The Coachella Valley has emerged as an unexpected global leader in music festivals. Each April, over 150,000 people arrive for Coachella’s two straight weekends of rock, dance, and R&B, followed by Stagecoach, featuring country music’s biggest stars. Looking to capitalize on these events’ notoriety, the City of Indio officially rechristened itself “The City of Festivals.” Why did these festivals start here? What is their future? And what role do they play in nurturing the local arts scene year-round? Music writer and photographer Steve Appleford, Palm Springs Art Museum deputy education director Irene N. Rodríguez, Indio Mayor Lupe Ramos Watson, and Modernism Week executive director Lisa Vossler Smith visit Zócalo to discuss why we love festivals, and what their popularity says about how we experience art and culture together.
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The Takeaway
Why Do Coachella Valley Festivals Rock So Hard?
The Best Arts and Music Festivals Are Devoted to Quality, Diversity—and Their Communities
There are 15 major arts and music festivals in the Coachella Valley each year, from the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Palm Springs International Film Festival to …