With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
This Year Set To Be The Most Crowded Coachella Yet

The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival — the harbinger of the annual grotesquely sweaty festival season — kicks off its first weekend of performances this Friday, and it's expected to be the most crowded Coachella yet, according to NBC 4.
Last year for reasons unknown to us (just kidding, it was probably related to money!) Indio City Council unanimously voted to up the festival’s capacity from 99,000 to 125,000. Because if you’ve ever been to Coachella you’ve thought “Wow, if only there were more people here!” at least once.
The Desert Sun reports that the capacity increases will take place gradually, and that Goldenvoice will also be expanding the venue size by about 50 acres.
Radiohead, Lady Gaga, and Kendrick Lamar will be headlining both weekends along with a solid lineup of supporting acts. Joining the giants will be must-see performances across all genres, including sets by Mitski, Gucci Mane, Lorde, Nicolas Jaar, and many more.
If you weren’t one of the many rabidly refreshing your Internet browser eons ago to snag a general admission festival pass, you’re out of luck. Tickets are sold-out, but Coachella Valley residents have a glimmer of hope; a local-only sale for weekend passes will be held on April 19. Everyone else will be doomed to watch the festival from their screens where it will belive-streamed throughout the weekend.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

-
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places.
-
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures.
-
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump.
-
The university says the compact, as the Trump administration called it, could undermine free inquiry and academic excellence.
-
This is the one time you can do this legally!
-
Metro officials said it will be able to announce an opening date “soon.”