Coachella is one of our favourite festivals to go to, and we were lucky enough to go again this year with a group of friends while we were in California last month. If you haven’t been before but want to know all about Coachella, here is what we got up to this time around and our tips for if you are planning on going in the future!
Dresses and bag, @nobodyschild, photography, @eyeofevan
Dresses and bag, @nobodyschild, photography, @eyeofevan
Dresses and bag, @nobodyschild, photography, @eyeofevan
Horoscope necklaces @johnnylovesrosieofficial
Getting There
If you are assuming that you’ll touch down at LAX and roll around the corner to the festival then you are mistaken. Coachella Festival is located in Indio in the Coachella Valley area of California which is essentially a desert approximately 2.5hrs by car East of Los Angeles. Although it’s further than you might have realised, it does mean you can have the chance to have the music playing with your squad all singing along, feeling like your in a movie and stopping off to have an obligatory In n Out Burger.
Kaftans @prettylavishuk
Kaftans @prettylavishuk
Kaftans @prettylavishuk
Where to Stay
This time around we stayed in a gorgeous villa in Palm Springs which was about 30 mins drive from the festival. We have found that most places to stay do tend to be this distance away from the festival although there are a few hotels that are much closer that seem to be super popular over the Coachella weekends. Although obviously staying in a hotel is amazing and it means you get an insane breakfast provided (rather than a few homemade scrambled eggs) and often some really fun pool parties, we would highly recommend staying in a villa. The villa experience was totally incredible, having our own space and all living together was just so much fun! It was also just so lovely to hang with everyone by the pool in the day surrounded by palm trees and then all get ready together for the festival. After all the getting ready is half the fun right?
Swimwear, Bikbok x A Bikini A Day
Weekend One or Weekend Two?
Despite going on weekend two last year we decided to go for weekend one this year as it fitted in better with our schedule and that of our friends going with us. If you are up for hitting the parties and celeb spotting than weekend one is the ONE for you. We were lucky enough to attend the Pretty Little Thing x Paper Magazine Party and the Bumble Party which were both so so much fun, held at beautiful locations both with great music and cocktails. We also found that we met up with and saw a lot more friends on the first weekend. However, if you are looking for a more chilled vibe with perhaps less of a crowd and if you are not bothered about the parties then you should probably TWOS weekend two.
Chokers by @johnnylovesrosieofficial
The best alcoholic popsicles @havealic
What to Wear
When it comes to what to wear, literally anything goes! Coachella is firmly penned into the diaries of many a fashionista, and one of our favourite things to do at Coachella is to people watch and look at some of the incredible outfits the fashion conscious have put together. It ranges from swimsuits to basic tees and denim shorts to the hippie look, to long coloured gowns with feather headdresses. So whatever your vibe is, just do you! One thing we would have to recommend is comfy footwear. After all when you are jumping around to your favourite musician you won’t want to stop jumping just to rest your feet! For us a pair of trainers is always a winner but this year we also wore amazing Australian brand TWOOBS into the festival. These are both super comfortable but also give us both a little extra height which is always an added bonus! Also don’t forget that it being the desert it does go from hot in the day to chilly at night so bring something to pop on during the final few acts!
Photography @jzobphoto for @TWOOBS
Photography @jzorbphoto for @TWOOBS
Photography @jzobphoto for @TWOOBS
Photography @jzorbphoto for @TWOOBS
Photography @jzobphoto for @TWOOBS
Photography @jzobphoto for @TWOOBS
What time to get to the festival
Before we went out to LA a couple of friends asked us what sort of time they should be arriving at the festival as first-timers. If you’re not camping on site (although you can do it this way if you want to) we would suggest arriving at 3/4pm. With the parties going on in the day and the desert heat peaking at midday it just makes sense to arrive at the festival later in the afternoon but before the sunset. Make sure you are there for when the sun sets as it is absolutely beautiful! It also of course depends what time the artists are on that you are most keen to see.
@bumble party
We are looking forward to next year already! Love Olivia and Alice Xx