Coachella 2025 Faces Unprecedented Traffic Chaos, Testing Attendees' Patience
Coachella 2025: Traffic Chaos at Campgrounds
Imagine setting out early to enjoy the much-anticipated Coachella 2025 in Indio, California, only to find yourself trapped in your car for up to 12 hours, trying to enter the campgrounds. That's exactly what happened to many enthusiastic festivalgoers this year, as the festival faced unprecedented traffic chaos. Arriving as early as 3 a.m. meant nothing for attendees who were still waiting to get through by midday.
Adam Roberts, stuck in traffic for an agonizing eight hours, couldn't help but draw parallels with the disaster of the Fyre Festival. Feeling misled after shelling out over $800 for his ticket, Adam's experience was unfortunately shared by many. Then there's Hailey Maxwell, who, after attending Coachella five times, felt the sting of comparison to previous years. Normally, her group would reach the campsite before the break of dawn, but this time, a half-mile journey took them a grueling four hours.
Tales from the Road: Frustrations Mount
Others like Oliver and Kayla Standring, who arrived bright-eyed at 8 a.m., found themselves trapped in this 'insane' process. The couple was used to breezing through the entrance in about two hours at most in previous years. Now, with the heat turning cars into makeshift saunas, and the absence of basic amenities like water or toilets, the ordeal was made worse.
Kayla recounted the creativity and desperation that ensued, with women using car doors to maintain privacy while tending to natural needs – a clear indication of the lack of planning foresight. Attempts by officials to manage the chaos bore no fruit, leaving festival-goers like Jensen, who endured the gridlock from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., feeling exhausted and frustrated. Many swore to rethink their attendance in future events.
During this entire debacle, communication was another casualty. Despite the Coachella app flashing promotions about partnerships with American Express and Nobu, it failed to provide any critical updates about the traffic situation. The silence added fuel to the already simmering frustration among attendees.
NBC News recognized the plight and expressed concerns over the 100°F temperatures and the possibility of the same issues cropping up on the festival's second weekend. With such troubling precedents, it comes as no surprise that people started comparing these conditions to the infamous 2023 Burning Man gridlock. Veteran festival fans, not wanting to risk a repeat of such chaos, are now suggesting avoiding car camping or arriving even earlier.