Last weekend I was lucky enough to attend my first ever Coachella with a group of some of my best gal pals from around the world, it was everything I dreamed of and nothing I thought it would be. It was one of the most immersive experiences & festivals I’ve ever been to for so many reasons. There are SO many things I learned as a “first-timer” and decided as many of you haven’t been I thought I’d share some of the tips & tricks I learned this year!
- Stay close to the festival:
I learnt this the hard way, trying to commute around Palm Springs, Indio and Coachella Valley during the festival is an absolute nightmare it can take anywhere from 30 mins- 1 hour and a half to get pretty much anywhere. Next year I will definitely be staying closer to the festival grounds and consider hiring a private driver for the weekend to make the commuting hassle free.
2. Pack LOTS of sunscreen:
This tip is something I totally came ready for, my skin is super fair and I basically am a vampire so a weekend in the desert usually means a weekend of lobster burn for me. This year I came prepped and ready to take on the scorching sun by constantly carrying around sunscreen in my fannypack and backpack!
3. Preplan the shows & parties you want to attend/see:
For me this literally meant making a color coated schedule on a google drive and sending it to my girl gang so at all times we knew where each other would be! Of course, things happen and plans change but having a general schedule really made it easy to get to things on time and meet up with our group WITHOUT having to worry about the lack of cell service.
4. Pack for the whole day:
This tip is pretty straight forward but pack a Coachella bag daily. Act like you were going to be out of the house all day, had 3 outfit changes you need to do & all with different layers because likely you will. During the day the heat is scorching but at night it gets incredibly cold and there are some major dust storms so you’ll want to be well prepared for the moody weather!
5. Bring multiple cameras and chargers:
This one is for the “instagrammers” , bloggers and people who care about having the cutest feed and live stories– make sure to have multiple cameras and chargers for your phone! I carried 2 battery packs for my phone (1 being on the phone case itself) & the other a mobile one as well as my sony a6000 with me every day so I could capture every moment!
6. Go with friends:
My last tip is find yourself a “Coachella Buddy” whether you’re with a big or small group make sure you’re never alone, this way you will always have a bathroom buddy and if you get separated you’re not alone! It also allows you to have the absolute BEST time EVER!
Thank you to my friends at Google for the VIP treatment all weekend and to my friends at HOLR Magazine for letting me take you on my journey as a first timer!