Coachella 2012 Breaks Attendance Record

[luckyface]

80,000 - 85,000 people this year

I thought it felt a shit ton more crowded than last year. Will they just quietly continue to up capacities every year? Not a huge fan of that.

[with_cheese]

This year felt so much more packed than last year. It was a bit unpleasant at times.

[TomAz]

Still felt better than 2010 though.

[LiquidL]

Wonder what attendance weekend 2 will bring. Supposedly it's sold out as well.

[locachica73]

Extremely better than 2010. There were a few crowded moments for me, and I am not a fan of crowds, but I was still able to get in/out from wherever I wanted to be without too much stress. I also noticed that even though there were more people there seemed to be less trash on the grounds. I am hoping that means people are just a lot more willing to find a trash can when done with water/food but I also noticed a lot more employees running around picking up after people.

[PlayaDelWes]

Extremely better than 2010. There were a few crowded moments for me, and I am not a fan of crowds, but I was still able to get in/out from wherever I wanted to be without too much stress. I also noticed that even though there were more people there seemed to be less trash on the grounds. I am hoping that means people are just a lot more willing to find a trash can when done with water/food but I also noticed a lot more employees running around picking up after people.

YES! All of that. If you wanted to be on / close to rail, you could for any act with very little advanced arrival.

[nosurprises12]

Anything is better than 2010 - even with the venue's size, an extra 10-15k people on top of those who paid to get in will make for a miserable experience. I felt it was only a bit more crowded this year as compared to last, but it really wasn't enough to make me not enjoy a set I wanted to see. I also feel like the large majority of the crowd went to certain specific sets throughout the weekend (Justice, Gotye, Sahara crap, etc.), something which I am sure sucked if you were there but was quite nice if you were seeing someone else.

[Vic Viper]

i thought it felt more crowded but dismissed it as my brain playing tricks on me. any more than this and it'll be too much.

[bluecheese]

I was there in 2010, it was much less crowded this year.

[aphrael]

This year felt so much more packed than last year. It was a bit unpleasant at times.

hmm. this must have varied wildly depending on who you were seeing; it felt much less packed than last year to me, and i kept stumbling across almost empty tents. (Atari Teenage Riot crowd, i'm looking at YOU).

[aphrael]

Anything is better than 2010 - even with the venue's size, an extra 10-15k people on top of those who paid to get in will make for a miserable experience. I felt it was only a bit more crowded this year as compared to last, but it really wasn't enough to make me not enjoy a set I wanted to see. I also feel like the large majority of the crowd went to certain specific sets throughout the weekend (Justice, Gotye, Sahara crap, etc.), something which I am sure sucked if you were there but was quite nice if you were seeing someone else.

I spent about 1/3 of my time in the Sahara, and it never felt crowded. Only set I went to which really felt mind-bogglingly crowded was M83.

[choice cat]

2011 seemed to have less, but this year it didn't seem like THAT much more.

[luckyface]

As others said, anything is better than 2010. That is the year they decided to up capacity 15,000 while keeping the venue the same size as before. With the added gate jumpers, it was a huge disaster.

It was still manageable this year, but last year was absolutely perfect. I just hope they don't keep raising capacities.

[LiquidL]

This year broke attendance record so more people went this year. 2010 may have seemed more crowded but it wasn't, mathematically speaking.

[arthurbang]

This is surprising to me. It definitely seemed less crowded this year to me than the last few, especially Friday because of the cold weather. We never even waited more than a few minutes to get in or out of the parking lots, and that NEVER happens.

[faxman75]

I also thought it felt much less crowded this year in comparison to last. I thought Friday and Saturday had even less people than Sunday. Sunday was the first day I came across a set I couldn't access because I didn't want to push through the crowd. I forget which set it was now. It was in the Mohave in the afternoon.

[TomAz]

This year broke attendance record so more people went this year. 2010 may have seemed more crowded but it wasn't, mathematically speaking.

Unless you count the 25,000 gate crashers in 2010.

[Robin]

There was one stabbing at this year's event, when a Woodland Hills man wounded a friend of his ex-girlfriend, perhaps mistaking the victim for her new boyfriend

Guys, this will probably not win your ex gf back.

[JustSteve]

and dude is not pressing charges. how does that work?

[Robin]

He's probably scared he'll get stabbed if he did press charges.

[seitron]

This year broke attendance record so more people went this year. 2010 may have seemed more crowded but it wasn't, mathematically speaking.

Crowded = # People / Area of Land. Area of Land 2012 > Area of Land 2010. # People + Gategrashers = More People.

= more crowded. mathematically speaking.

[TheClaw]

Wow. It honestly didn't feel that crowded. On Friday and Saturday I was easily able to get good spots at the main stage in the middle of the day. The only tents shows that were insane were Gotye and grouplove.

[amma_sol]

i thought it felt way more crowded than last year. We never had to wait in line to get in and out last year. Also, the Sahara tent was ALWAYS packed this year. Barely enough room to move let alone dance.

[Goatchella]

They prob figure if they have cheese acts they can allow 20,000 more people in because they are all 5'5 and 120lb raver nerds

[TeamCoachellaHellYeah]

I personally did not feel the larger crowds this year. I've been going for 12 years and the only 2 times its been bad were 2006 and 2010. 2010 was the absolute worst or the worst though.

[Gribbz]

I personally did not feel the larger crowds this year. I've been going for 12 years and the only 2 times its been bad were 2006 and 2010. 2010 was the absolute worst or the worst though.

Yep. Not crowded at all IMO.

[heyeric]

They prob figure if they have cheese acts they can allow 20,000 more people in because they are all 5'5 and 120lb raver nerds

You speak the truth HAHAHAHA

[Miroir Noir]

Yeah, either my senses are failing me, or I'm just going to increasingly unpopular sets, because this felt like the least crowded festival since '09.

[Miroir Noir]

I also liked this at the end of the article luckyface posted:

There was one stabbing at this year's event, when a Woodland Hills man wounded a friend of his ex-girlfriend, perhaps mistaking the victim for her new boyfriend, Guitron said.

The victim is not pressing charges.

[LiquidL]

Crowded = # People / Area of Land. Area of Land 2012 > Area of Land 2010. # People + Gategrashers = More People.

= more crowded. mathematically speaking.

Hmm they have more area now? That'll make all the difference. Thanks for the course Professor.