can prepare for the unexpected. Their insurance plans, depending on the tier, can include benefits such as trip cancellation, emergency medical expenses, accidental injuries and illness coverage, and baggage delays to help give you peace of mind before and during your festival excursion. You can get a quote or file a claim on their website here.
Of course it goes without saying, but if you are experiencing any severe symptoms, you should always go see a doctor or head to the nearest hospital to get checked out.
