While stages at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will host performances led by some of music’s most prominent acts, festival-goers will also be treated to Michelin-starred dishes, local favorites, secret speakeasies, and a variety of delicious foods and beverages.
Throughout the three-day event at Indio’s Empire Polo Club, from April 11-13 and April 18-20, fans from around the world may need a break from the action to recharge and refuel. Luckily, there will be plenty of food halls, culinary activations and shaded bars for them to retreat to.
Adrian Garcia, culinary director and food and beverage director at Goldenvoice Festivals, said in a Zoom interview that there is room for the food festival, now in its 24th year, to offer an immersive and entertaining experience for festival attendees.
“With our speakeasies, it’s about taking people out of Coachella so they forget, for a second, that they’re even on site at a festival, until they realize they should probably get out and go see a band on stage,” he said.
As for the food, Garcia said that the search for new vendors is a constant process that involves staying attuned to what’s trending online and in the local foodie scenes of Los Angeles and other parts of Southern California. Some of the trends making their way to this year’s festival include birria, hot chicken, and other festival favorites, such as burgers and pizza.
Most of the food and drink offerings throughout the festival are scatted in areas accessible to general admission ticket holders, but other offerings will remain exclusive to VIP access. Most of the food and beverage curation has been crafted this way so that some restaurants can serve items in a timely manner so they spend less time in line and more time enjoying the vibes. Garcia said it’s also about giving VIP guests a unique ambiance.
“Some of our partners want to be in the VIP area and want people to come find them in the VIP Rose Garden, where they can sit at Casa Nori and enjoy some hand rolls in a more mellow experience,” he said. “There are definitely some higher price points there too, and sometimes it also has to do with the speed of service. For example, Bang Bang noodles are fantastic, and they kill it. However, they have to hand-pull noodles, so it’s a slightly slower process and serving time. Keeping them in a more controlled environment allows them to keep up with the crowd.”
Whether it’s in general admission areas or VIP, there is an eclectic lineup of food that has become a foundation of the festival, giving visitors a chance to try some favorites from Los Angeles, the Coachella Valley, and more.
Here’s a taste of Coachella’s food and beverage programming at this year’s festival.
Beer Barn, Camping & Coachella Courtyard
The Beer Barn is back, hosting several fan favorites that pair perfectly with crisp ales, IPAs and other craft beers. Some of the food options available next to the barn include The Goat Mafia, a pop-up concept from Compton serving L.A.-style birria; Nashville-inspired Ritchie’s Hot Chicken; and Angeleno’s wood-fired pizza, offering options like the classic Margherita and a fully vegan pie. If craft beer isn’t your preference, consider visiting the specialty cocktail bar next door at The Cabin.
Campers will also enjoy their delicious lineup for spending the weekend in the desert. The camping grounds will feature a Dave’s Hot Chicken 24-foot truck, Word of Mouth’s plant-based comfort food, Spicy Pie’s festival favorite slices, Yeastie Boys’ bodega-style plump and chewy bagels, and Five03 Pupusas’ Salvadoran dishes.
Coachella Courtyard offerings include Fat Sal’s extra-wide French baguette sandwiches; Sunny Blue’s Tuna mayo with yuzu and miso mushroom omusubi; Nash and Popper’s crispy, deep-fried boneless thigh “Sammich”; and, of course, L.A.’s Oh My Burger.
General Admission Bites
General admission attendees will have the opportunity to visit Pizza Remix, a pop-up collaboration between Postmates and New York City’s Prince Street Pizza. The collaboration will include slices that remix Los Angeles restaurants, such as The Boiling Crab’s slice, made with their signature whole sha-bang sauce and topped with mozzarella, shrimp, and smoked sausage. Another option is Bridgetown Roti’s honey jerk chicken slice, made with honey jerk chicken, mango masala, green seasoning, and smoked mozzarella.
The Indio Central Market
The Indio Central Market, a large tented hall filled with a plethora of flavors and offering views of the Outdoor Stage, returns with 15 concepts. Some of this year’s highlights include Chef Roy Choi’s Kogi taco truck, which remixes Korean flavors with street food. Kogi will also showcase its brand-new concept, Tacos Por Vida.
Other stand-out offerings at the market include sandwiches from the iconic, All’Antico Vinaio, originally out of Florence, Italy, known for packing fresh veggies and meats between Schiacciata (Tuscan flatbread); Farmhouse Thai Kitchen’s colorful comfort food featuring blue jasmine rice, yellow curry and fried chicken; a Philadelphia-style smooth and fruity sorbet from Happy Ice and elevated takes on bites and beverages inspired by Japan’s iconic convenience stores from Sandoitchi.
Sonora Food
If you’re planning to catch some of the live sets at or near the Sonora tent, you’ll likely want to stay nearby when you’re ready to grab a bite to eat. There are plenty of excellent options available.
Fans of noodles can try All Dat Noodle, which specializes in hand-sliced Asian-style noodles tossed in a house-made sauce and topped with your choice of ingredients. Island Noodles is another option serving up wok-fired yakisoba noodles, stir-fried with veggies and their signature Island Sauce.
Other highlights include Birreria Michi, which serves birria tacos, quesabirrias, birria fries, ramen, and even a birria mac burrito; Chef Gerard Nebesky’s Paella; and Sandfish’s traditional Japanese sushi.
Speakeasies
One of the best parts of picking your own adventure at Coachella is the scavenger hunt to find the hidden speakeasies. It’s a great way to escape the sun, relax in air conditioning, and enjoy a fun cocktail in a themed bar.
This year, the team behind New York City’s PDT (Please Don’t Tell) will debut its concept Mixteca, soon to open in the Big Apple’s West Village, offering an agave oasis hidden in plain sight. Two other bar concepts include Golden Hour and a Tiki Bar.
For those looking for a booze-free experience, the festival will also host The New Bar, a bottle shop based in Los Angeles, stocked with a selection of alcohol-free spirits, wine, beer and specialty festival-inspired mocktails.
Terrace North
Patrons at Terrace North can enjoy L.A.-based chef Eric Greenspan’s elevated version of a grilled cheese from New School Quality Grilled Cheese. He will also host two other food concepts alongside each other.
Other bites include a plate of pulled pork sliders on King’s Hawaiian rolls from Slider Kings; carnitas-loaded fries with New School cheese sauce, mango mayo, and green onions from Chipapas; and classic Chinese dishes, such as crispy orange chicken, slurp-worthy chow mein, and packed egg rolls from Fat Dragon.
Terrace South
Vehan festival fans at Terrace South can pick up items from Monty’s Good Burger spin-off concepts, like a hot dog at Monty’s Dog House, frozen desserts at Monty’s Treats, or matcha lattes at Good Boy Matcha.
Other highlights include the steamed delights from Lovebite Dumplings, a Gen Z woman-owned business, and messy Louisiana-inspired Cajun seafood boils at The Boiling Crab. Also featured are Wagyu smash burgers from Burger She Wrote and sandwiches from TKB, a family-owned and operated establishment in the Coachella Valley since 1994.
VIP Rose Garden
One of the festival’s most elevated dining options is artist Jim Denevan’s Outstanding In The Field. The off-grid culinary experience has traveled to 25 countries and is returning to the festival for its tenth anniversary, featuring dishes crafted from the Coachella Valley’s local farms. For $350, guests can enjoy a four-course, family-style dinner prepared by notable chefs from across the country.
Other VIP Rose Garden exclusives include bold and authentic Korean flavors from Inssa; crispy smash burgers from Love Hour; and the Clink Wine Bar, an LA-based natural wine club that offers organic, biodynamic, and hand-harvested vino.
12 Peaks VIP
Within the 12 Peaks VIP area, festivalgoers can try the “Le Burger” by Camphor whose Michelin-starred team will offer a “high-low” pairing of chicken nuggets and caviar; alongside savory poke bowls from Sweetfin; Tijuana-style tacos by Tacos 1986; Neapolitan pizzas from Ronan; Szechuan garlic noodles from Bang Bang Noodles; Banh Mis by modern Vietnamese kitchen My Lai and espresso delights from Menotti’s.