Coachella 2026 Weekend 1 Start Time: Key Details For Attendees

Coachella 2026 Weekend 1 Start Time: Key Details For Attendees...

Coachella 2026 kicks off today at 12 PM PT when gates open at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. The festival's first weekend runs April 11-13, with headliners including Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, and Dua Lipa performing on multiple stages.

Searches for "what time does Coachella start" have spiked 480% in the past 24 hours as attendees finalize travel plans. Many festival-goers are arriving from Los Angeles (2-hour drive) and Phoenix (4-hour drive), with traffic expected to peak between 10 AM and 2 PM PT today.

Goldenvoice, the festival organizer, confirmed set times will follow their traditional schedule: opening acts begin at 12:30 PM PT, with headliners taking the main stage around 9:45 PM PT each night. The complete schedule is available on the official Coachella app, which has been downloaded over 200,000 times this week.

Local businesses in Indio report record pre-sales for water, sunscreen, and portable phone chargers. Temperatures are forecast to reach 88°F today, prompting health officials to remind attendees about hydration stations throughout the venue.

Weekend 2 of Coachella 2026 runs April 18-20 with identical set times. Both weekends are sold out, though resale tickets remain available through official partners. The festival expects over 125,000 daily attendees during each weekend.