Where do celebrities hide at Coachella?

Travelling over 9,000 km to catch a glimpse of stars at Coachella is a bad idea! Contrary to popular belief, meeting celebrities at Coachella is very difficult. Access to the festival is highly segmented, with the “general admission” ticket for the average person, the “VIP” ticket for the wealthier attendees, and access to the backstage area. This is where you are most likely to enjoy your margarita alongside the Kardashians or Biebers.

The problem is that this access is reserved for those with an “artist pass,” which is not available through regular ticket sales. Some have tried the black market, but the price can reach five figures with no commercial guarantee.

As every year, all the American celebrity elite gathered backstage, along with carefully selected influencers and music industry professionals. Paris Hilton, Kendall Jenner, Chappell Roan, Lizzo, Becky G, Damson Idris, Teyana Taylor, and Chris Brown were all in attendance. During Justin Bieber’s highly anticipated performance, Katy Perry joked about the Youtube-like show of her boyfriend’s compatriot, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was present in the crowd.

Another feature to consider is that Coachella hosts numerous parallel events organized by powerful sponsors on the outskirts of the site, with the most renowned being the Revolve Festival in Thermal, accessible by invitation only. Renowned artists who are not part of the Coachella lineup (such as Don Toliver, Mustard, Kehlani this year) perform at these events.

But for the optimists, some celebrities do not hesitate to make a brief appearance in the crowd, often disguised as festival-goers to blend in. Among them, rapper Big Sean was photographed in front of Coachella’s iconic cylindrical installation over the weekend.

Ultimately, the best way to get relatively close to the celebrities is by attending the concerts. A tradition at Coachella is that artists invite surprise guests during the two weekends, and it’s a game to guess in advance who will make an appearance. Those who guessed Jennifer Lopez with French DJ David Guetta and Snoop Dogg with another French DJ, Hugel, hit the jackpot!