Coachella 2009: Second Highest Attendance Ever

[waaat]

Economy doesn't slow Coachella business


Despite rampant unemployment in the area, the Coachella Music and Arts Festival recorded its second highest attendance in its 10-year history last weekend.

The three-day event headlined by Paul McCartney, The Killers and The Cure, drew 160,000 people to the Empire Polo Club in Indio.

“It’s kind of shocking in this world,” said Coachella co-founder Paul Tollett of the Los Angeles-based Goldenvoice promotion company.

The festival drew 180,000 people over three days in 2007 with Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bjork as headliners.

The two-day festival in 2004, featuring Radiohead and The Cure, plus a much anticipated reunion of The Pixies, drew 50,000 people a day and last year’s three-day festival, headlined by Jack Johnson, Prince and Roger Waters, attracted just less than that.

Tollett said attendance last weekend was pretty consistent over all three days. The numbers started to increase, he said, when the weather reports started showing unseasonably low temperatures.

“By Monday, we started seeing a major, major increase,” he said. “Then the last two days just exploded.”

The weather is expected to drop to 86 degrees on Saturday and 84 degrees on Sunday. Tollett expects that to generate an advance sell-out of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival, running those two days at the Empire Polo Club.

“That’s a first for Stagecoach,” said Tollett. “The forecast is looking pretty good.”

http://www.mydesert.com/article/2009...4/-1/newsfront

[LooseAtTheZoo]

Good for them. They needed it this year.

[g0k1ngsg0]

i really expected to see empty polo fields this year, i was shocked to see it packed all 3 days.

shocked in a good way, of course!

[zikade]

Fri/Sat was PACKED. I was expecting the empty feeling of last year so it was nice.

[woogie846]

It felt a lot more crowded than last year.

[Ardentbiscuit]

With that many people I was surprised how easily I got in and out of the festival this year.

I guess they are just running things better!

[JustSteve]

can't really compare attendance over the 10 years, though. it has been a 3 day fest for 3 years, so this weekend was really only competing with '07 and '08 attendance-wise.

[Kid B]

Fantastic news.

[Dogvolta]

Hhmm, I thought Sunday seemed empty all day...

[davrone]

Saturday definitely felt a lot more crowded when compared to last year. I kept doing that little 'outta my way' two-step all day long.

[SFChrissy]

It felt crowded, but more compact...I think they utilized a lot more of the open space which overall making it have that crowded feeling...

[emtgreg]

It took me decades to get from crystal castles to leonard cohen...

decades of awesome of course...

[johnnypolite]

Awesome news! Congrats to all the people at Goldenvoice! Can't wait for next year.

[gmoneyak]

Saturday was the only day that felt crowded to me, that scene for the Chemical Brothers was insane.

[beavington]

I am glad attendance was on par or even better than previous years. It just proves this board is full of people with their head up their asses who obviously do not have a clue.

I will say it was my least favorite Coachella overall though, but still fucking great.

I noticed though, that the tents were never as full as in previous years.

[boarderwoozel3]

It didn't feel overly crowded to me. The only congested trek I made all weekend was from MBV to The Orb to Groove Armada. Good for Goldenvoice though.

[suprefan]

Only Friday felt packed, the rest felt ok, nothing like 06 or 07 packed to hell though.

[Devin the Dude]

06 daft = sweaty manhugs, like it or not.

this year could've used a few less douchebags in the sahara, but overall, i'm happier at the lineup than i am saddened by the douchebaggery.

[instinct]

Hopefully they made enough money to get more LIVE electronica acts instead of booking headliner names doing a DJ set.

[Stefachink]

No wonder! I definitely noticed there being much more people this year than the last. Made it kinda hectic for me .. especially at night. I often had to dodge people trying to get from stage to stage.

[alex gardner]

friday was crazy when i first got there, i couldn't believe how many people were there so early. saturday also surprised me with how packed it was, but sunday was probably the thinnest coachella day i have ever seen. i was blown away with how many people weren't at mbv.

[somahead]

I was really surprised to wake up Friday morning and see that camping had stretched across the entire field. Great job Goldenvoice. Success in this economy speaks volumes about the Coachella experience.

[Aphxtwinin]

i knew something felt like it was 07', but yea good for them.

[hobomilitia]

Friday was super packed all day. saturday was pretty hectic too

[natureboy]

Happy Anniversary Bitches!



IT'S A CELEBRATION!

[PrettyRagdoll]

It's crazy, it didn't feel that crowded to me.

[tigermilkboy]

If lower/milder temperatures were really responsible for such a last minute surge in attendence then shouldn't GV be considering a early April Coachella?
Not saying it can't be 100F even in early April, but it is something to consider for GV.