Coachella’s first weekend is already spiraling into utter chaos, and it hasn’t even officially kicked off yet. With doors still to open later today, the iconic California festival is being slammed as “the worst in history” by frustrated festival-goers, who are even drawing comparisons to the infamous Fyre Festival disaster.
The two-weekend extravaganza is set to attract a flood of A-listers and music lovers from all over the globe, but campers have already flooded social media with stories of disorganisation in the cark parks, turning what should be an exciting start into a nightmare for many.
On X (formerly known as Twitter), reports flooded in from attendees, with some claiming they spent a staggering 12 hours just trying to get to their campsite. One user shared a message from a fellow camper stuck in the mess: “Hearing lots of reports of Coachella getting off to a rough start for campers today – some have waited as long as 12+ hours to reach a campsite, including one person who sent the DM below,” they wrote.
The message from the furious festival-goer, read: “Not only did we show up at 2am to get in line to get a good spot, but now have waited OVER 12 hours to even get to the security check. No porta potties in sight as we waited from 2am until 3pm now. The only porta potties available were at the security checkpoint inside the gates. We were turned down all 12 hours and were forced to pee on the side of the roads. A lot of people running out of gas and not restrooms. This is the worst organization I have ever seen at a festival and this is Coachella for god sakes.”
Meanwhile, the festival’s official Reddit thread were full of complaints about the disastrous situation. One poster expressed their dissatisfaction, suggesting: “Car campers need either a partial or full refund. We’ve waited nine hours to get inside this festival. No bathroom, no food. Likely won’t be returning.”
Other frustrated attendees chimed in, sharing their own experiences of long waits and poor organisation. “For real, what’s going on with car camping? Guys, this is my fifth Coachella, and I had never seen such horrible organization for car camping. I’ve been here hours, just crossed the security check and literally no one is moving.”
The Coachella website promotes car camping as the festival’s “most popular overnight option,” encouraging guests to “build an oasis for you and your crew” – but it seems to have quickly turned into a logistical nightmare this year. For those planning to camp during Weekend One, it’s priced at $160, with the site advertising the experience as a rite of passage: “If you’ve never camped, have you really experienced everything Coachella has to offer?”
As the festival gets underway this weekend, headlined by Lady Gaga, Green Day, and Post Malone, fans are already facing the kind of chaos that could overshadow the music itself.
Meanwhile, speculation about Justin Bieber’s involvement is also swirling, as fans are convinced the pop sensation, who’s in Palm Springs this week, might be making a surprise appearance at Coachella. Bieber has never headlined the festival, but he’s graced the stage as a guest performer four times before -fuelling anticipation that the troubled star show up again this year.
Justin, 31, was spotted with wife Hailey on Friday as the pair made their entrance to the Coachella Festival’s first weekend. Despite the speculation of a trouble brewing in their marriage, the couple put on a united front, turning up to the festival on a golf cart – with Hailey taking the lead at the steering-wheel while Justin sat in the back shirtless while scrolling on his phone.
Mum-of-one Hailey, who shares eight-month-old son Jack Blues with the singer, looked effortlessly chic in a green-striped beach dress. Hailey finished off the casual look with a black cap and some designer flip-flops.
The couple are gearing up for an exciting weekend in music as artists including Missy Elliott, Charli xcx, Megan Thee Stallion, Benson Boone, Ed Sheeran, FKA twigs, T-Pain, Tyla, Weezer, Zedd, and Jimmy Eat World are all performing.
The Mirror has approached a Coachella festival spokesperson for comment on this story.
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