IS IT WORTH IT?

[kiksecks]

Ok so it'll be my first time at Coachella this year after reading everyone's warnings and all the rules I'm a bit discouraged. It seems as though you surrender everything once you walk through those gates... you can't have your own food/drink, blankets, or chairs for christsake.. I plan on camping! So here are my questions:
--Is it pretty easy to sneak in food/drink if you do it properly, i.e. roll it up w your sleeping bag/tent? -If so, does that mean all inside drinking will have to sneakily be done in the tent?
--Also, is drinking at your cars in the lot okay?
--Are there showers?

Is this really worth it is what I want to know, because this seems so insanely strict compared to any festival I've been to.
THANKS MUCH FOR THE HELP/ADVICE!

[boarderwoozel3]

-Yes, with minimal effort you can sneak-in your own booze. They allow you to bring food and non-alcoholic drinks into the campground. Once inside, so long as your not chugging from a marked liquor or beer bottle right in front of a cop/security person you'll be fine.
-I don't think they want you to but tons of people--myself included--drink at their cars in the lot so no worries there.
-There are lots of showers but you might have to wait ~10 min. in line depending on what time of day you want to shower.

The rules aren't as tough as they seem. The promoters know what's up and want people to have a good time as long as they can handle themselves or stay in control. So just keep your cool, be smart and you'll have a great time.

[kiksecks]

Thanks for the help - one more question: Once you're at the campgrounds do you have to go through security again to get to the stages?

[Cdubby]

yes

[boarderwoozel3]

Yes, the security to get into the festival is tighter than getting into the campground. But it's still manageable with some creativity.

[tigermilkboy]

I think you have the wrong perception. You can bring just about anything in to the campgrounds-food, water etc. The campground is seperated from the concert arena area. You do not have to sneak food/drink in to the camp areas!!
There are showers! Best avoided, use wet wipes for a PTA bath.

[gaypalmsprings]

merle will give you advice about sneaking in breast milk

[ZackQ]

If it's blistering heat out there, the security will often be cool about letting water into the festival itself.

Get as loaded as you want at your car, lots of people do.

There are showers. They aren't terrible.

[Memorial_07]

don't really get as loaded as you can before you get in or else it'll fuck up your whole festival experience

[ZackQ]

Shit, I wouldn't drink at all. It's the dessert and the line up kicks ass sober or tipsy. I never drink at Coachella. Save that shit for Lollapalooza.

[Memorial_07]

And according to many people I've heard from, drinking in 100+ degree weather will fucking annihilate you

[momof5]

I enjoy my drinks but really it is better to be(mostly) sober due to the heat and the amount of energy expended getting around from one band to the next. If you want to be drunk-save your money and go to a bar.$300 is a lot to spend for the festival-you might want to remember it!

[mountmccabe]

I think you have the wrong perception. You can bring just about anything in to the campgrounds-food, water etc. The campground is seperated from the concert arena area. You do not have to sneak food/drink in to the camp areas!!

Very important information!


One other thing to point out (though all of this is in the FAQ, etc): There is no re-entry to the concert area. You can't go see a band, go back to your tent/car then come back in and see more bands.

Unless you buy additional tickets, I suppose (at $99 + fees a piece.)

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

it's only a problem if you feel like you have to be in the very very front row for everyone you see. The situation you talked about with Outside Lands wasn't bad at all...10 minutes is plenty of time to walk a 1/4 mile

[natelan]

don't really get as loaded as you can before you get in or else it'll fuck up your whole festival experience

I must concur with Alfred Hitchcock here, getting totally faded before even getting into the fairground can lead to an unproductive (and often completely forgotten) day.

[gruvlicius]

-The rules aren't as tough as they seem. The promoters know what's up and want people to have a good time as long as they can handle themselves or stay in control. So just keep your cool, be smart and you'll have a great time.

Believe me, the rules are easy to live with if you aren't a drunken idiot. You'll be thankful as to how few idiots there are at Coachella, thanks to the promoters being super smart about tons of stuff.
**Lauren**

[Hawkings]

don't really get as loaded as you can before you get in or else it'll fuck up your whole festival experience

It's a long hot day or 3 days, especially if you go in at 2:00 or 3:00, your gonna be checking out bands till midnight so pace yourself

[Memorial_07]

I must concur with Alfred Hitchcock here, getting totally faded before even getting into the fairground can lead to an unproductive (and often completely forgotten) day.

I burst laughing when you said "Concur with Alfred Hitchcock here"
it just sounds so funny


but seriously, listen to everyone pace yourself or my personal advice is don't get loaded and remember every second of the whole weekend

you'll be so glad you did

[sportsbunny]

but seriously, listen to everyone pace yourself or my personal advice is don't get loaded and remember every second of the whole weekend

you'll be so glad you did

I agree it's so much better to not drink and remember the festival (not to say you can't do other stuff that still allows you to have memory)

[boarderwoozel3]

And according to many people I've heard from, drinking in 100+ degree weather will fucking annihilate you

You've heard correctly. I tried getting loaded before my first day of Coachella in 2007, never again, It was a miserable few hours before I sweat it all out.

[sassypants]

yes, it's totally fucking worth it.