The crowd cheers for the Rapture at the Mojave tent during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Friday, April 13, 2012. (File Photo)
Bummed that you didn’t get tickets in time for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival? Even though the 15th edition of the festival has sold out both weekends (April 11-13 and April 18-20) at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, there are still a few ways to get in.
1. Purchase a pass with an “Outstanding in the Field” dinner
While general passes and VIP passes for Coachella are sold out, you can still get in with an official ticket if you’re willing to pony up a little bit of extra cash. Unlike a scalper, the extra cash nets you something in return–a fancy dinner.
“Outstanding in the Field” is a restaurant without walls with some famous chefs that will be doing two seatings each day during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in the exclusive Rose Garden.
Weekend one is already sold out, but you can still purchase passes (and get the dinner) for weekend two. A GA pass with dinner is $600 and a VIP Pass is $1024. That only gets you dinner for one day, at one of the seatings (5:30 or 7:30 p.m.).
For information and tickets, visit http://coachella-weekend2.frontgatetickets.com.
2. Purchase a pass on the secondary market
The only foolproof way to get a ticket is if you know it’s official. Since Coachella is sold out, it’s hard to verify if a secondary market ticket is legit. My tip is to seek help via your personal social network. Post a status update on Facebook and let your friends know you’re looking for a ticket for weekend 1 or 2 and let them know what you’re willing to pay. Chances are that if you’re in Southern California, a friend of a friend may have your hookup and it’s far less risky than a random person on Craigslist.
Also, if you have deep pockets, Pharrell is auctioning two weekend 2 VIP passes and a meet and greet with him on Ebay.
Other services, like StubHub and SeatGeek, allow people to purchase passes on the secondary market–but often for a high markup. Check into the customer service policies of the ticket broker BEFORE you buy. Some offer a guarantee if the ticket turns out to be fake.
If anyone is trying to sell you a paper ticket, it’s bogus. Coachella only uses wristbands.
Tip: Weekend two tickets traditionally sell for less on the secondary market than weekend one passes. As of Sunday, April 6, 2014, the cheapest weekend 1 pass on StubHub was a general admission pass for $850. For weekend 2: $387.
Festival goers decorate their cars celebrating the Coachella Valley Arts and Music Festival. Winners could get passes to future years. (2013/File Photo)
3. Win a contest
Local radio stations have been giving away tickets for Coachella, including KROQ, but do some Internet searching to see if you can find any other ways to win. If you already have a ticket for this year’s festival, decorate your car and try to win some Carpoolchella passes.
4. Celebrate Couch-ella
There’s probably something to be said about enjoying Coachella in your pajamas and not having to undergo a body cavity search when entering. This year, both weekends of the festival will be filmed and broadcast. Weekend 1 will be all over YouTube and 20 hours of Weekend 2 will be aired on AXS TV.
Even if you’re not headed to Coachella 2014, just yet, scout out the artists with our interactive map.
I’ve covered the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Stagecoach Country Music Festival since 2007. 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+.