Importance Score: 58 / 100 🔵
Coachella Festival 2023: Traffic Issues Mar Opening Weekend
The highly anticipated return of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival to the desert encountered unexpected challenges during its first weekend. Festivalgoers attending the initial weekend of Coachella, featuring headliners such as Lady Gaga, Megan Thee Stallion, and Charli XCX, expressed considerable dissatisfaction due to extensive traffic delays reaching the California festival grounds. Goldenvoice, the event organizer, has addressed concerns regarding the reported logistical difficulties.
Traffic Congestion Explained by Organizer
Goldenvoice’s Senior Vice President of Public Safety, George Cunningham, addressed the La Quinta City Council on April 15, offering insights into the traffic disruptions. Cunningham stated, “Each year, we typically observe a quieter period between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. when activity decreases. This customary lull did not occur this year.”
Festival Attendees Report Lengthy Delays
The traffic problems began in the early hours of April 11, the inaugural day of the weekend-long music festival. Numerous campers shared their experiences of significant delays in accessing the Empire Polo Club, the venue for Coachella, across social media platforms. Liss, a TikTok user, recounted that she and her companions endured nearly 10 hours of waiting in their vehicle after arriving at the camping area at 3 a.m., hoping to avoid traffic congestion.