Concertgoers cheer for Florence and the Machine during the 2010 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. (2010/File Photo)
Now that you’ve plunked down hundreds of dollars for your ticket to the sold-out 2013 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, you might be looking for some ways to save cash.
I’ve had a few people ask me for tips on how to do Coachella on the cheap so here are a few of my suggestions. Post yours in the comments below.
-Food
Along Highway 111 from Palm Springs to Indio there are dozens of places where you can get a sandwich or a meal–including a Panera and a Chipotle in La Quinta right near the festival, plus a bunch of fast food options like McDonald’s, Jack in the Box, Del Taco, etc. A number of the grocery stores have deli counters where you can get made-to-order sandwiches along the route, too.
Outside food doesn’t make it into the festival, but since you can go in and out with your wristband–you could go back to your car and have a picnic. Just be sure to have a reliable cooler with lots of ice packs–it tends to be hot out there.
If you’re staying in a hotel with a kitchen, making breakfast or lunch before you head out is another cost-cutting option.
Once you’re in the festival, check out which food stands give you the most bang for your buck. Scope out the food area and see what people are getting. Trust me, it won’t be the weirdest thing you see (or probably do) during the weekend. The iGuide team tends to go with any filling Asian noodle dish like Pad Thai and of course, pizza from I Love Spicy Pie as the old standby.
Ryan Smith, of Campbell, Calif., refills his water bottle at Coachella 2012. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Photo)
-Water
Staying hydrated is ALWAYS my number one tip for anything Coachella-related. Dehydration is serious business and nobody wants to be passed out instead of raging with their friends in the Sahara Tent.
Since its inception, water has been $2 per bottle at Coachella.
In recent years there have been filling stations where you can fill up your water bottle for free. Another initiative that is always popular is the 10-for-1 recycling center. If you take 10 empty bottles to the recycling station, you get a fresh bottle of water. It’s not unusual to see Coachella-goers dumpster diving in the cardboard recycling bins for them.
-Carpool
One of the things my friends who live here in the I.E. do is carpool to Coachella. Each driver takes a different day and it’s a lot cheaper to stay at home (or with a friend) than at a hotel. Plus, if you decorate your car, you could always be entered into the Carpoolchella contest for VIP tickets for life and other prizes.
-Where to stay
Camping is way cheaper than staying in a hotel if you have the gear or have a friend you can borrow it from. If you weren’t able to get a camping pass through Coachella you can camp in a traditional campground or if you have an RV, an RV Park. Coachella has a list of off-site camping options in the region.
-Tickets
For 2014, consider doing the Coachella ticket payment plan. The festival has offered it for a few years, but only offered it for 2013 in the pre-sale last May.
Keep an eye out for volunteer opportunities. Sometimes places seek volunteers for the festival that may offer you passes.
And if there’s a band on the lineup that you’re dying to see, they may just end up at a Goldenvoice venue around the festival doing their own show. Last year there were Coachella artists performing at SoCal venues like the Glass House and the Fox Theater in Pomona, the El Rey and the Fonda between the weekends. Keep an eye on the Goldenvoice website for more.
What are your best tips? Post in the comments below.
For more Coachella news, photos, interviews and information, visit the iGuide Coachella page. If you want to follow me on social media, I’m at @vanessafranko on Twitter, the Audio File on Facebook and on Google+ (just search for vfranko@pe.com).