Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Reward Offered for Return of Flying Pig
Listen
• 1:33
The Pig flies near the stage during Roger Waters performance at day 3 of the Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival held at the Empire Polo Field on April 27, 2008 in Indio, California.
(
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
)
The organizers of the Coachella Music festival are offering a $10,000 reward for the recovery of a giant inflatable pig. It broke loose from its tethers during the three-day festival's closing performance on Sunday. KPCC's Steve Cuevas has more.
Steve Cuevas: It happened at the end of the first half of former Pink Floyd front man Roger Waters' set during the song "Pigs." As the song ended, the pig, scrawled with a variety of political slogans, ascended... and ascended, and ascended...
[Sound of song "Pigs" ending]
Roger Waters: Well, thank you. That's my pig!
Support for LAist comes from
Audience members: Where did it go?! I hope it lands on our house!
Marcee Rondan: I don't really have the details on how exactly it happened. What I do know is that he floated away at the end of the first set of Roger Waters' show.
Cuevas: Marcee Rondan is a Coachella Festival spokeswoman. She can't be sure – or isn't saying – if the pig broke loose, or maybe was set free.
Rondan: We believe it to be accidental, but again, that was preliminary.
Cuevas: Rondan says the pig now belongs to Goldenvoice, the company that puts on the festival. That's why organizers are so eager to get it back.
Rondan: I don't even know that they've made a plea for it yet. It's just something that they wanted to get back, and I think they'll determine afterwards how to utilize him through possible future Coachellas.
Cuevas: And I've heard different things about its actual size. Do you have any idea –
Support for LAist comes from
Rondan: Yes. It's about a two-story house, about that high – and the width of a couple of buses.
Cuevas: In addition to the 10,000 bucks, the pig finder will get four lifetime tickets to the Coachella Music Festival.
Update 4/30/08: The Pig has been found! Two couples found the tattered halves of the inflatable pig in their yards. The couples will split the cash reward.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Wasteland Weekend is all about souped-up rust buckets, spikey costumes and an ‘ideal apocalypse.’ -
The Shadow the Scientists initiative at UC Santa Cruz strives to demystify astronomical research. -
Some submissions to the Pasadena Humane Society were made by extremely talented artists. The others … tried their best. -
Isolated showers can still hit the L.A. area until Friday as remnants from the tropical storm move out. -
First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings. -
It's thanks to Tropical Storm Mario, so also be ready for heat and humidity, and possibly thunder and lightning.
Best of LAist